Predator-Prey Interactions and Eavesdropping in Vibrational Communication Networks

Meta Virant-Doberlet,Rok Šturm,Anka Kuhelj,Jernej Polajnar

doi:10.3389/fevo.2019.00203

Meta Virant-Doberlet, Rok Šturm + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00203

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Abstract

Due to human perceptional bias in favour of air-borne sounds, substrate-borne vibrational signalling has been traditionally regarded as a highly specialized, inherently short-range and, consequently, a private communication channel, free from eavesdropping by sexual competitors and predators. In this review, we synthesise current knowledge pertinent to the view that most animals live in a rich vibratory world, where vibrational information is available to unintended receivers. In recent years, we realized that vibrational signalling is one of the oldest and taxonomically most widespread forms of communication by mechanical waves and that receptors detecting substrate vibrations are ubiquitous. In nature, substrate vibrations are reliable source of information readily available to all members of the animal community able to detect them. Viewing vibrational communication in more relevant ecological context reveals that animals relying on substrate vibrations live in complex communication networks. Long evolutionary history of this communication channel is reflected in varied and sophisticated predator-prey interactions guided by substrate-borne vibrations. Eavesdropping and exploitation of vibrational signals used in sexual communication have been so far largely neglected; however, existing studies show that generalist arthropod predators can intercept such signals emitted by insects to obtain information about prey availability and use that information when making foraging decisions. Moreover, males which advertise themselves for longer periods than females and with vibrational signals of higher amplitude face higher predation risk. It is likely that eavesdropping and exploitation of vibrational signals are major drivers in the evolution taking place in the vibratory world and we believe that studies of interspecific interactions guided by substrate vibrations will, in the future, offer numerous opportunities to unravel mechanisms that are central to understanding behaviour in general.

Highlights

Signals produced by mechanical vibrations and transmitted from the signaller to the receiver through the medium via mechanical waves are an important part of animal communication (Bradbury and Vehrencamp, 1998)
There are so far only a few studies directly dealing with exploitation of vibrational signals used in sexual communication by eavesdropping predators or parasitoids and to challenge the view that vibrational signaling is a safe mode of communication (e.g., Henry, 1994; Zuk and Kolluru, 1998; Hughes et al, 2012), we review the evidence that substrate vibrations guide many behaviors related to predatorprey interactions
Despite increased interest in vibrational communication in the last decade and the progress we made in our perception and understanding of this communication modality, vibrational signaling still remains a poorly known and understood mode of communication (Cocroft et al, 2014; Endler, 2019)

Summary

Introduction

Signals produced by mechanical vibrations and transmitted from the signaller to the receiver through the medium (air, water or solid substrate) via mechanical waves are an important part of animal communication (Bradbury and Vehrencamp, 1998). The evidence emerging in the last decade shows that enemies and rivals use vibrational information available in their environment to guide their behaviors crucial for reproduction and survival (reviewed in Virant-Doberlet et al, 2014), the unfortunate general misconception that vibrational signaling is a private mode of communication (i.e., inaccessible to eavesdroppers sharing the same habitat) is unexpectedly hard to put at rest This persistence is surprising, since it is widely accepted that incidental vibrational cues induced in the substrates by activities like moving and feeding are used by predators and parasitoids to find their prey or host (e.g., Barth, 1998; Meyhöfer and Casas, 1999; Brownell and van Hemmen, 2001; Devetak, 2014), such vibrations are generally less conspicuous than vibrational signals used in sexual communication

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