Abstract
We consider two types of optimal foragers: a random searcher and a search image user. A search image user can find its desired prey with higher and undesired prey with lower probability than a random searcher. Our model considers the density-dependent travelling time and the time duration of reproduction (oviposition). In the framework of optimal foraging theory for one predator–two prey systems, we find that there are ranges of prey densities in which the search image user has a higher net energy intake, and there are other ranges of prey densities in which the random searcher has higher net energy intake. The damsel bug Nabis pseudoferus Remane (Hemiptera: Nabidae) is a generalist predator rather than an omnivore. This species has a wide range of arthropod prey (predominantly insects and mites). Several aspects of the biology of this species have been studied, especially its cannibalistic behaviour, which is a quite important feature because N. pseudoferus is often used as a biological control agent against lepidopteran pests in greenhouse crops. Experimentally, we found that Nabis is a search image user in the above sense.
Highlights
Nabis exhibits more complex behaviour than our theoretical model, we found that the cannibalistic Nabis uses a search image but not with absolute intention because it can encounter non-desired prey types; the its encounter sequence is not determined by the preys’ densities, i.e., Nabis encounters its
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Summary
József Garay[1,2], Zoltán Varga[3], Tamás F. We consider two types of optimal foragers: a random searcher and a search image user. The damsel bug Nabis pseudoferus Remane (Hemiptera: Nabidae) is a generalist predator rather than an omnivore This species has a wide range of arthropod prey (predominantly insects and mites). Nabis eats all day; the time required to lay eggs reduces the time available for predation The latter fact, in particular, will play an important role in the calculation of the numerical response. An SIU uses a search image and finds its desired prey type with a density-independent probability.
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