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Qi J, Wang X, Zhang T, Li C, Wang Z. Adult Feeding Experience Determines the Fecundity and Preference of the Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (F.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). BIOLOGY 2024; 13:250. [PMID: 38666862 PMCID: PMC11048397 DOI: 10.3390/biology13040250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Both larvae and adults of the Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata feed on leaves of potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants. Given the variation in planting times of host plants in the Jianghan Plain, host switching between larvae and adults of H. vigintioctopunctata is inevitable to ensure continuous food availability. We evaluated the effect of consistent versus diverse larval and adult host plant feeding experience on growth performance, fecundity, longevity, and feeding preferences of H. vigintioctopunctata through match-mismatch experiments. Host plant quality significantly influences larval development and adult reproduction. Potatoes are identified as the optimal host plant for H. vigintioctopunctata, whereas eggplants significantly negatively affect the adult fecundity. Adult stage host feeding experience determines the fecundity of H. vigintioctopunctata, irrespective of the larval feeding experience. The fecundity of H. vigintioctopunctata adults on eggplant leaves remains significantly lower than that observed on potato leaves. Similarly, adult H. vigintioctopunctata demonstrate a preference for consuming potato leaves, irrespective of the larval feeding experience. Although host switching between larval and adult stages offers lesser benefits for the performance of herbivorous insects compared to a consistent diet with potato leaves, it maintains H. vigintioctopunctata population continuity amidst shortages of high-quality potato hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Zailing Wang
- Hubei Engineering Research Center for Pest Forewarning and Management, Institute of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China; (J.Q.); (X.W.); (T.Z.); (C.L.)
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2
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Kelley AG, Welch SM, Holloway J, Dillman JW, Atkinson A, Waldron JL. Effectiveness of long‐distance translocation of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Shane M. Welch
- Marshall University 1 John Marshall Drive Huntington WV 25703 USA
| | - John Holloway
- Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Office Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island SC 29905 USA
| | - James W. Dillman
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources 1000 Assembly Street Columbia SC 29201 USA
| | - April Atkinson
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources 1282 Webb Avenue Garnett SC 29922 USA
| | - Jayme L. Waldron
- Marshall University 1 John Marshall Drive Huntington WV 25703 USA
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3
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Braem S, Turlure C, Nieberding C, Van Dyck H. Oviposition site selection and learning in a butterfly under niche expansion: an experimental test. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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4
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Zepeda E, Payne E, Wurth A, Sih A, Gehrt S. Early life experience influences dispersal in coyotes ( Canis latrans). Behav Ecol 2021; 32:728-737. [PMID: 34421364 PMCID: PMC8374878 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Natal dispersal plays an important role in connecting individual animal behavior with ecological processes at all levels of biological organization. As urban environments are rapidly increasing in extent and intensity, understanding how urbanization influences these long distance movements is critical for predicting the persistence of species and communities. There is considerable variation in the movement responses of individuals within a species, some of which is attributed to behavioral plasticity which interacts with experience to produce interindividual differences in behavior. For natal dispersers, much of this experience occurs in the natal home range. Using data collected from VHF collared coyotes (Canis latrans) in the Chicago Metropolitan Area we explored the relationship between early life experience with urbanization and departure, transience, and settlement behavior. Additionally, we looked at how early life experience with urbanization influenced survival to adulthood and the likelihood of experiencing a vehicle related mortality. We found that coyotes with more developed habitat in their natal home range were more likely to disperse and tended to disperse farther than individuals with more natural habitat in their natal home range. Interestingly, our analysis produced mixed results for the relationship between natal habitat and habitat selection during settlement. Finally, we found no evidence that early life experience with urbanization influenced survival to adulthood or the likelihood of experiencing vehicular mortality. Our study provides evidence that early life exposure influences dispersal behavior; however, it remains unclear how these differences ultimately affect fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Zepeda
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Eric Payne
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Ashley Wurth
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Stanley Gehrt
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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5
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He P, Montiglio PO, Somveille M, Cantor M, Farine DR. The role of habitat configuration in shaping animal population processes: a framework to generate quantitative predictions. Oecologia 2021; 196:649-665. [PMID: 34159423 PMCID: PMC8292241 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04967-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
By shaping where individuals move, habitat configuration can fundamentally structure animal populations. Yet, we currently lack a framework for generating quantitative predictions about the role of habitat configuration in modulating population outcomes. To address this gap, we propose a modelling framework inspired by studies using networks to characterize habitat connectivity. We first define animal habitat networks, explain how they can integrate information about the different configurational features of animal habitats, and highlight the need for a bottom–up generative model that can depict realistic variations in habitat potential connectivity. Second, we describe a model for simulating animal habitat networks (available in the R package AnimalHabitatNetwork), and demonstrate its ability to generate alternative habitat configurations based on empirical data, which forms the basis for exploring the consequences of alternative habitat structures. Finally, we lay out three key research questions and demonstrate how our framework can address them. By simulating the spread of a pathogen within a population, we show how transmission properties can be impacted by both local potential connectivity and landscape-level characteristics of habitats. Our study highlights the importance of considering the underlying habitat configuration in studies linking social structure with population-level outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng He
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany. .,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany. .,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany. .,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | - Marius Somveille
- Birdlife International, The David Attenborough Building, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Mauricio Cantor
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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6
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Hoover BA, Brunk KM, Jukkala G, Banfield N, Rypel AL, Piper WH. Early evidence of natal-habitat preference: Juvenile loons feed on natal-like lakes after fledging. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1310-1319. [PMID: 33598132 PMCID: PMC7863666 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species show natal habitat preference induction (NHPI), a behavior in which young adults select habitats similar to those in which they were raised. However, we know little about how NHPI develops in natural systems. Here, we tested for NHPI in juvenile common loons (Gavia immer) that foraged on lakes in the vicinity of their natal lake after fledging. Juveniles visited lakes similar in pH to their natal lakes, and this significant effect persisted after controlling for spatial autocorrelation. On the other hand, juveniles showed no preference for foraging lakes of similar size to their natal one. When lakes were assigned to discrete classes based on size, depth, visibility, and trophic complexity, both juveniles from large lakes and small lakes preferred to visit large, trophically diverse lakes, which contained abundant food. Our results contrast with earlier findings, which show strict preference for lakes similar in size to the natal lake among young adults seeking to settle on a breeding lake. We suggest that NHPI is relaxed for juveniles, presumably because they select lakes that optimize short-term survival and growth. By characterizing NHPI during a poorly studied life stage, this study illustrates that NHPI can take different forms at different life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A. Hoover
- Schmid College of Science and TechnologyChapman UniversityOrangeCAUSA
| | - Kristin M. Brunk
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
| | | | | | - Andrew L. Rypel
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of California DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Walter H. Piper
- Schmid College of Science and TechnologyChapman UniversityOrangeCAUSA
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Merwin AC, Inouye BD, Underwood N. Natal-habitat experience mediates the relationship between insect and hostplant densities. Oecologia 2020; 193:261-271. [PMID: 32281030 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04639-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
For some animals, the habitat which they first experience can influence the type of habitat which they select later in life and, thus, potentially their population distribution and dynamics. However, for many insect herbivores, whose natal habitat may consist of a single hostplant, the consequences of natal hostplant experience remain untested in landscapes relevant to the adult, which may select not only among plants, but among plant patches. As a first step towards understanding how natal hostplant experience shapes patterns of insect feeding damage in landscapes relevant to adults, we conducted partially caged field experiments with diamondback moths that were reared on either mustard or collard plants and then allowed to choose among and within patches of plants that varied in plant density and composition. We predicted that natal hostplant experience would interact with patch size and composition to influence the number of diamondback moth offspring and feeding damage per plant. As predicted, when moths were reared on collards, we found more offspring on and damage to collard plants in four-collard patches than in two-collard patches (i.e., resource concentration), but no difference when moths were reared on mustards. Contrary to predictions, we found no difference in the number of offspring on or damage to mixed plant patches compared with two- or four-collard plant patches regardless of natal hostplant type. Our research suggests that prior hostplant experience has complex consequences for how insects and their feeding damage are distributed in patchy environments and highlights the need for future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Merwin
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
- Department of Biology and Geology, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH, USA.
| | - Brian D Inouye
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Nora Underwood
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
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8
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Social learning in great white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus): A preliminary study. Learn Behav 2020; 48:344-350. [DOI: 10.3758/s13420-019-00404-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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9
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Little CM, Chapman TW, Hillier NK. Considerations for Insect Learning in Integrated Pest Management. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2019; 19:6. [PMID: 31313814 PMCID: PMC6635889 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iez064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The past 100 yr have seen dramatic philosophical shifts in our approach to controlling or managing pest species. The introduction of integrated pest management in the 1970s resulted in the incorporation of biological and behavioral approaches to preserve ecosystems and reduce reliance on synthetic chemical pesticides. Increased understanding of the local ecosystem, including its structure and the biology of its species, can improve efficacy of integrated pest management strategies. Pest management strategies incorporating insect learning paradigms to control insect pests or to use insects to control other pests can mediate risk to nontarget insects, including pollinators. Although our understanding of insect learning is in its early stages, efforts to integrate insect learning into pest management strategies have been promising. Due to considerable differences in cognitive abilities among insect species, a case-by-case assessment is needed for each potential application of insect learning within a pest management strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Little
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Thomas W Chapman
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - N Kirk Hillier
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
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10
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Hale R, Colombo V, Hoak M, Pettigrove V, Swearer SE. The influence of potential stressors on oviposition site selection and subsequent growth, survival and emergence of the non-biting midge ( Chironomus tepperi). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:5512-5522. [PMID: 31110699 PMCID: PMC6509373 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that animals should prefer habitats where their fitness is maximized but some mistakenly select habitats where their fitness is compromised, that is, ecological traps. Understanding why this happens requires knowledge of the habitat selection cues animals use, the habitats they prefer and why, and the fitness costs of habitat selection decisions. We conducted experiments with a freshwater insect, the non-biting midge Chironomus tepperi to ask: (a) whether females respond to potential oviposition cues, (b) to explore whether oviposition is adaptive in relation to metal pollution and conductivity, and (c) whether individuals raised in poor quality sites are more likely to breed in similarly poor locations. We found the following: (a) females responded to some cues, especially conductivity and conspecifics, (b) females preferred sites with higher concentrations of bioavailable metals but suffered no consequences to egg/larval survival, (c) females showed some avoidance of high conductivities, but they still laid eggs resulting in reduced egg hatching, larval survival, and adult emergence, and (d) preferences were independent of natal environment. Our results show that C. tepperi is susceptible to ecological traps, depending on life stage and the relative differences in conductivities among potential oviposition sites. Our results highlight that (a) the fitness outcomes of habitat selection need to be assessed across the life cycle and (b) the relative differences in preference/suitability of habitats need to be considered in ecological trap research. This information can help determine why habitat preferences and their fitness consequences differ among species, which is critical for determining which species are susceptible to ecological traps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Hale
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and ManagementParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Valentina Colombo
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and ManagementParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Molly Hoak
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and ManagementParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Vin Pettigrove
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and ManagementParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Stephen E. Swearer
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and ManagementParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
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11
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Lowe WH, Addis BR. Matching habitat choice and plasticity contribute to phenotype–environment covariation in a stream salamander. Ecology 2019; 100:e02661. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Winsor H. Lowe
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - Brett R. Addis
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812 USA
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12
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Snell-Rood EC, Steck MK. Behaviour shapes environmental variation and selection on learning and plasticity: review of mechanisms and implications. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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13
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Sanz-Pérez A, Ordiz A, Sand H, Swenson JE, Wabakken P, Wikenros C, Zimmermann B, Åkesson M, Milleret C. No place like home? A test of the natal habitat-biased dispersal hypothesis in Scandinavian wolves. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:181379. [PMID: 30662744 PMCID: PMC6304128 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Natal dispersal is an important mechanism for the viability of populations. The influence of local conditions or experience gained in the natal habitat could improve fitness if dispersing individuals settle in an area with similar habitat characteristics. This process, defined as 'natal habitat-biased dispersal' (NHBD), has been used to explain distribution patterns in large carnivores, but actual studies evaluating it are rare. We tested whether grey wolf Canis lupus territory establishment was influenced by the habitat characteristics of the natal territory using the long-term monitoring of the Scandinavian wolf population. We paired the locations of natal and established territories, accounted for available habitats along the dispersing route, and compared their habitat characteristics for 271 wolves during 1998-2012. Wolves with the shortest dispersal distances established in natal-like habitat types more than expected by chance, whereas wolves that dispersed longer distances did not show NHBD. The pattern was consistent for male and female wolves, with females showing more NHBD than males. Chances to detect NHBD increased with the size of habitat defined as available. This highlights the importance of considering the biological characteristics of the studied species when defining habitat availability. Our methodological approach can prove useful to inform conservation and management to identify habitats to be selected by reintroduced or naturally expanding populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sanz-Pérez
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Mikael Åkesson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Cyril Milleret
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480 Koppang, Norway
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14
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Slagsvold T, Wiebe KL. Immigrants and locally recruited birds differ in prey delivered to their offspring in blue tits and great tits. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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15
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Lhomme P, Carrasco D, Larsson M, Hansson B, Anderson P. A context-dependent induction of natal habitat preference in a generalist herbivorous insect. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Lhomme
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Division of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Alnarp, Sweden
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Jena, Germany
| | - David Carrasco
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Division of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Mattias Larsson
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Division of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Bill Hansson
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Division of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Alnarp, Sweden
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Anderson
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Division of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Alnarp, Sweden
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16
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Hannebaum SL, Brown CR, Booth W. Ecological and phenotypic effects on survival and habitat transitions of white-footed mice. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyx093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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17
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Verschut TA, Blažytė-Čereškienė L, Apšegaitė V, Mozūraitis R, Hambäck PA. Natal origin affects host preference and larval performance relationships in a tritrophic system. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2079-2090. [PMID: 28405274 PMCID: PMC5383469 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insects face the challenge to select oviposition sites in heterogeneous environments where biotic and abiotic factors can change over time. One way to deal with this complexity is to use sensory experiences made during developmental stages to locate similar habitats or hosts in which larval development can be maximized. While various studies have investigated oviposition preference and larval performance relationships in insects, they have largely overlooked that sensory experiences made during the larval stage can affect such relationships. We addressed this issue by determining the role of natal experience on oviposition preference and larval performance relationships in a tritrophic system consisting of Galerucella sagittariae, feeding on the two host plants Potentilla palustris and Lysimachia thyrsiflora, and its larval parasitoid Asecodes lucens. We firstly determined whether differences in host‐derived olfactory information could lead to divergent host selection, and secondly, whether host preference could result in higher larval performance based on the natal origin of the insects. Our results showed that the natal origin and the quality of the current host are both important aspects in oviposition preference and larval performance relationships. While we found a positive relationship between preference and performance for natal Lysimachia beetles, natal Potentilla larvae showed no such relationship and developed better on L. thyrsiflora. Additionally, the host selection by the parasitoid was mainly affected by the natal origin, while its performance was higher on Lysimachia larvae. With this study, we showed that the relationship between oviposition preference and larval performance depends on the interplay between the natal origin of the female and the quality of the current host. However, without incorporating the full tritrophic context of these interactions, their implication in insect fitness and potential adaptation cannot be fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Verschut
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - Laima Blažytė-Čereškienė
- Laboratory of Chemical and Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology Nature Research Centre Vilnius Lithuania
| | - Violeta Apšegaitė
- Laboratory of Chemical and Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology Nature Research Centre Vilnius Lithuania
| | - Raimondas Mozūraitis
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden; Laboratory of Chemical and Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology Nature Research Centre Vilnius Lithuania
| | - Peter A Hambäck
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
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18
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Adar S, Scharf I, Dor R. The effect of previous experience on trap construction and movement distance in a pit-building predator. Naturwissenschaften 2016; 103:83. [PMID: 27659499 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-016-1405-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Wormlion larvae are sit-and-wait predators that construct cone-shaped pits in sandy patches to capture prey. Wormlions select microhabitats that feature favorable conditions for pit construction, in a similar way to other trap-building predators, like spiders and antlions. We investigated whether wormlions exhibit an experience-based behavioral plasticity in their pit construction behavior. In a laboratory experiment, pit sizes and relocation distances were compared between larvae that experienced either a period of unfavorable conditions, i.e., surface obstacles, shallow or coarse sand, or a period of favorable conditions, i.e., clear, deep, and fine sand and were able to construct pits undisturbed. We expected that wormlions experiencing improving conditions would build larger pits than those experiencing deteriorating conditions. In addition, we expected that larvae experiencing unfavorable conditions would be less choosy in their new microhabitat and move over shorter distances. We observed a certain effect of recent experience on the trap-building behavior; however, it was not consistent among treatments. Additionally, we detected a correlation between larval body mass, relocation distance, and pit area. These findings might suggest that past experience does not influence wormlion foraging behavior in a simple manner but that different types of experience induce different behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shay Adar
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Inon Scharf
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Roi Dor
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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Fletcher RJ, Robertson EP, Wilcox RC, Reichert BE, Austin JD, Kitchens WM. Affinity for natal environments by dispersers impacts reproduction and explains geographical structure of a highly mobile bird. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:rspb.2015.1545. [PMID: 26336178 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding dispersal and habitat selection behaviours is central to many problems in ecology, evolution and conservation. One factor often hypothesized to influence habitat selection by dispersers is the natal environment experienced by juveniles. Nonetheless, evidence for the effect of natal environment on dispersing, wild vertebrates remains limited. Using 18 years of nesting and mark-resight data across an entire North American geographical range of an endangered bird, the snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis), we tested for natal effects on breeding-site selection by dispersers and its consequences for reproductive success and population structure. Dispersing snail kites were more likely to nest in wetlands of the same habitat type (lacustrine or palustrine) as their natal wetland, independent of dispersal distance, but this preference declined with age and if individuals were born during droughts. Importantly, dispersing kites that bred in natal-like habitats had lower nest success and productivity than kites that did not. These behaviours help explain recently described population connectivity and spatial structure across their geographical range and reveal that assortative breeding is occurring, where birds are more likely to breed with individuals born in the same wetland type as their natal habitat. Natal environments can thus have long-term and large-scale effects on populations in nature, even in highly mobile animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Ellen P Robertson
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Rebecca C Wilcox
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Brian E Reichert
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - James D Austin
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Wiley M Kitchens
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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Fei M, Harvey JA, Weldegergis BT, Huang T, Reijngoudt K, Vet LM, Gols R. Integrating Insect Life History and Food Plant Phenology: Flexible Maternal Choice Is Adaptive. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:E1263. [PMID: 27527153 PMCID: PMC5000661 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17081263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience of insect herbivores and their natural enemies in the natal habitat is considered to affect their likelihood of accepting a similar habitat or plant/host during dispersal. Growing phenology of food plants and the number of generations in the insects further determines lability of insect behavioural responses at eclosion. We studied the effect of rearing history on oviposition preference in a multivoltine herbivore (Pieris brassicae), and foraging behaviour in the endoparasitoid wasp (Cotesia glomerata) a specialist enemy of P. brassicae. Different generations of the insects are obligatorily associated with different plants in the Brassicaceae, e.g., Brassica rapa, Brassica nigra and Sinapis arvensis, exhibiting different seasonal phenologies in The Netherlands. Food plant preference of adults was examined when the insects had been reared on each of the three plant species for one generation. Rearing history only marginally affected oviposition preference of P. brassicae butterflies, but they never preferred the plant on which they had been reared. C. glomerata had a clear preference for host-infested B. rapa plants, irrespective of rearing history. Higher levels of the glucosinolate breakdown product 3-butenyl isothiocyanate in the headspace of B. rapa plants could explain enhanced attractiveness. Our results reveal the potential importance of flexible plant choice for female multivoltine insects in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Fei
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jeffrey A Harvey
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Berhane T Weldegergis
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Tzeyi Huang
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Kimmy Reijngoudt
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Louise M Vet
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Rieta Gols
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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Adar S, Dor R, Scharf I. Habitat choice and complex decision making in a trap-building predator. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Dahirel M, Vardakis M, Ansart A, Madec L. Density-dependence across dispersal stages in a hermaphrodite land snail: insights from discrete choice models. Oecologia 2016; 181:1117-28. [PMID: 27139427 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3636-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal movements, i.e. movements leading to gene flow, are key behaviours with important, but only partially understood, consequences for the dynamics and evolution of populations. In particular, density-dependent dispersal has been widely described, yet how it is determined by the interaction with individual traits, and whether density effects differ between the three steps of dispersal (departure, transience, and settlement), remains largely unknown. Using a semi-natural landscape, we studied dispersal choices of Cornu aspersum land snails, a species in which negative effects of crowding are well documented, and analysed them using dispersal discrete choice models, a new method allowing the analysis of dispersal decisions by explicitly considering the characteristics of all available alternatives and their interaction with individual traits. Subadults were more dispersive than adults, confirming existing results. In addition, departure and settlement were both density dependent: snails avoided crowded patches at both ends of the dispersal process, and subadults were more reluctant to settle into crowded patches than adults. Moreover, we found support for carry-over effects of release density on subsequent settlement decisions: snails from crowded contexts were more sensitive to density in their subsequent immigration choices. The fact that settlement decisions were informed indicates that costs of prospecting are not as important as previously thought in snails, and/or that snails use alternative ways to collect information, such as indirect social information (e.g. trail following). The observed density-dependent dispersal dynamics may play an important role in the ability of C. aspersum to successfully colonise frequently human-disturbed habitats around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Dahirel
- CNRS/University of Rennes 1, UMR 6553 Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Evolution (ECOBIO), Rennes, France. .,Terrestrial Ecology Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | | | - Armelle Ansart
- CNRS/University of Rennes 1, UMR 6553 Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Evolution (ECOBIO), Rennes, France
| | - Luc Madec
- CNRS/University of Rennes 1, UMR 6553 Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Evolution (ECOBIO), Rennes, France
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Müller T, Müller C. Adult beetles compensate for poor larval food conditions. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 88:24-32. [PMID: 26906247 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Revised: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Life history traits of herbivores are highly influenced by the quality of their hosts, i.e., the composition of primary and secondary plant metabolites. In holometabolous insects, larvae and adults may face different host plants, which differ in quality. It has been hypothesised that adult fitness is either highest when larval and adult environmental conditions match (environmental matching) or it may be mainly determined by optimal larval conditions (silver spoon effect). Alternatively, the adult stage may be most decisive for the actual fitness, independent of larval food exposure, due to adult compensation ability. To determine the influence of constant versus changing larval and adult host plant experiences on growth performance, fitness and feeding preferences, we carried out a match-mismatch experiment using the mustard leaf beetle, Phaedon cochleariae. Larvae and adults were either constantly reared on watercress (natural host) or cabbage (crop plant) or were switched after metamorphosis to the other host. Growth, reproductive traits and feeding preferences were determined repeatedly over lifetime and host plant quality traits analysed. Differences in the host quality led to differences in the development time and female reproduction. Egg numbers were significantly influenced by the host plant species experienced by the adults. Thus, adults were able to compensate for poor larval conditions. Likewise, the current host experience was most decisive for feeding preferences; in adult beetles a feeding preference was shaped regardless of the larval host plant. Larvae or adults reared on the more nutritious host, cabbage, showed a higher preference for this host. Hence, beetles most likely develop a preference when gaining a direct positive feedback in terms of an improved performance, whereby the current experience matters the most. Highly nutritious crop plants may be, in consequence, all the more exploited by potential pests that may show a high plasticity in reproduction and feeding preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorben Müller
- Department of Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Caroline Müller
- Department of Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
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Is host selection influenced by natal and adult experience in the parasitoid Necremnus tutae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)? Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Abstract
Ecological traps occur when environmental changes cause maladaptive habitat selection. Despite their relevance to metapopulations, ecological traps have been studied predominantly at local scales. How these local impacts scale up to affect the dynamics of spatially structured metapopulations in heterogeneous landscapes remains unexplored. We propose that assessing the metapopulation consequences of traps depends on a variety of factors that can be grouped into four categories: the probability of encounter, the likelihood of selection, the fitness costs of selection and species-specific vulnerability to these costs. We evaluate six hypotheses using a network-based metapopulation model to explore the relative importance of factors across these categories within a spatial context. Our model suggests (i) traps are most severe when they represent a large proportion of habitats, severely reduce fitness and are highly attractive, and (ii) species with high intrinsic fitness will be most susceptible. We provide the first evidence that (iii) traps may be beneficial for metapopulations in rare instances, and (iv) preferences for natal-like habitats can magnify the effects of traps. Our study provides important insight into the effects of traps at landscape scales, and highlights the need to explicitly consider spatial context to better understand and manage traps within metapopulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Hale
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Eric A Treml
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Stephen E Swearer
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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26
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Scharf I, Braf H, Ifrach N, Rosenstein S, Subach A. The Effects of Temperature and Diet during Development, Adulthood, and Mating on Reproduction in the Red Flour Beetle. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136924. [PMID: 26348929 PMCID: PMC4562705 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of different temperatures and diets experienced during distinct life stages are not necessarily similar. The silver-spoon hypothesis predicts that developing under favorable conditions will always lead to better performing adults under all adult conditions. The environment-matching hypothesis suggests that a match between developmental and adult conditions will lead to the best performing adults. Similar to the latter hypothesis, the beneficial-acclimation hypothesis suggests that either developing or acclimating as adults to the test temperature will improve later performance under such temperature. We disentangled here between the effect of growth, adult, and mating conditions (temperature and diet) on reproduction in the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum), in reference to the reproduction success rate, the number of viable offspring produced, and the mean offspring mass 13 days after mating. The most influential stage affecting reproduction differed between the diet and temperature experiments: adult temperature vs. parental growth diet. Generally, a yeast-rich diet or warmer temperature improved reproduction, supporting the silver-spoon hypothesis. However, interactions between life stages made the results more complex, also fitting the environment-matching hypothesis. Warm growth temperature positively affected reproduction success, but only when adults were kept under the same warm temperature. When the parental growth and adult diets matched, the mean offspring mass was greater than in a mismatch between the two. Additionally, a match between warm adult temperature and warm offspring growth temperature led to the largest offspring mass. These findings support the environment-matching hypothesis. Our results provide evidence for all these hypotheses and demonstrate that parental effects and plasticity may be induced by temperature and diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inon Scharf
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- * E-mail:
| | - Hila Braf
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Naama Ifrach
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shai Rosenstein
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aziz Subach
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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27
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Groothuis TGG, Taborsky B. Introducing biological realism into the study of developmental plasticity in behaviour. Front Zool 2015; 12 Suppl 1:S6. [PMID: 26816523 PMCID: PMC4722348 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-12-s1-s6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing attention for integrating mechanistic and functional approaches to the study of (behavioural) development. As environments are mostly unstable, it is now often assumed that genetic parental information is in many cases not sufficient for offspring to become optimally adapted to the environment and that early environmental cues, either indirectly via the parents or from direct experience, are necessary to prepare them for a specific environment later in life. To study whether these early developmental processes are adaptive and through which mechanism, not only the early environmental cues but also how they impinge on the later-life environmental context has therefore to be taken into account when measuring the animal's performance. We first discuss at the conceptual level six ways in which interactions between influences of different time windows during development may act (consolidation, cumulative information gathering and priming, compensation, buffering, matching and mismatching, context dependent trait expression). In addition we discuss how different environmental factors during the same time window may interact in shaping the phenotype during development. Next we discuss the pros and cons of several experimental designs for testing these interaction effects, highlighting the necessity for full, reciprocal designs and the importance of adjusting the nature and time of manipulation to the animal's adaptive capacity. We then review support for the interaction effects from both theoretical models and animal experiments in different taxa. This demonstrates indeed the existence of interactions at multiple levels, including different environmental factors, different time windows and between generations. As a consequence, development is a life-long, environment-dependent process and therefore manipulating only the early environment without taking interaction effects with other and later environmental influences into account may lead to wrong conclusions and may also explain inconsistent results in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ton G G Groothuis
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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28
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Lomas E, Larsen KW, Bishop CA. Persistence of Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes masks the impact of human disturbance on weight and body condition. Anim Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Lomas
- Environmental Science Program; Thompson Rivers University; Kamloops BC Canada
| | - K. W. Larsen
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences; Thompson Rivers University; Kamloops BC Canada
| | - C. A. Bishop
- Science and Technology Branch; Environment Canada; Delta BC Canada
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29
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Stamps JA. Individual differences in behavioural plasticities. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 91:534-67. [PMID: 25865135 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 03/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Interest in individual differences in animal behavioural plasticities has surged in recent years, but research in this area has been hampered by semantic confusion as different investigators use the same terms (e.g. plasticity, flexibility, responsiveness) to refer to different phenomena. The first goal of this review is to suggest a framework for categorizing the many different types of behavioural plasticities, describe examples of each, and indicate why using reversibility as a criterion for categorizing behavioural plasticities is problematic. This framework is then used to address a number of timely questions about individual differences in behavioural plasticities. One set of questions concerns the experimental designs that can be used to study individual differences in various types of behavioural plasticities. Although within-individual designs are the default option for empirical studies of many types of behavioural plasticities, in some situations (e.g. when experience at an early age affects the behaviour expressed at subsequent ages), 'replicate individual' designs can provide useful insights into individual differences in behavioural plasticities. To date, researchers using within-individual and replicate individual designs have documented individual differences in all of the major categories of behavioural plasticities described herein. Another important question is whether and how different types of behavioural plasticities are related to one another. Currently there is empirical evidence that many behavioural plasticities [e.g. contextual plasticity, learning rates, IIV (intra-individual variability), endogenous plasticities, ontogenetic plasticities) can themselves vary as a function of experiences earlier in life, that is, many types of behavioural plasticity are themselves developmentally plastic. These findings support the assumption that differences among individuals in prior experiences may contribute to individual differences in behavioural plasticities observed at a given age. Several authors have predicted correlations across individuals between different types of behavioural plasticities, i.e. that some individuals will be generally more plastic than others. However, empirical support for most of these predictions, including indirect evidence from studies of relationships between personality traits and plasticities, is currently sparse and equivocal. The final section of this review suggests how an appreciation of the similarities and differences between different types of behavioural plasticities may help theoreticians formulate testable models to explain the evolution of individual differences in behavioural plasticities and the evolutionary and ecological consequences of individual differences in behavioural plasticities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy A Stamps
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A
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30
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Lindholm M. DNA Dispose, but Subjects Decide. Learning and the Extended Synthesis. BIOSEMIOTICS 2015; 8:443-461. [PMID: 26640605 PMCID: PMC4661179 DOI: 10.1007/s12304-015-9242-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Adaptation by means of natural selection depends on the ability of populations to maintain variation in heritable traits. According to the Modern Synthesis this variation is sustained by mutations and genetic drift. Epigenetics, evodevo, niche construction and cultural factors have more recently been shown to contribute to heritable variation, however, leading an increasing number of biologists to call for an extended view of speciation and evolution. An additional common feature across the animal kingdom is learning, defined as the ability to change behavior according to novel experiences or skills. Learning constitutes an additional source for phenotypic variation, and change in behavior may induce long lasting shifts in fitness, and hence favor evolutionary novelties. Based on published studies, I demonstrate how learning about food, mate choice and habitats has contributed substantially to speciation in the canonical story of Darwin's finches on the Galapagos Islands. Learning cannot be reduced to genetics, because it demands decisions, which requires a subject. Evolutionary novelties may hence emerge both from shifts in allelic frequencies and from shifts in learned, subject driven behavior. The existence of two principally different sources of variation also prevents the Modern Synthesis from self-referring explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Lindholm
- />Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
- />Rudolf Steiner University College, Dahls gate 30, 0260 Oslo, Norway
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31
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Murdoch G, Clift AD, Mansfield S. Adoption of exotic plants by an endemic Australian weevil, Orthorhinus cylindrirostris (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2014; 43:1168-1173. [PMID: 25198945 DOI: 10.1603/en14122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The elephant weevil Orthorhinus cylindrirostris (F.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is endemic to Australia and has colonized several exotic crops including citrus, blueberries, and grapevines. We compared the life history of this pest on two native and two exotic host plants: hickory wattle Acacia falcata Willdenow, rough-barked apple Angophora floribunda (Smith) Sweet, lemon Citrus limon (L.) Burman, and blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum (L.). Blueberry was attacked more often (22 of the 24 plants) than lemon, rough-barked apple, and hickory wattle (6-8 plants of each species attacked of the 24). Adult emergence followed a similar pattern across hosts but emergence was low overall (58 adults from 176 eggs). Only blueberry had more than one weevil emerge from a single plant. Development from oviposition to adult emergence can take up to 2 yr, particularly on blueberry. Adult life span and weight varied between individuals although no effect of host plant was detected. Similar plant chemistry is unlikely to have triggered host range expansion by this species because the exotic host plants are from different families (Rutaceae, Vitaceae, and Ericaceae) to the native host plants (Myrtaceae, Mimosaceae, and Fabaceae). O. cylindrirostris colonized citrus trees over a century ago, yet it appears to have no preference for lemon over native host plants. In contrast, O. cylindrirostris has developed a preference for blueberry, the higher quality host plant, only a few decades after colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Murdoch
- Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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32
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Greggor AL, Clayton NS, Phalan B, Thornton A. Comparative cognition for conservationists. Trends Ecol Evol 2014; 29:489-95. [PMID: 25043737 PMCID: PMC4153814 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Revised: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Every animal occupies a unique cognitive world based on its sensory capacities, and attentional and learning biases. Behaviour results from the interaction of this cognitive world with the environment. As humans alter environments, cognitive processes ranging from perceptual processes to learned behaviour govern animals' reactions. By harnessing animals' perceptual biases and applying insights from cognitive theory, we can purposefully alter cues to reduce maladaptive responses and shape behaviour. Despite the fundamental connection between cognition and behaviour, the breadth of cognitive theory is underutilised in conservation practice. Bridging these disciplines could augment existing conservation efforts targeting animal behaviour. We outline relevant principles of perception and learning, and develop a step-by-step process for applying aspects of cognition towards specific conservation issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L Greggor
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Nicola S Clayton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ben Phalan
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alex Thornton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Exeter, UK.
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Ousterhout BH, Luhring TM, Semlitsch RD. No evidence of natal habitat preference induction in juveniles with complex life histories. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Flaven-Pouchon J, Garcia T, Abed-Vieillard D, Farine JP, Ferveur JF, Everaerts C. Transient and permanent experience with fatty acids changes Drosophila melanogaster preference and fitness. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92352. [PMID: 24667657 PMCID: PMC3965419 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Food and host-preference relies on genetic adaptation and sensory experience. In vertebrates, experience with food-related cues during early development can change adult preference. This is also true in holometabolous insects, which undergo a drastic nervous system remodelling during their complete metamorphosis, but remains uncertain in Drosophila melanogaster. We have conditioned D. melanogaster with oleic (C18:1) and stearic (C18:0) acids, two common dietary fatty acids, respectively preferred by larvae and adult. Wild-type individuals exposed either during a transient period of development-from embryo to adult-or more permanently-during one to ten generation cycles-were affected by such conditioning. In particular, the oviposition preference of females exposed to each fatty acid during larval development was affected without cross-effect indicating the specificity of each substance. Permanent exposure to each fatty acid also drastically changed oviposition preference as well as major fitness traits (development duration, sex-ratio, fecundity, adult lethality). This suggests that D. melanogaster ability to adapt to new food sources is determined by its genetic and sensory plasticity both of which may explain the success of this generalist-diet species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Flaven-Pouchon
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Thibault Garcia
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Dehbia Abed-Vieillard
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Farine
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Jean-François Ferveur
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Claude Everaerts
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
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Dixson DL, Jones GP, Munday PL, Planes S, Pratchett MS, Thorrold SR. Experimental evaluation of imprinting and the role innate preference plays in habitat selection in a coral reef fish. Oecologia 2013; 174:99-107. [PMID: 23996231 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2755-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 08/17/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
When facing decisions about where to live, juveniles have a strong tendency to choose habitats similar to where their parents successfully bred. Developing larval fishes can imprint on the chemical cues from their natal habitat. However, to demonstrate that imprinting is ecologically important, it must be shown that settlers respond and distinguish among different imprinted cues, and use imprinting for decisions in natural environments. In addition, the potential role innate preferences play compared to imprinted choices also needs to be examined. As environmental variability increases due to anthropogenic causes these two recognition mechanisms, innate and imprinting, could provide conflicting information. Here we used laboratory rearing and chemical choice experiments to test imprinting in larval anemonefish (Amphiprion percula). Individuals exposed to a variety of benthic habitat or novel olfactory cues as larvae either developed a preference for (spent >50% of their time in the cue) or increased their attraction to (increased preference but did not spend >50% of their time in the cue) the cue when re-exposed as settlers. Results indicate not only the capacity for imprinting but also the ability to adjust innate preferences after early exposure to a chemical cue. To test ecological relevance in the natural system, recruits were collected from anemones and related to their parents, using genetic parentage analysis, providing information on the natal anemone species and the species chosen at settlement. Results demonstrated that recruits did not preferentially return to their natal species, conflicting with laboratory results indicating the importance imprinting might have in habitat recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle L Dixson
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, 4811, Townsville, QLD, Australia,
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Tremmel M, Müller C. The consequences of alternating diet on performance and food preferences of a specialist leaf beetle. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 59:840-847. [PMID: 23727303 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Revised: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The food quality of a given host plant tissue will influence the performance and may also affect the preference behavior of herbivorous animals. As nutrient contents and defense metabolite concentrations can vary significantly between different parts of a plant and change over time, herbivores are potentially confronted with diet differing in quality even when feeding on a single plant individual. Here we investigated to what extent feeding exclusively either on young or old, mature leaves of Brassica rapa or on a mixed diet of young and old leaves offered in alternating order affects the larval performance, food consumption, and the host preference behavior of adult mustard leaf beetles, Phaedon cochleariae. Analyzing different leaf quality traits, we found lower water contents, no changes in C:N ratio but more than threefold higher glucosinolate concentrations in young compared to old leaves. Individuals reared on mixed diet performed as well as animals reared on young leaves. Thus, compared to animals feeding exclusively on highly nutritious young leaves, diet-mixing individuals may balance the lower nutrient intake by a dilution of adverse secondary metabolites. Alternatively, they may integrate over the variation in their food, using a previously assimilated resource for growth at times of scarcity. Animals reared on old leaves grew less and had a prolonged larval developmental time, although they showed increased consumption indicating compensatory feeding. Additionally, we found that experience with a certain diet affected the preference behavior. Whereas individuals reared exclusively on young leaves preferred young over old leaves for feeding and oviposition, we did not find any preferences by animals reared exclusively on old leaves or by females reared on alternating diet. Thus, in contrast to positive feedbacks for animals reared on young leaves, an integrative growth of diet-mixing individuals potentially leads to a lack of feedback during development. Taken together, our results suggest that different diet regimes can lead to comparable performance of mustard leaf beetles but experienced feedbacks may differ and thus convey distinct diet preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Tremmel
- Department of Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 25, D-33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
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Piper WH, Palmer MW, Banfield N, Meyer MW. Can settlement in natal-like habitat explain maladaptive habitat selection? Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130979. [PMID: 23804619 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of habitat selection has long been influenced by the ideal free model, which maintains that young adults settle in habitat according to its inherent quality and the density of conspecifics within it. The model has gained support in recent years from the finding that conspecifics produce cues inadvertently that help prebreeders locate good habitat. Yet abundant evidence shows that animals often fail to occupy habitats that ecologists have identified as those of highest quality, leading to the conclusion that young animals settle on breeding spaces by means not widely understood. Here, we report that a phenomenon virtually unknown in nature, natal habitat preference induction (NHPI), is a strong predictor of territory settlement in both male and female common loons (Gavia immer). NHPI causes young animals to settle on natal-like breeding spaces, but not necessarily those that maximize reproductive success. If widespread, NHPI might explain apparently maladaptive habitat settlement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter H Piper
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
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Kemink KM, Kesler DC. Using movement ecology to inform translocation efforts: a case study with an endangered lekking bird species. Anim Conserv 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. M. Kemink
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences; University of Missouri; Columbia; MO; USA
| | - D. C. Kesler
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences; University of Missouri; Columbia; MO; USA
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Schöner CR, Schöner MG, Kerth G, Grafe TU. Supply determines demand: influence of partner quality and quantity on the interactions between bats and pitcher plants. Oecologia 2013; 173:191-202. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2615-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Non-random gene flow: an underappreciated force in evolution and ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 2012; 27:659-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2012.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Revised: 06/28/2012] [Accepted: 07/18/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Specificity, rank preference, and the colonization of a non-native host plant by the Melissa blue butterfly. Oecologia 2012; 172:177-88. [PMID: 23053234 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2476-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Animals often express behavioral preferences for different types of food or other resources, and these preferences can evolve or shift following association with novel food types. Shifts in preference can involve at least two phenomena: a change in rank preference or a change in specificity. The former corresponds to a change in the order in which hosts are preferred, while a shift in specificity can be an increase in the tendency to utilize multiple hosts. These possibilities have been examined in relatively few systems that include extensive population-level replication. The Melissa blue butterfly, Lycaeides melissa, has colonized exotic alfalfa, Medicago sativa, throughout western North America. We assayed the host preferences of 229 females from ten populations associated with novel and native hosts. In four out of five native-associated populations, a native host was preferred over the exotic host, while preference for a native host characterized only two out of five of the alfalfa-associated populations. Across all individuals from alfalfa-associated populations, there appears to have been a decrease in specificity: females from these populations lay fewer eggs on the native host and more eggs on the exotic relative to females from native-host populations. However, females from alfalfa-associated populations did not lay more eggs on a third plant species, which suggests that preferences for specific hosts in this system can potentially be gained and lost independently. Geographic variation in oviposition preference in L. melissa highlights the value of surveying a large number of populations when studying the evolution of a complex behavioral trait.
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McHugh KA, Allen JB, Barleycorn AA, Wells RS. Natal philopatry, ranging behavior, and habitat selection of juvenile bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida. J Mammal 2011. [DOI: 10.1644/11-mamm-a-026.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Hamilton CE, Beresford DV, Sutcliffe JF. Effects of natal habitat odour, reinforced by adult experience, on choice of oviposition site in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2011; 25:428-435. [PMID: 21605148 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2011.00964.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The effects of natal experience on the oviposition behaviour of adult female mosquitoes were investigated in the laboratory using Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae). 'Treatment' mosquitoes were exposed to a dilute repellent (inducing stimulus) in their breeding water (aquatic stages) and/or in the air (adults) during various combinations of life stages [larval only (L regime); larval and pupal (LP regime); larval, pupal and emergent adult (LPE regime); larval, pupal, emergent adult and adult (LPEA regime); pupal, emergent adult and adult (PEA regime); adult only (A regime)]. 'Control' mosquitoes were raised in an identical manner, but were not exposed to the inducing stimulus. The oviposition behaviour of treatment and control females was assessed in an oviposition assay that presented a choice of water with or without the inducing stimulus. Of the 435 mosquitoes tested in the experiment, 176 were non-distributors (i.e. laid all of their eggs in only one of the choices). Treatment females (distributors plus non-distributors) reared in the presence of the inducing stimulus throughout their lives (LPEA regime) showed a significant preference for the oviposition option containing the inducing stimulus (24/36 females) compared with corresponding controls (5/39 females). Distributors reared under the LPEA and PEA regimes also showed this preference (6/6 treatment vs. 2/29 control females, and 13/18 treatment vs. 7/23 control females, respectively). Females that had been exposed to the inducing stimulus as either immatures or adults only showed no preference for, and some showed an aversion to, the treatment oviposition option. This is interpreted as evidence for a natal habitat preference induction (NHPI) in this species, albeit one that requires extensive reinforcement in the adult stage. This adult experience-reinforced NHPI (AER-NHPI) is discussed in terms of its adaptive significance for container breeders, the possible timing mechanism and sensory basis of induction and potential practical consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- C E Hamilton
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
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Slagsvold T, Wiebe KL. Social learning in birds and its role in shaping a foraging niche. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 366:969-77. [PMID: 21357219 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We briefly review the literature on social learning in birds, concluding that strong evidence exists mainly for predator recognition, song, mate choice and foraging. The mechanism of local enhancement may be more important than imitation for birds learning to forage, but the former mechanism may be sufficient for faithful transmission depending on the ecological circumstances. To date, most insights have been gained from birds in captivity. We present a study of social learning of foraging in two passerine birds in the wild, where we cross-fostered eggs between nests of blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus and great tits, Parus major. Early learning causes a shift in the foraging sites used by the tits in the direction of the foster species. The shift in foraging niches was consistent across seasons, as showed by an analysis of prey items, and the effect lasted for life. The fact that young birds learn from their foster parents, and use this experience later when subsequently feeding their own offspring, suggests that foraging behaviour can be culturally transmitted over generations in the wild. It may therefore have both ecological and evolutionary consequences, some of which are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tore Slagsvold
- Department of Biology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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Abstract
The struggle for existence occurs through the vital rates of population growth. This basic fact demonstrates the tight connection between ecology and evolution that defines the emerging field of eco-evolutionary dynamics. An effective synthesis of the interdependencies between ecology and evolution is grounded in six principles. The mechanics of evolution specifies the origin and rules governing traits and evolutionary strategies. Traits and evolutionary strategies achieve their selective value through their functional relationships with fitness. Function depends on the underlying structure of variation and the temporal, spatial and organizational scales of evolution. An understanding of how changes in traits and strategies occur requires conjoining ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Adaptation merges these five pillars to achieve a comprehensive understanding of ecological and evolutionary change. I demonstrate the value of this world-view with reference to the theory and practice of habitat selection. The theory allows us to assess evolutionarily stable strategies and states of habitat selection, and to draw the adaptive landscapes for habitat-selecting species. The landscapes can then be used to forecast future evolution under a variety of climate change and other scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas W Morris
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
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Davis JM, Nufio CR, Papaj DR. Resource quality or competition: why increase resource acceptance in the presence of conspecifics? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 22:730-737. [PMID: 22479135 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2010] [Revised: 01/17/2011] [Accepted: 03/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Some animal species increase resource acceptance rates in the presence of conspecifics. Such responses may be adaptive if the presence of conspecifics is a reliable indicator of resource quality. Similarly, these responses could represent an adaptive reduction in choosiness under high levels of scramble competition. Although high resource quality and high levels of scramble competition should both favor increased resource acceptance, the contexts in which the increase occurs should differ. In this paper, we tested the effect of social environment on egg-laying and aggressive behavior in the walnut fly, Rhagoletis juglandis, in multiple contexts to determine whether increased resource acceptance in the presence of conspecifics was better viewed as a response to increased host quality or increased competition. We found that grouped females oviposit more readily than isolated females when provided small (low-quality) artificial hosts but not when provided large (high-quality) artificial hosts, indicating that conspecific presence reduces choosiness. Increased resource acceptance was observed even when exposure to conspecifics was temporally or spatially separate from exposure to the resource. Finally, we found that individuals showed reduced aggression after being housed in groups, as expected under high levels of scramble competition. These results indicate that the pattern of resource acceptance in the presence of conspecifics may be better viewed as a response to increased scramble competition rather than as a response to public information about resource quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Davis
- Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell Street, P.O. Box 210106, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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Saltz JB. NATURAL GENETIC VARIATION IN SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT CHOICE: CONTEXT-DEPENDENT GENE-ENVIRONMENT CORRELATION IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER. Evolution 2011; 65:2325-34. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01295.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Abstract
Ostensibly, it makes sense in a changeable world to condition behaviour and development on information when it is available. Nevertheless, unconditional behavioural and life history strategies are widespread. Here, we show how intergenerational effects can limit the evolutionary value of responding to reliable environmental cues, and thus favour the evolutionary persistence of otherwise paradoxical unconditional strategies. While cue-ignoring genotypes do poorly in the wrong environments, in the right environment they will leave many copies of themselves, which will themselves leave many copies, and so on, leading genotypes to accumulate in habitats in which they do well. We call this 'The Multiplier Effect'. We explore the consequences of the multiplier effect by focussing on the ecologically important phenomenon of natal philopatry. We model the environment as a large number of temporally varying breeding sites connected by natal dispersal between sites. Our aim is to identify which aspects of an environment promote the multiplier effect. We show, if sites remain connected through some background level of 'accidental' dispersal, unconditional natal philopatry can evolve even when there is density dependence (with its accompanying kin competition effects), and cues that are only mildly erroneous. Thus, the multiplier effect may underpin the evolution and maintenance of unconditional strategies such as natal philopatry in many biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M McNamara
- School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TW, UK
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