SPATIAL PATTERNS DYNAMICS OF A DIFFUSIVE PREDATOR–PREY SYSTEM WITH COOPERATIVE BEHAVIOR IN PREDATORS

Abstract

Cooperative behavior is an extensive mechanism in nature, and seen in several organisms, from bacterial cells to primates. In this paper, we have investigated a spatial predator–prey model with hunting cooperation in predators. Using linear stability analysis, we obtain the condition for diffusive instability and identify the corresponding domain in the space of control parameters. Using extensive numerical simulations, we obtain complex patterns, namely, spotted pattern, stripe pattern and mixed pattern in the Turing domain, by varying the hunting cooperation rate in predators and ratio of diffusion coefficient. The results focus on the effect of hunting cooperation rate in pattern dynamics of a diffusive predator–prey model and help us in better understanding of the dynamics of the predator–prey interaction in real environment.