Aspects Of Feeding Behavior Research Articles

Utilization of Rough Fescue and Parry Oat Grass by Two Grasshopper Species and Effect of Leaf Water Content and Stubble Height

This study was undertaken to measure destruction and feeding by two species of grasshoppers, Camnula pellucida (Scudder) and Melanoplus sanguinipes (F.), common on fescue prairie, in relation to forage preferences, stubble height, and leaf water content. C. pellucida showed no significant preferences, whereas M. sanguinipes preferred rough fescue ( Festuca scabrella Torrey ). M. sanguinipes displayed greater preference for higher leaf water content than did C. pellucida . The presence of stubble restricted feeding of both grasshopper species, but M. sanguinipes was less inhibited. The inhibition by stubble was related directly to its density (grams per cubic centimeter) and, therefore, inversely to its height. The significance of these aspects of feeding behavior in relation to grassland condition is discussed.

Changes in food selection by workers of the pharaoh's ant, Monomorium pharaonis

The results from simple choice test experiments with laboratory and field colonies of pharaoh's ants have revealed two behavioural traits that influence the way in which foraging worker ants respond to foods. Initially, worker ants from laboratory colonies showed a distinct preference for certain foods (e.g. honey and peanut butter). However, when given only these 'preferred' foods continuously for several weeks, workers showed a marked preference for other foods when offered a choice. This 'satiation' response occurred even though the initial diet was originally highly attractive to foraging workers. In addition, workers show a marked tendency to alternate between carbohydrate foods and protein foods. Thus, workers from colonies fed predominantly on proteins, subsequently showed a marked preference for carbohydrates, and vice versa. The 'satiation' and 'alternation' responses to foods ensure that colonies receive a diet that is both varied and balanced. In addition, these aspects of feeding behaviour have important consequences for the use of food-based baits in control measures against Monomorium pharaonis (L.).

Feeding of the chewing louse Damalinia ovis (Schrank) (Phthiraptera:Trichodectidae) on sheep

The possibility that Damalinia ovis ingests intact epidermis could explain economically important irritation behaviour by infested sheep. To test this, feeding lice were observed on sheep by hand lens and macrophotography and on light and scanning electron microscope preparations. Aspects of feeding behaviour were described, particularly an epidermal ingestion posture. Louse ingesta were examined in paraffin and frozen sections. Lipid-covered stratum corneum squames were identified in crop, midgut, rectum and faeces. Nucleated keratinocytes from inner epidermal strata were not seen, neither were wool fibres. Vertical frozen sheep skin sections, with feeding lice cryofixed by liquid nitrogen, showed mandibles engaged in the outer stratum corneum of the epidermis. The epidermal origin of some ingesta was confirmed by confining lice over sheep whose skin was stained with Oil Red O, whose colour was seen in crop, midgut, rectum and faeces of harvested lice. Lipase was found in louse midgut. It was concluded that sebaceous secretions may form an important component of the D. ovis diet. The relative contribution from loose scurf or from stratum corneum squames was not determined. Mechanical stimuli by feeding lice did not seem to be the source of host irritation. The role of sensitising agents in louse brei filtrates was investigated with inconclusive results. Intradermal injections of louse faeces did not elicit a demonstrable response.

Ecology of gyrfalcons, Falco rusticolus, in the central Canadian Arctic: diet and feeding behaviour

Diet and aspects of feeding behaviour in a population of gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus) in the Northwest Territories were examined between 1984 and 1986. Three prey species, rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), arctic ground squirrel (Spermophilus parryii), and arctic hare (Lepus arcticus), composed 96.5% of total prey biomass identified. Ptarmigan and hares were taken in May and June of all years (98.2% of biomass). Juvenile squirrels were used extensively in July and August of 1984 and 1985 but not in 1986, when squirrel production fell to almost zero; ptarmigan continued to be the dominant prey species throughout that summer. Because densities of breeding ptarmigan remained relatively constant during the study, but those of juvenile ground squirrels did not, it appeared that gyrfalcons responded functionally to varying availability of prey. Mean weight (250 g) of prey taken by male gyrfalcons was significantly less than the weight (330 g) of prey taken by females. As predicted by optimal foraging theory, average size of prey brought to the nest increased as time away from the nest increased. Conditions of food abundance were observed at most nests, suggesting that the amount of food available during the nestling period was not limiting production. We suggest that annual production is a function of spacing of pairs, which is set during courtship and prelaying, when prey availability is at its yearly low and when males must forage for both members of the pair. The fact that most gyrfalcon pairs initiated laying only after the spring arrival of migrating ptarmigan is consistent with this conclusion.

Individual feeding variability of protozoan and crustacean zooplankton analyzed with flow cytometry1

Feeding of protozoan and crustacean zooplankton was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM), resulting in direct counts of particles ingested by each individual. Ciliates (Cyclidium sp.) were allowed to feed on Microcystis aeruginosa and analyzed directly on a flow cytometer for cyanobacterial autofluorescence coincident with each ciliate. Numbers of Microcystis cells ingested (e.g. 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 ciliate−1) were estimated from the total fluorescence intensity of each ciliate. Crustaceans (Daphnia magna and Bosmina tubicen) were fed fluorescent beads or Microcystis, sonicated to release their gut contents, and the resulting suspension from each individual was quantitatively analyzed by FCM. These methods allow estimation of several aspects of feeding behavior, including particle selectivity, mechanisms of particle capture, gut volume of small organisms, feeding and clearance rates, and individual variation of the preceding parameters. Flow cytometry is more rapid than direct counts by microscope and more accurate than many indirect methods.

Chemosensitivity of lobster,Homarus americanus, to secondary plant compounds: Unused receptor capabilities

Chemosensitivity to secondary plant substances was examined electrophysiologically and behaviorally for the lobsterHomarus americanus. Neurophysiological experiments show that some chemoreceptor cells in the antennules (representing the sense of smell) and walking legs (representing the sense of taste) were excited by secondary compounds from plants of marine and terrestrial origin. These compounds include amygdalin, atropine sulfate, bromoform, caffeine,p-coumaric acid, diiodomethane, ferulic acid, heliotropin, phloroglucinol, quinine sulfate, salicin, sinigrin, tannic acid, and tomatine. The possible behavioral function of three of these compounds was tested. Phloroglucinol and ferulic acid had no observable effect on any aspect of feeding behavior at any concentration tested. Tannic acid, which is related to polyphenols found in marine algae, had no observable effect at any concentration tested on orientation to and grasping of food (activities controlled primarily by antennular and leg chemoreceptors, respectively) but did have an inhibitory effect on food ingestion (an activity controlled primarily by mouthpart chemoreceptors). These electrophysiological and behavioral results suggest that potential chemoreceptive information derived from many secondary plant compounds may not be used in feeding behavior. The receptors sensitive to these compounds may represent a "common chemical sense" as suggested by Dethier (1980). However, at least one compound, tannic acid, that is smelled and tasted by lobsters can function as a feeding inhibitor at the level of the mouthparts.

Response of Slugs to Unacceptable Food Items

(1) Recent studies in plant-herbivore coevolution have concentrated on adaptations that have allowed herbivores to overcome plant defences and suggest that generalist herbivores evolve an ability to tolerate unacceptable plants in their habitat. (2) This study was designed to test the hypothesis that relatively unacceptable plants will be more acceptable to generalist herbivores (slugs) from the same habitat than to slugs from other populations that are not normally exposed to these plants. (3) Two slug species that occur in both waste-sites and woodland were selected for feeding trials with one relatively unacceptable plant species from each habitat. (4) The hypothesis was not supported. In fact, the unacceptable plants were initially fed on more by the slugs not usually exposed to them. (5) However, the 'naive' slugs showed a reduced amount of feeding on the unacceptable plants in a second feeding trial, suggesting that they learned to avoid these plants. (6) These two aspects of feeding behaviour, namely extensive feeding on a novel food and learning to avoid unacceptable food items, probably allow the tracking of new potential foods in a changing habitat while reducing the time spent in unnecessary feeding on unacceptable food items. The importance of these factors is discussed in relation to the climatic and energetic constraints on slug activity.

Diet and feeding behaviour of kloss gibbons on Siberut Island, Indonesia.

Kloss gibbons are the same size and live in the same type of habitat as several other gibbon species, and consequently its diet would be expected to be similar to its closely related congeners. The diet is described in terms of the weight of food items, faecal remains, and time devoted to different foods. Aspects of feeding behaviour are then examined, such as changes in food choice through the day, the relationship between fruit size to feeding bouts and feeding rates, and the effect of forest type quality on ranging. A comparison is made between gibbon species. The diet of Kloss gibbons appears to differ from that of other gibbons in that it contained no tree leaves, and arthropods were a major part of the diet. Possible reasons for this are discussed.

Nutrients and behaviour: Research strategies for the investigation of taste characteristics, food preferences, hunger sensations and eating patterns in man

Although, as described elsewhere in this report, the consumption of particular nutrients can modify behaviors that are not directly related to eating, it seems highly likely that the main function of nutrient-induced changes in neurotransmitter synthesis is to provide the brain with information about what has been eaten, which the brain can then utilize in deciding what to eat next. This chapter summarizes research strategies and techniques which have been used to assess the effects of drugs and diseases on appetite and food consumption, and which might also be useful in exploring the effects of particular nutrients. Crude measures of total food intake and of global hunger ratings are probably too insensitive to reveal the subtle effects of many nutrients. Some alternative procedures allow the assessment of particular aspects of feeding behaviour, (e.g. food or nutrient choice), and of the relationships between such behaviour and the individual's metabolic and physiological state, sensory functions, taste hedonics, and affective response to foods.

An Aspect of Feeding Behavior and Its Importance to Grazing Systems

A study of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) showed significant (P<O.OOl) differences in the amount of time ewes walked while grazing in different pastures when the forage in the new pasture differed from that of the previous pasture. Ewes searched for alfalfa in a new pasture when it was a major constituent of the previous pasture, but did not appear to search for alfalfa in a new pasture if it was not a major constituent of the previous pasture. Ewes appeared to adjust to less preferred diets within a few days and modified their grazing behavior accordingly. The management implications of prior conditioning are discussed. Some specialized grazing systems present livestock with a succession of pastures that differ in vegetation composition and growth stage; Animals in such systems often exhibit disappointing weight gains (reviewed by Heady 196 1,1975). Part of the problem may lie in the animal’s responses to new or different plant communities. For example, if animals are placed in a new pasture that contains fewer preferred food plants than they are accustomed to, the animals may spend time and energy searching for the more preferred species. Prior experience with specific vegetation may even influence their diet (Arnold 1964, Arnold and Maller 1977). A more complete understanding of the behavioral consequences of shifting livestock from one vegetation type to another may provide some insight into designing better grazing systems. This paper examines the proportion of time sheep spend moving after being placed in pastures of differing vegetation composition.

Control theory and the dynamics of body weight

The use of mathematical control theory may be very valuable for the investigation of biological systems. But in its application difficulties of interpretation may arise leading to misuderstandings. An example is provided by the article: “Set points, Settling points, and the Control of Body Weight” by Wirtshafter and Davis [22], who argue that the constant body weight maintained by rats is a ‘settling point’ rather than a set point. In this article it is argued that there are good reasons for working with feedback models. The model proposed by Wirtshafter and Davis ignores the most important aspects of body weight regulation and the ‘feedback loop’ it seems to have can be eliminated. Models with ‘intrinsic’ feedback are discussed, and it is shown that in a formal sense the concept of ‘negative feedback’ is closely tied to the concept of ‘set point’. It is argued that whether or not this is interpreted in a teleological sense depends on our point of view rather than on measurable properties of the system modeled, and that features of mathematical models need not correspond directly to obvious anatomical or physiological entities. Wirtshafter and Davis are right in that the influence of sensory properties of the food on body weight regulation is too little understood, but in principle this and other external influences can be taken into account in other published models. These models are more complicated than the one proposed by Wirtshafter and Davis because more aspects of feeding behavior are to be explained by them. If interpreted in a proper way, such models provide a valuable frame of reference for ethological and physiological research.

Brain tryptophan and the neoplastic anorexia-cachexia syndrome

The cause of anorexia associated with neoplasia is unknown, and some investigators have suggested a central mechanism. Recent neurophysiologic studies have revealed the possible role of serotoninergic system involving tryptophan (TRP) and its indole neurotransmitter metabolites in regulating particular aspects of feeding behavior. We therefore studied plasma and brain factors affecting TRP transport through the blood-brain barrier (plasma free and total TRP, albumin, nonesterified fatty acids, plasma neutral amino acids, brain uptake index [BUI] for TRP) and central serotonin metabolism (5-HT, 5-HIAA) in young, anorexic rats bearing the Walker-256 tumor injected intramuscularly. Plasma free TRP, but not plasma total TRP, and, more important, brain TRP and brain 5-HIAA were significantly higher in tumor-bearing rats than in pair-fed control animals. The results suggest an association between altered brain TRP metabolism and feeding behavior in tumor-related anorexia.

Feeding behaviour of the Indian musk shrew,Suncus murinus viridescens (Blyth)

A detailed study on aspects of feeding behaviour of the Indian musk shrew,Suncus murinus viridescens, was made. The first solid food intake commenced on the 14th day and weaning occurred on the 20th day after birth. Olfaction was the primary sense involved in food searching. Prey killing was effected by a characteristic neck-bite. Death-shake could be seen when the shrews predate on earthworm or on rodents such as rats. Shrews hoard food when a large number of insects as food was offered. A thorough mastication of the food was observed before swallowing.

Stimulation of feeding in neonatal turkeys by flashing lights

One thousand one hundred commercial Large White Turkey poults were used in two studies of neonatal feeding behaviour. The first experiment investigated the effect of flashing lights in the feeder on the approach response and some aspects of feeding behaviour. In the second study, a multichoice apparatus was used to determine the relative effectiveness of red, yellow, green and blue lights. In both experiments the lights were flashing throughout the first twenty minutes of each hour for the first six days posthatch, thereafter (6–12 days), commercial tube-type feeders were used. Experimental poults (exposed to flashing lights) began feeding, on average, six minutes sooner than control poults and generally spent more time in the vicinity of the feed trough. Overall, experimental poults consumed an average of 9% more feed than the control birds. This difference was most pronounced on the first day. Feed conversion was not affected by the treatment. Weight gains positively reflected the feed consumption trends. Mortality was reduced by half but starveout mortality was not affected. Poults preferred to feed near green coloured lights.

Feeding behaviour in a population of domestic fowls in the wild

In 1976 the diet of adult feral fowls on a Scottish island consisted mainly of grass from January to July and oats from August to December. Juveniles ate many invertebrates in their first two months of life, but otherwise their diet was similar to that of the adults. In contrast to the non-breeding adults, broods and their dams showed two distinct types of feeding behaviour, called “sporadic” and “intensive” feeding. These were directed towards scattered and concentrated food sources, and the type shown depended mainly on the dam's behaviour. The significance of these and other aspects of feeding behaviour is discussed.

Some Aspects of Grackle Feeding Behavior in Newly Planted Corn

Observations were made of 237 common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) in newly planted and sprouted corn to describe and quantify aspects of feeding behavior and to determine the effects of repellent-treated corn on feeding behavior. One hundred and twenty-two of the observations were of grackles that ate corn. Birds consumed sprouted seeds more rapidly than unsprouted seeds and dropped more unsprouted seeds than sprouted seeds. No differences were detected in the immediate response to repellent-treated seed (time to consume or proportion dropped). It is suggested that the birds learned to avoid completely treated seed but were not averse to entering the treated area. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 41(3):444-447 Most reports on the experimental use of repellents against birds have dealt with methods of application and measurement of reduction in damage to the crop. Few studies have dealt with the feeding behavior of the depredating species or the changes in behavior caused by contact with or ingestion of the repellent. Dyer (1967) deduced feeding behavior of blackbird flocks from damage patterns in field corn and subsequently suggested (1972, paper presented at 89th Stated Meeting of the A.O.U.) that a fright producing chemical (4-aminopyridine), which directly affects only a few members of a flock, interrupted the normal flock feeding behavior of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). He speculated on the nature of the disruption in the flock as a whole but did not report on the behavior of individual birds. The problem of blackbird damage to sprouting corn is locally serious in the Southeastern and Middle-Atlantic states (Stone and Mott 1973). Ingram et al. (1973) studied efficacy of methiocarb (3,5,dimethyl-4-methylthiophenol methylcarbamate) [Mesurol?] in reducing this damage. They suggested that their index of overall bird ac ivity in cornfields (presence of birds) did not provide a sensitive measure of the protection afforded by the repellent. These authors found that the numbers of red-winged blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), common crows (Corvu brachyrhynchos), and ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) decreased in treated fields whereas the number of common grackles increased. Damage to treated fields used primarily by grackles w s significantly reduced, therefore the repellent may have caused some alteration in feeding behavior, although this was not examined. We carried out this investigation to deect, d scribe and attempt to quantify some aspects of blackbird feeding behavior in newly planted and sprouting corn, and to identify possible alterations occurring as a result of feeding on corn seed treated with the repellent methiocarb. The authors thank C. Passmore, Farm Manager, University of Delaware, for assistance with seed bed preparation and planting. We also thank G. Beauchamp and R. Doty for suggestions during the preparation of the manuscript. 1 Assigned to Pennsylvania Field Station, Denver Wildlife Research Center. 2 Assigned to Delaware Field Station, Denver Wildlife Research Center. 444 J. Wildl. Manage. 41(3):1977 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.25 on Mon, 12 Sep 2016 04:18:13 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms GRACKLE FEEDING BEHAVIOR Rogers and Linehan 445

Experimental component analysis of blowfly feeding behaviour

The duration of feeding of starved Phormia regina on sucrose, in the range 0·1 to 2·0 M, is a constant. The increasing viscosity of sucrose concentrations greater than 0·5 M caused a reduction in the feeding rate over this feeding period, with a resulting decrease in the volume of sucrose ingested. For 2·0 M sucrose, viscosity effects reduce the potential quantity ingested by one-third. Using the Poiseuille equation, the relative pressures exerted by the cibarial pump were calculated, and from these data the efficiency of the cibarial pump in overcoming the impedance imposed by viscosity could be estimated. The efficiency was found to decrease with increasing viscosity. The application of experimental component analysis to the study yielded parameters which can be used for quantitative comparisons of sugars, and for evaluating the interactions between the various aspects of feeding behaviour.

Influence of Age and Water Balance on Spiracular Behavior in Aedes Mosquitoes1

In female Aedes triscriatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae), duration of spiracular opening in air declined with sample age; in response to 0.5% CO2, both amplitude and duration of opening declined. There was no relationship of frequency of spiracular opening to age. Aspects of feeding behavior were observed and related to spiracular behavior in A. triseriatus and A. acgypti (L.). In the former species there was a diurnal weight loss; in both species inclusion of 0.2M KC1 in 0.3M sucrose solution led to a reduction in the amount of fluid imbibed. Spiracular opening became conservative in A. triseriatus , and to a lesser extent in A. acgypti when KC1 was included in the diet. A. acgypti engorged more than A. triseriatus and showed looser spiracular control. The course of starvation was more rapid in A. triseriatus than in A. acgypti ; the rate of water loss in the former was 4 times that in the latter. Each species showed increasingly conservative spiracular behavior as starvation proceeded.

Feeding in Conflict Situations and Following Thwarting

It is possible to quantify many different aspects of feeding behavior. In order to specify and differentiate the effects of deprivation levels, conflict, and thwarting, one cannot use only a single measure of this behavior pattern.

An Analysis of Some Aspects of Feeding Behavior

An Analysis of Some Aspects of Feeding Behavior