Infection effects on feeding and territorial behaviour in a predatory insect in the wild

Abstract

Sick animals may change their feeding behaviour to compensate for infections. However, there is little information regarding whether infection affects (1) feeding behaviour of predators, (2) feeding behaviour using an experimental approach in the wild, (3) other costly behaviours and/or (4) physiological components of condition. We experimentally infected males of the predatory damselfly Hetaerina americana in a field experiment. We hypothesized that infection would reduce feeding behaviour. We further predicted a reduction in territorial activity, an increase in immune response (measured by the activity of phenoloxidase, PO) and a reduction of fat reserves and flight-associated muscle mass (two traits usually traded off with immune ability and territorial behaviour). We also infected males in a laboratory experiment that controlled for food supply and territorial activity, and measured the same physiological characters. Immune challenges in the field experiment unexpectedly increased feeding rate but did not change territorial activities. Muscle mass was reduced in the field but not in the laboratory, probably because of differences in the presence of energetically expensive territorial activities. In the laboratory, starvation and infection reduced PO activity and fat stores but did not affect muscle mass. Thus, our field and laboratory results support the idea that increased feeding compensates for infections in predators.