Predator Cannibalism Research Articles

The Cocoon of the Developing Emerald Jewel Wasp (Ampulex compressa) Resists Cannibalistic Predation of the Zombified Host

Introduction: To reproduce, the parasitoid emerald jewel wasp (Ampulex compressa) envenomates an American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) and barricades it in a hole with an egg on the host’s leg. The larval wasp feeds externally before entering the host and consuming internal organs before forming a cocoon inside the host carcass. Methods: The vulnerability of jewel wasp larvae to predation by juvenile cockroaches was investigated, and data were recorded with time-lapse videography. Results: Cockroaches were found to be predators of parasitized hosts. When parasitized cockroaches were exposed to hungry cockroaches on days 0–8 of development, the developing larva was killed. Eggs were dislodged or consumed, larvae on the leg were eaten, and larvae inside the host were eaten along with the host. On day 9, 80% of the wasp larvae were killed and eaten along with the host. Conversely, on day 10, 90% of the larvae survived. On developmental day 11 or later, the wasp larva always survived, although the host carcass was consumed. Survival depended entirely on whether the cocoon had been completed. Conclusion: The results highlight the vulnerability of larvae to predation and suggest the cocoon defends from insect mandibles. This may explain the unusual feeding behavior of the jewel wasp larvae, which eat the host with remarkable speed, tapping into the host respiratory system in the process, and consuming vital organs early, in contrast to many other parasitoids. Results are discussed in relation to larval wasp behavior, evolution, and development, and potential predators are considered.

Study of a cannibalistic prey–predator model with Allee effect in prey under the presence of diffusion

In this study, we have investigated the temporal and spatio-temporal behavior of a prey–predator model with weak Allee effect in prey and the quality of being cannibalistic in a specialist predator. The parameters responsible for the Allee effect and cannibalism impact both the existence and stability of coexistence steady states of the temporal system. The temporal system exhibits various kinds of local bifurcations such as saddle–node, Hopf, Generalized Hopf (Bautin), Bogdanov–Takens, and global bifurcation like homoclinic, saddle–node bifurcation of limit cycles. For the model with self-diffusion, we establish the non-negativity and prior bounds of the solution. Subsequently, we derive the theoretical conditions in which self-diffusion leads to the destabilization of the interior equilibrium. Additionally, we explore the conditions under which cross-diffusion induces the Turing-instability where self-diffusion fails to do so. Further, we present different kinds of stationary and dynamic patterns on varying the values of diffusion coefficients to depict the spatio-temporal model’s rich dynamics. It has been found that the addition of self and cross-diffusion in a prey–predator model with the Allee effect in prey and cannibalistic predator play essential roles in comprehending the pattern formation of a distributed population model. It is expected that the comprehensive mathematical analysis and extensive numerical simulations used in investigating the global dynamics of the proposed model can facilitate researchers in studying the temporal and spatial aspects of prey–predator models in more significant detail.

The Dynamics of a Predator-Prey Model Involving Disease Spread In Prey and Predator Cannibalism

The Dynamics of a Predator-Prey Model Involving Disease Spread In Prey and Predator Cannibalism

Cannibalistic enemy-pest model: effect of additional food and harvesting.

Biological control using natural enemies with additional food resources is one of the most adopted and ecofriendly pest control techniques. Moreover, additional food is also provided to natural enemies to divert them from cannibalism. In the present work, using the theory of dynamical system, we discuss the dynamics of a cannibalistic predator prey model in the presence of different harvesting schemes in prey (pest) population and provision of additional food to predators (natural enemies). A detailed mathematical analysis and numerical evaluations have been presented to discuss the pest free state, coexistence of species, stability, occurrence of different bifurcations (saddle-node, transcritical, Hopf, Bogdanov-Takens) and the impact of additional food and harvesting schemes on the dynamics of the system. It has been obtained that the multiple coexisting equilibria and their stability depend on the additional food (quality and quantity) and harvesting rates. Interestingly, we also observe that the pest population density decreases immediately even when small amount of harvesting is implemented. Also the eradication of pest population (stable pest free state) could be achieved via variation in the additional food and implemented harvesting schemes. The individual effects of harvesting parameters on the pest density suggest that the linear harvesting scheme is more effective to control the pest population rather than constant and nonlinear harvesting schemes. In the context of biological control programs, the present theoretical work suggests different threshold values of implemented harvesting and appropriate choices of additional food to be supplied for pest eradication.

Dynamics analysis of a predator–prey fractional-order model incorporating predator cannibalism and refuge

In this article, we consider a predator–prey interaction incorporating cannibalism, refuge, and memory effect. To involve the memory effect, we apply Caputo fractional-order derivative operator. We verify the non-negativity, existence, uniqueness, and boundedness of the model solution. We then analyze the local and global stability of the equilibrium points. We also investigate the existence of Hopf bifurcation. The model has four equilibrium points, i.e., the origin point, prey extinction point, predator extinction point, and coexistence point. The origin point is always unstable, while the other equilibrium points are conditionally locally asymptotically stable. The stability of the coexistence point depends on the order of the Caputo derivative, α. The prey extinction point, predator extinction point, and coexistence point are conditionally globally and asymptotically stable. There exists Hopf bifurcation of coexistence point with parameter α. The analytic results of stability properties and Hopf bifurcations are confirmed by numerical simulations.

Pathways to the density-dependent expression of cannibalism, and consequences for regulated population dynamics.

Cannibalism, once viewed as a rare or aberrant behavior, is now recognized to be widespread and to contribute broadly to the self-regulation of many populations. Cannibalism can produce endogenous negative feedback on population growth because it is expressed as a conditional behavior, responding to the deteriorating ecological conditions that flow, directly or indirectly, from increasing densities of conspecifics. Thus, cannibalism emerges as a strongly density-dependent source of mortality. In this synthesis, we review recent research that has revealed a rich diversity of pathways through which rising density elicits increased cannibalism, including both factors that (a) elevate the rate of dangerous encounters between conspecifics and (b) enhance the likelihood that such encounters will lead to successful cannibalistic attacks. These pathways include both features of the autecology of cannibal populations and features of interactions with other species, including food resources and pathogens. Using mathematical models, we explore the consequences of including density-dependent cannibal attack rates on population dynamics. The conditional expression of cannibalism generally enhances stability and population regulation in single-species models but also may increase opportunities for alternative states and prey population escape from control by cannibalistic predators.

Predator cannibalism can shift prey community composition toward dominance by small prey species.

Cannibalism among predators is a key intraspecific interaction affecting their density and foraging behavior, eventually modifying the strength of predation on heterospecific prey. Interestingly, previous studies showed that cannibalism among predators can increase or reduce predation on heterospecific prey; however, we know less about the factors that lead to these outcomes. Using a simple pond community consisting of Hynobius retardatus salamander larvae and their associated prey, I report empirical evidence that cannibalism among predators can increase predation on large heterospecific prey but reduce that on small heterospecific prey. In a field‐enclosure experiment in which I manipulated the occurrence of salamander cannibalism, I found that salamander cannibalism increased predation on frog tadpoles but reduced that on aquatic insects simultaneously. The contrasting effects are most likely to be explained by prey body size. In the study system, frog tadpoles were too large for non‐cannibal salamanders to consume, while aquatic insects were within the non‐cannibals’ consumable prey size range. However, when cannibalism occurred, a few individuals that succeeded in cannibalizing reached large enough size to consume frog tadpoles. Consequently, although cannibalism among salamanders reduced their density, salamander cannibalism increased predation on large prey frog tadpoles. Meanwhile, salamander cannibalism reduced predation on small prey aquatic insects probably because of a density reduction of non‐cannibals primarily consuming aquatic insects. Body size is often correlated with various ecological traits, for instance, diet width, consumption, and excretion rates, and is thus considered a good indicator of species’ effects on ecosystem function. All this considered, cannibalism among predators could eventually affect ecosystem function by shifting the size composition of the prey community.

Stability and Boundedness Analysis of Lotka-Volterra Prey-Predator Model with Prey Refuge and Predator Cannibalism

Abstract In this paper, a prey-predator system incorporating prey refuge and predator cannibalism is studied. The stability and ultimate boundedness of the analyzed state parameters (y_1,y_2) defining the system are obtained using the Lyapunov’s second or direct method. We construct a suitable complete Lyapunov function for the nonlinear system and demonstrate its efficacy. The method is built upon applying various theoretical Lyapunov functions. By constructing a Lyapunov function which possesses a functional relationship to the the original model system, we give sufficient conditions which ensure the stability and ultimate boundedness of the state parameters describing the nonlinear prey-predator system. We give a numeric example to illustrate the result obtained. JEL classification numbers: 34C27, 34D23, 34C25. Keywords: Prey-predator system, Prey refuge, Predator cannibalism, Stability, Boundedness, Lyapunov’s method.

Dynamical Analysis of a Predator-Prey Model Incorporating Predator Cannibalism and Refuge

We consider a mathematical model to describe the interaction between predator and prey that includes predator cannibalism and refuge. We aim to study the dynamics and its long-term behavior of the proposed model, as well as to discuss the effects of crucial parameters associated with the model. We first show the boundedness and positivity of the solution of the model. Then, we study the existence and stability of all possible equilibrium points. The local stability of the model around each equilibrium point is studied via the linearized system, while the global stability is performed by defining a Lyapunov function. The model has four equilibrium points. It is found that the equilibrium point representing the extinction of both prey and predator populations is always unstable, while the other equilibrium points are conditionally stable. In addition, there is forward bifurcation phenomena that occur under certain condition. To support our analytical findings, we perform some numerical simulations.

Global analysis and Hopf-bifurcation in a cross-diffusion prey-predator system with fear effect and predator cannibalism.

We investigate a new cross-diffusive prey-predator system which considers prey refuge and fear effect, where predator cannibalism is also considered. The prey and predator that partially depends on the prey are followed by Holling type-Ⅱ terms. We first establish sufficient conditions for persistence of the system, the global stability of constant steady states are also investigated. Then, we investigate the Hopf bifurcation of ordinary differential system, and Turing instability driven by self-diffusion and cross-diffusion. We have found that the d12 can suppress the formation of Turing instability, while the d21 promotes the appearance of the pattern formation. In addition, we also discuss the existence and nonexistence of nonconstant positive steady state by Leray-Schauder degree theory. Finally, we provide the following discretization reaction-diffusion equations and present some numerical simulations to illustrate analytical results, which show that the establishment of prey refuge can effectively protect the growth of prey.

Dynamical Behavior of a Delayed Holling Type‐II Predator‐Prey Model with Predator Cannibalism

In this article, we propose the Holling type‐II predator‐prey model involving cannibalism and gestation delay in predators. We study the existence of all possible equilibrium points of the proposed model. We give the condition for the local stability and Hopf bifurcation analysis for the nondelayed model. Next, we also establish the local stability and Hopf bifurcation analysis for the corresponding delayed model. Finally, we discuss how cannibalism and delay play an important role in stabilizing and destabilizing the proposed system both theoretically and numerically.

Modeling and analysis of a prey-predator system incorporating fear, predator-dependent refuge, and cannibalism

Using a mathematical model to simulate the interaction between prey and predator was suggested and researched. It was believed that the model would entail predator cannibalism and constant refuge in the predator population, while the prey population would experience predation fear and need for a predator-dependent refuge. This study aimed to examine the proposed model's long-term behavior and explore the effects of the model's key parameters. The model's solution was demonstrated to be limited and positive. All potential equilibrium points' existence and stability were tested. When possible, the appropriate Lyapunov function was utilized to demonstrate the equilibrium points' overall stability. The system's persistence requirements were specified. The circumstances of local bifurcation that could take place close to the equilibrium points were discovered. Numerical simulations were run to validate the model's obtained long-term behavior and comprehend the effects of the model's key parameters in order to confirm our analytical conclusions. It has been observed that the system may have numerous coexistence equilibrium points, leading to bi-stable behavior. The fear rate reduces the multiplicity of the equilibrium point and converts the bi-stable situation into a stable case, which stabilizes the system (1) up to the top particular value.

Optimum density of <i>Eocanthecona furcellata</i> (Wolff) (Hemiptera:Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) to be considered for mass production under laboratory conditions

<p><em>Eocanthecona furcellata</em> (Wolff) is a potential native predator of lepidopteran larvae that can be easily reared under laboratory conditions and released in augmentative biocontrol for management of pests in various crops. For successful mass production of any predator cannibalism under crowded rearing conditions is the major limiting factor. In the present study, attempts were made to know the ideal population considered for group rearing with minimal or no cannibalism. It was recorded that the predator population of 5 to 25 on <em>Corcyra cephalonica</em> (S.) and <em>Galleria mellonella</em> L. and 5 to 30 on <em>Samia cynthia ricini</em> Boisd. and <em>Spodoptera litura</em> F. was feasible for group rearing with higher percent survival rate when reared in different group arenas. The survival percent was higher on hosts, <em>C. cephalonica</em>, <em>G. mellonella</em>, <em>S. litura</em> and recorded lower on <em>S. cynthia ricini</em> under group rearing condition. </p>

Multiple positive steady states of a diffusive predator‐prey model in spatially heterogeneous environments

AbstractIn this paper, we discuss a diffusive predator‐prey model with predator cannibalism in spatially heterogeneous environments. In contrast with spatially homogeneous environments, we find the dynamics of the model in spatially heterogenous environments is more complicated. For the spatially heterogeneous case, we could classify death rate of the predator into four different regions and demonstrate that for every region, this model with Neumann boundary conditions has at least one positive steady state for some ranges of dispersal rates of the predator and prey via Leray–Schauder degree theory. In particular, for some scopes of death rate of the predator, this model has multiple positive steady states for certain ranges of dispersal rates of the predator and prey.

On a cannibalistic predator–prey model with prey defense and diffusion

Protective instincts of prey can strongly influence the development of species and also reduces the risk of predation. Cannibalism is frequent in predators and it has strong influence in the evolution of predator species. The consequences of cannibalism is largely neglected when studying the evolution of phenotype prey defenses in predator–prey systems. Motivated by this biological fact, we propose a predator–prey model that involves (a) prey defense; (b) predator cannibalism; and (c) diffusion. We discuss conditions for existence of all biological feasible equilibrium points for non-spatial system. Kolmogorov analysis is performed to examine appearance of limit cycle and chaos in non-spatial system. We obtain local and global stability conditions around all biological feasible equilibrium points. The direction and stability of the Hopf-bifurcation is determined at the vicinity of the concomitant population state of the non-spatial system. In order to study spatio-temporal dynamics, we derive local stability conditions of diffusive system and obtain conditions for the occurrence of Turing instability. Numerical simulations are performed to explore the cases which are beyond the range of analytical methods. Bifurcation diagrams show that non-spatial system has rich dynamics. Various spatial structures such as stripe, spot, rhombus, irregular and target wave patterns of interacting species through Turing and Hopf-Turing instability in two dimensional spatial domain are portrayed and analysed at finite length in order to substantiate the applicability of the present model. Numerical results reveal the impact of drivers of pattern formation in predator–prey systems which provides a better understanding of complex predator–prey interaction.

Emergent impacts of alternative resource in cannibalistic predator–prey system

In this paper, a predator–prey model with cannibalistic effect in predator is presented. Naturally, juveniles predators are captured by their own adult predators in water population system. To reduce such conspecific capturing, alternative resource is supplied to adult predators as a supplementary food. The model is analyzed in terms of theoretical and numerical point of view. The conditions for local and global stability around existing equilibrium points, persistence, and Hopf bifurcation are derived theoretically. Numerical experiments illustrate that the extinction possibility of predator population can be reduced providing suitable alternative resources to adult predators. The impacts of alternative resource supply with the variation of other parameters are shown in the model. The dynamical relationship between the strength of cannibalism and alternative resource supply is also drawn. The model is useful specially in fishery system.

EFFECT OF TIME DELAY IN A CANNIBALISTIC STAGE-STRUCTURED PREDATOR–PREY MODEL WITH HARVESTING OF AN ADULT PREDATOR: THE CASE OF LIONFISH

The progressive and increasing invasion of an opportunistic predator, the lionfish (Pterois volitans) has become a major threat for the delicate coral-reef ecosystem. The herbivore fish populations, in particular of Parrotfish, are taking the consequences of the lionfish invasion and then their control function on macro-algae growth is threatened. In this paper, we developed and analyzed a stage-structured mathematical model including P. volitans (lionfish), a cannibalistic predator, and a Parrotfish, its potential prey. As control upon the over predation, a rational harvest term has been considered. Further, to make the system more realistic, a delay in the growth rate of juvenile P. volitans population has been incorporated. We performed a global sensitivity analysis to identify important parameters of the system having significant correlations with the fishes. We observed that the system generates transcritical bifurcation, which takes the P. volitans-free equilibrium to the coexistence equilibrium on increasing the values of predation rate of adult P. volitans on Parrotfish. Further increase in the values of the predation rate of adult P. volitans on Parrotfish drives the system into Hopf bifurcation, which induces oscillation around the coexistence equilibrium. Moreover, the conversion efficiency due to cannibalism also has the property to alter the stability behavior of the system through Hopf bifurcation. The effect of time delay on the dynamics of the system is extensively studied and it is observed that the system develops chaotic dynamics through period-doubling oscillations for large values of time delay. However, if the system is already oscillatory, then the large values of time delay causes extinction of P. volitans from the system. To illustrate the occurrence of chaotic dynamics in the system, we drew the Poincaré map and also computed the Lyapunov exponents.

Impact of cannibalism on dynamics of a structured predator–prey system

Cannibalism, as a behavioral trait, is prevalent in many species. To have better understanding of their dynamics, we investigate a structured predator-prey system with predator cannibalism, where the prey population follows the logistic growth in the absence of the predator. We study the effects of the cannibalism attack rate and the corresponding benefit rate of cannibals on the model dynamics. Complex phenomena, including the bistability, the existences of two positive equilibria and stable/unstable periodic solutions, are found. We define quantities with clear biological meanings, and establish conditions determining the local and global dynamics of the model based on these quantities. Our results show that, under certain conditions, the final states of the populations depend on not only the related model parameters but also the initial conditions of the solutions.

Coevolution of cannibalistic predators and timid prey: evolutionary cycling and branching

We investigate the coevolution of cannibalistic predators and timid prey, which seek refuge upon detecting a predator. To understand how the species affect each other’s evolution, we derived the ecological model from individual-level processes using ordinary differential equations. The ecological dynamics exhibit bistability between equilibrium and periodic attractors, which may disappear through catastrophic bifurcations. Using the critical function analysis of adaptive dynamics, we classify general trade-offs between cannibalism and prey capture that produce different evolutionary outcomes. The evolutionary analysis reveals several ways in which cannibalism emerges as a response to timidity of the prey. The long-term coevolution either attains a singularity, or becomes cyclic through two mechanisms: genetical cycles through Hopf bifurcation of the singularity, or ecogenetical cycles involving abrupt switching between ecological attractors. Further diversification of cannibalism occurs through evolutionary branching, which is predicted to be delayed when simultaneous prey evolution is necessary for the singularity’s attainability. We conclude that predator-prey coevolution produces a variety of outcomes, in which evolutionary cycles are commonplace.

Dynamic behaviors of Lotka\u2013Volterra predator\u2013prey model incorporating predator cannibalism

A Lotka–Volterra predator–prey model incorporating predator cannibalism is proposed and studied in this paper. The existence and stability of all possible equilibria of the system are investigated. Our study shows that cannibalism has both positive and negative effect on the stability of the system, it depends on the dynamic behaviors of the original system. If the predator species in the system without cannibalism is extinct, then suitable cannibalism may lead to the coexistence of both species, in this case, cannibalism stabilizes the system. If the cannibalism rate is large enough, the prey species maybe driven to extinction, while the predator species are permanent. If the two species coexist in the stable state in the original system, then predator cannibalism may lead to the extinction of the prey species. In this case, cannibalism has an unstable effect. Numeric simulations support our findings.