Foraging Behavior Research Articles

Risky hybrid foraging: The impact of risk, reward value, and prevalence on foraging behavior in hybrid visual search.

In hybrid foraging, foragers search for multiple targets in multiple patches throughout the foraging session, mimicking a range of real-world scenarios. This research examines outcome uncertainty, the prevalence of different target types, and the reward value of targets in human hybrid foraging. Our empirical findings show a consistent tendency toward risk-averse behavior in hybrid foraging. That is, people display a preference for certainty and actively avoid taking risks. While altering the prevalence or reward value of the risky targets does influence people's aversion to risk, the overall effect of risk remains dominant. Additionally, simulation results suggest that the observed risk-averse strategy is suboptimal in the sense that it prevents foragers from maximizing their overall returns. These results underscore the crucial role of outcome uncertainty in shaping hybrid foraging behavior and shed light on potential theoretical developments bridging theories in decision making and hybrid foraging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

In Situ Videography Quantifies Temporal and Spatial Variation in Prey Consumption and Energy Intake by Stream‐Dwelling Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)

ABSTRACTIn stream ecosystems, invertebrates are a principal source of prey for many fishes, but their abundance as a food source depends on the predator's ability to exploit them in time and space. Although salmonid fishes are commonly thought of as daytime drift‐feeding predators of invertebrates in streams, they exhibit great flexibility in foraging behaviour and may also consume prey from the benthos and at night. Char species, (Salvelinus sp.), in particular, may be better adapted to forage under low light conditions due to greater scotopic sensitivity than other salmonids. In this study, we used in situ or in place videography to quantify the foraging behaviour of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and determine when and where they capture prey. We found that bull trout were primarily daytime predators of invertebrates drifting in the water column, and that they rarely captured prey from the benthos or foraged at night. We did observe size‐related differences and seasonal declines in foraging rate from summer to fall months. A modelled estimate of energy intake indicates that daytime drift‐feeding by small size classes of bull trout was above that needed for a maximum daily ration under a range of assumptions about prey size and prey retention rates. Energy intake rates for larger fish were more dependent on assumptions of preferred prey size and prey retention rates. Our data indicate that daytime measures of invertebrate drift abundance and size are the most inclusive measure of food abundance for stream‐dwelling bull trout.

Temporal Dynamics of Scout Release-Behavior of Termitophagous Ponerine ant, Megaponera Analis

AbstractMegaponera analis is an obligate termitophagous species endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. The species forages by sending out scouts to search for termites. Once termites are located, the scouts return to the nest and recruit nest mates. Scouts face unpredictable environmental conditions, including sudden flooding, temperature changes, high winds and predation by natural enemies. We observed 519 scouting trips from 18 different colonies over three years to determine how long it takes for the colony to replace a scout that has likely died while on scouting duty or is lost due to environmental perturbations. Study areas were at Maremani, Musina, Masebe and D’nyala Nature Reserves in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. We introduced definitions of scouting turnover, scouting trip, and scouting session. Scouting turnover is the time it takes a successive scout to leave the nest for a trip, whereas a scouting trip is the journey a scout takes from the nest in search of food. Since M. analis shows bimodal foraging behavior, the morning observations were recorded as the first scouting session, while the subsequent session, which starts in the afternoon, was recorded as the second scouting session. The mean scouting turnover for all 519 trips was 9.36 ± 0.64 (SD) minutes. When turnover was divided into sessions, the first scouting session lasted a mean of 7.77 ± 12.17 (SD) minutes, while the second had 10.34 ± 18.32 (SD) minutes. The minimum turnover was zero minutes, and the maximum was 124 minutes.

Perceptual Pigeon Galvanized Optimization of Multi-objective CNN on the Identification and Classification of Mango Leaves Disease

Aims The aim of this study is to develop a strong Multi-objective Convolutional Neural Network (MOCNN) optimized using Perceptual Pigeon Galvanized Optimization (PPGO) for accurate identification and classification of mango leaf diseases. This approach aims to increase classification accuracy, computational efficiency, and generalization ability. The ultimate goal is to improve disease management in mango crops through advanced image-based diagnostic techniques. Background Demands for the consumption of mango (Mangifera indica) fruit and its leaves were growing exponentially in all parts of the world due to its large health benefits for various organs in the human body. However, these plants were largely exposed to various kinds of microbial diseases during cultivation despite the application of pesticides. Hence, it is becoming a significant threat to the farmers and to the food industry. Objective The objectives of this study are to develop reliable methods for the early identification of mango leaf diseases, enabling prompt intervention and reducing crop damage. Additionally, the study aims to provide effective disease management applications that will help farmers minimize crop losses and maintain their economic stability. Methods PPGO is an advanced optimization algorithm inspired by the natural foraging behavior of pigeons. It integrates perceptual hashing and galvanic responses to adaptively adjust the search process, allowing for efficient exploration and exploitation of the solution space. The multi-objective convolutional neural network is trained to minimize a composite loss function that considers classification accuracy, computational efficiency, and generalization error. Results The Perceptual Pigeon Galvanized Optimization (PPGO) with a Multi-objective Convolutional Neural Network (MOCNN) demonstrates superior performance compared to traditional CNN optimization techniques. The results show an accuracy of 96%, recall of 94%, precision of 92%, and an F1 score of 92%. These metrics surpass those of existing methods such as Efficient Supervised Learning based on Deep Neural Network (ESDNN), Hierarchical Deep Learning Support Vector Machine (HDLSVM), Ordinal Regression Neural Network (ORNN), Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network (DCGAN), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Local Contrast Normalization Convolutional Neural Network (LCNN), and Visual Geometry Group Network (VGGNET 19). Conclusion The integration of Perceptual Pigeon Galvanized Optimization with a Multi-objective Convolutional Neural Network offers a powerful approach for identifying and classifying mango leaf diseases. The proposed method effectively balances multiple performance metrics, leading to a robust and efficient model suitable for real-world agricultural applications.

Pollen morphology and its taxonomic significance in the genus euphorbia L. (Euphorbiaceae), from northern Pakistan: Insights for honeybees‐plant interactions

AbstractEuphorbia L. includes 2055 species with native range of this genus being cosmopolitan. In the present study, we assessed pollen morphology of 18 species of this genus occurring mostly in northern Pakistan. Pollen morphology of Euphorbia species is poorly investigated for its taxonomic significance. Here, we examined quantitative characters, including polar diameter, equatorial diameter, P/E ratio. Exine thickness, colpi length, and width were also examined. Among the qualitative characters, pollen shape, type, exine sculpturing, and aperture features were determined. The main aim of this study is to determine and investigate the foraging behavior of the honeybees that interact with Euphorbia species. The current finding will be helpful in melissopalynological analysis for developing beekeeping practices and can be used in the authentication of honey. Pollen quantitative traits applied through a multivariate analysis and diverse sampling also improve botanical and geographical characterization of a particular region. In addition, it is concluded that some palynomorphs of Euphorbia species may contain secondary compounds and can promote signs of toxicity in honeybees. However, the beekeepers wrongly correlate the fact that milky latex from Euphorbia taxa has burning and skin irritation effects on other animals, particularly humans, with honeybee deaths, which might be due to other factors. Our observations indicate with the sense that actual forage plants may not poison their pollinators and honeybees might occasionally be dead due to unidentified factors. We have suggested that beekeepers should attempt to identify the root causes for occasional bee deaths in the area.

Evolutionary History and Ecology of Andrena (Foveoandrena) androfovea: A New Nearctic Mining Bee (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae) Species and Subgenus.

With about 1700 described species, the mining bee genus Andrena is a rapidly diversifying lineage and one of the most species-rich groups of bees. Recent phylogenomic advances have greatly improved our understanding of the phylogeny of the genus, yet many species still await description, subgeneric assignments that are in line with their evolutionary history, as well as study of their morphology and behavior. Here we provide a comprehensive account of a newly discovered species, Andrena androfovea n. sp. We sequence the genome of the new species and include it in the presently most comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of Andrena using ultraconserved element (UCE) sequence data, comprising 264 samples and 249 species. Given the recovered phylogenetic position of the new species, we establish a new subgenus, Foveoandrena, provide a detailed morphological description, and discuss the antiquity and historical biogeography of the lineage in light of molecular divergence time estimates. Lastly, we study and document the foraging behavior of the new species with photos and video footage, and discuss the species' unusual host plant associations with Chamaesaracha and Quincula, both Solanaceae. Being likely oligolectic on these plants, we present the first documented case of an Andrena species being narrowly associated with members of this plant family. By integrating multiple lines of documentation, our study provides a particularly detailed account of species discovery and description.

The foraging behavior of gerbils reveals the ecological significance of crude oil pollution.

Despite extensive ecotoxicological evidence on the adverse effects of oil pollution on rodents, little is known about how rodents make decisions in oil-polluted environments (i.e., outside of lab settings). We investigated the foraging behavior of Allenby gerbils, Gerbillus andersoni allenbyi (GA), that were presented with feeding trays in a semi-natural environment. The trays contained seeds mixed into one of three types of soils - clean soil, and two different soil samples collected from two well-documented terrestrial oil spill sites in Israel. The oil spill disasters occurred in 1975 and 2014 and the spill sites are located within a few hundred meters of each other, in the 'Avrona Nature Reserve in the Arava hyper-arid region in Israel. Gerbils of both sexes avoided foraging in 2014-polluted soil, but surprisingly, they foraged more in 1975-polluted soil. Our results indicate that for the GA, the 1975-polluted soil is an advantageous substrate to forage on, probably because its texture facilitates more efficient foraging, leading to greater energetic gain, and creating a trade-off between energetic gain and perceived foraging cost due to its pollution. We also proceeded to investigate some physiological consequences of chronic exposure to the 2014-polluted soil in the laboratory. Chronic oil exposure did not lead to mortality or weight loss, but female gerbils exhibited heightened cortisol. We conclude that terrestrial oil pollution may have significant sublethal impacts on animal behavior, even when there is no obvious short-term physiological cost to the exposure.

The behavior patterns of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) housed across 18 US zoos.

Interpreting animal behavior in the context of welfare can be inherently challenging given the limited behavior data available for many species housed in zoos. Describing common behavior patterns may help animal managers by providing additional background when assessing the individuals in their care. Although valuable, these efforts require a large, collaborative approach and have, consequently, been rare. Here, we share the behavior patterns of zoo-housed giraffes, an iconic and commonly housed megafauna in zoos. Behavior data were evaluated for 66 giraffes living across 18 AZA-accredited zoos using the ZooMonitor Community platform. Data were recorded during 10-minute observation sessions. Observations were conducted during daytime hours over the course of approximately one year at each zoo (mean total observed time per individual = 23.2 hr). The most common behaviors observed were feeding/ foraging behaviors, which accounted for 38.6% of the mean visible time budget across giraffes. Time spent in these behaviors varied by individual and ranged from 14.3% to 69.3% of visible time. Stereotypic behaviors occurred in all study individuals, with oral stereotypic behaviors being most common. Although prevalent, stereotypic behaviors varied considerably across giraffes, with some individuals exhibiting these behaviors only on a few occasions to an individual that exhibited these behaviors once every few minutes. This study provides a robust evaluation of giraffe behavior across zoos to present a picture of their common behavior patterns in managed care. We hope these multi-institutional behavior patterns can provide perspective to aid animal managers in evaluating giraffes in their care.

The repatriation of wolves to Isle Royale alters the foraging of meso-carnivores

Abstract Due to the disproportionate role that large carnivores can have on communities and their global decline over the last century, carnivores are increasingly being repatriated across their historic ranges. The reintroduction of gray wolves (Canis lupus) can precipitate substantive changes to communities and ecosystems. Notably, wolves could have strong effects on smaller and subordinate carnivores, especially in altering their foraging behavior and prey selection. Past studies investigating wolf effects on other carnivores, however, have generally been conducted in relatively complex communities featuring a diverse assemblage of carnivores and prey and have lacked baseline (i.e., pre-repatriation) data. Consequently, researchers have quantified what a community looks like after wolf return, with little information on how the community behaved before. To better understand the effect of large carnivore repatriation on the foraging ecology of a carnivore community, we investigated the impact of reintroduced gray wolves on 2 meso-carnivores: Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes); and American Marten (Martes americana) within an insular and simple vertebrate community at Isle Royale National Park before and after wolf reintroduction. We analyzed >600 scats from 20 individual martens and 63 individual foxes as well as the stable isotopes of 9 and 22 tissue samples from martens and foxes, respectively, at both individual and population levels. We found that the wolf reintroduction had little effect on marten diet but strongly influenced fox diet depending on the analysis conducted. At the population level, our analysis revealed that both foxes and martens were dietary generalists consuming an array of food items including small prey, berries, and human food regardless of wolf presence. However, at the individual level, we found that prior to wolf repatriation foxes primarily consumed berries and small prey but following wolf repatriation the diet of foxes shifted to berries and human foods as well as large carrion. This post-wolf reintroduction shift in diet increased the dietary overlap between foxes and martens. Our work provides new insights into how the return of a large carnivore can alter the foraging ecology of small-bodied carnivores and act both to provision carrion resources as well drive other carnivores to consume more human food and increase dietary overlap.

Social interactions and movement patterns of rangeland-raised beef cows and their calves

Understanding the spatial and temporal relationships between beef calves and their dams is crucial for effective rangeland management. This study investigated these dynamics on semiarid rangeland using GPS collars fitted on cow-calf pairs. Data were collected on 46 crossbred cows and 34 calves grazing two adjacent 219 and 146 ha pastures. The primary objective was to determine the proximity of calves to their dams and other adult cows at different calf ages (1, 2 and 4 mos.). Over a 24 h period, calves spent on average 10.5 and 17.5 h within 5 or 10 m of an adult cow, respectively, and spent 2.6, 5.6 and 2.3 h within 5 m of their dams, other adult cows and a guard cow (cow other than the dam that spent the most time in the proximity of a calf), respectively. Calves spent more time within 5 or 10 m of an adult cow during night vs. daytime hours and spent detectably (P < 0.05) more time within 5 or 10 m of other adult cows vs. their dam (5.6 vs. 2.6 or 10.3 vs. 3.5 h). Calves spent a similar (P > 0.05) amount of time within 5 or 10 m of their dam vs. the guard cow (2.6 vs. 2.3 or 3.5 vs. 3.7 h) regardless of age during both day and nighttime hours. In general, calves spent more time within 5 and 10 m of an adult cow at 2 vs. 1 or 4 mos. of age. Greater mother-offspring clustering occurred at 2 vs. 1 or 4 mos. of age regardless of the spatial threshold considered. Regardless of calf age, calves and nursing cows traveled on average 4.5 and 6.7 km/day, respectively. Calves at 4 mo of age traveled farther than younger calves. Nursing cows traveled farther when calves were 4 mo. vs. 1 or 2 mos. of age and tended to travel farther when calves were 1 vs. 2 mos. old. Calves spent more time close to other nursing cows vs. their dam. These findings suggest that while dams play a crucial role in calf development, other nursing cows may also influence their foraging behaviors. Further research is needed to fully understand the dynamics of these relationships and their implications for rangeland management, such as optimizing grazing strategies and improving calf health and productivity.

Public information use—are invasive demersal fish species more effective than natives?

Abstract Organisms determine environmental quality using their senses and personal experience (personal information) but can also use byproducts of other individuals’ activities (i.e. public information). The ability to use public information originating from both con- and heterospecifics gives an advantage over individuals relying only on personal information or conspecific cues. The role of public information in invasion ecology is of high concern, as any differences in this aspect between alien and native species may determine the success of the former. Here, we studied 2 pairs of sympatric invasive and native demersal fish species (racer goby Babka gymnotrachelus/European bullhead Cottus gobio; monkey goby Neogobius fluviatilis/gudgeon Gobio gobio) facing 2 types of public cues (associated with antipredatory and foraging behavior). We used them as a model to check if the invaders could use public information from more sources than the natives. Both invaders and the native gudgeon used cues from con- and heterospecifics, exhibiting antipredatory behavior, while the native bullhead failed to recognize such cues from heterospecifics. The monkey goby and both native species were attracted to foraging cues from donors less likely to exert competitive pressure on the observer (i.e. native species rather than potentially more aggressive invaders). On the other hand, the racer goby appeared unable to correctly recognize heterospecific foraging cues. Our results showed that public cues can enable invaders to read threat from a wide range of individuals and to find optimal food patches, which may contribute to their invasion success.

Nest raiding by bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) and the response of nest guarding birds in a suburban habitat.

In many primate species, nest raiding is a form of opportunistic foraging behavior designed to acquire protein-rich eggs and nestlings. In urban environments, this is a significant cause of nest failure in birds. Here, we describe nest raiding and egg predation in bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) inhabiting a suburban area of Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. During nest raiding, large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) and house crows (Corvus splendens), actively defended their nest from the macaques. When several macaque foragers jointly raided the nest, they were successful in obtaining and consuming the eggs. In contrast, when a solitary macaque attempted to raid the nest, it was unsuccessful. Bird size appeared to play an important role in nest defense. Small birds, such as the scaly breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata) and the purple sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) were not able to protect their nests from lone bonnet macaques. These observations indicate that in urban landscapes, bonnet macaques are egg predators of many bird species. When macaques coordinate their actions and forage in small subgroups, they were more successful in preying on the eggs of larger-bodied bird species.

The use of visual and olfactory cues by adult Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) while foraging.

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a notorious invasive insect pest. It is very important to understand the foraging behavior of this pest to develop more effective lures to monitor the immigration of this pest. In this study, the use of visual and olfactory cues in the foraging behavior of S. frugiperda was investigated through an attraction experiment in which color (produced from 8 different colored artificial flowers), odor (produced from honey water), and odorous color (produced from artificial flowers supplemented with honey water) were used. When we used 8 different colors to elicit adult responses, S. frugiperda showed a significant color preference despite limited activity (i.e., the total number of visits to the attractant), with black being the most preferred color, followed by orange preferred by both sexes and blue and green preferred only by females. When honey water was used as an attractant, S. frugiperda had relatively greater odor activity than color activity. When we sprayed the artificial flowers with honey, S. frugiperda showed even greater activity in terms of odor color than in terms of color or odor. Compared with male S. frugiperda, female adult S. frugiperda presented greater activity in response to all types of attractants. These findings suggest that S. frugiperda adults rely primarily on olfaction for foraging, with vision as a secondary sense, and that the combined use of olfactory and visual cues increases foraging efficiency. These results provide reference data for designing trapping strategies to monitor and control S. frugiperda.

Cicada nymph trace fossils from South American Maastrichtian paleosols

The Cretaceous was a pivotal Period in the evolution of major insect groups, including cicadas. Insect diversification led to an increased complexity in the paleosol ichnofabrics due to the emergence of chambers associated with reproductive and feeding behaviors. Therefore, any new record of trace fossils attributed to cicadas from the Cretaceous period represent a significant advancement in understanding the diversification of this group and the emergence of insect feeding chambers, throughout the geological record. This work describes the record of the ichnogenus Feoichnus attributed to feeding chambers of cicada nymphs (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Maastrichtian paleosols developed in floodplain deposits of The Marília Formation (Bauru Basin, Brazil). The described Feoichnus chambers are elongated, hemispherical, and upwardly concave, with a lining covering the inner surface of the wall. The inner surface exhibits thin, irregular ridges and grooves, likely associated with fine roots. Feoichnus occurs in association with Beaconites antarcticus and root traces found within the feeding chamber, it could be indicating the movement of the trace maker and the feeding chamber from one root to another. These characteristics indicate the xylem-feeding behavior of Feoichnus trace maker in accordance with extant cicada nymph ecology. The presence of Beaconites antarcticus associated with Feoichnus and rhizoliths probably represents the foraging behavior of cicada nymphs and the displacement of feeding chambers in well-drained, rooted soils. Therefore, the cicada nymph could be the trace maker of both traces representing feeding and locomotion behavior. This contribution expands the knowledge about plant–insect interactions and insect groups that compose the Cretaceous paleosols ichnofabrics from South America.

Foraging behaviour and pollinator dynamics in lucerne crop of the Bundelkhand region: Implications for crop management in the subtropics

Abstract Pollination stands out as the paramount ecosystem service facilitated by insect pollinators, providing benefits to over three quarters of the world’s major crops. The conservation and effective management of honeybees constitute integral components for ensuring the sustainable productivity of cross-pollinated crops. The present study aimed to document the potential pollinators of lucerne in the Bundelkhand region in India, which is known for its subtropical climatic conditions. Further, the foraging behaviour, including foraging rate and speed, was meticulously documented. A total of 13 insect species from seven families across three insect orders were observed visiting lucerne flowers. Hymenopterans comprised the majority of the floral visitors (73.48%), followed by Lepidoptera (26.51%) during the study period. Among them, Apis dorsata (Hymenoptera: Apidae) emerged as the most predominant floral visitor, exhibiting peak activity at 12:00 h with a density of 7.85 bees/m2/10 min. Surprisingly, among the major floral visitors, A. florea has the highest mean foraging rate (number of flowers visited/minute/forager), i.e., 11.56, 11.59 and 10.79 bees/flowers/minute during the initial flowering stage, peak flowering stage and late flowering stage, respectively. However, the foraging speed (time spent by the forager on each flower) was longest in A. dorsata, i.e., 5.05, 3.78 and 5.41 s/flower during initial, peak and late flowering stages, respectively. The findings emphasize the importance of enhancing honeybee activity to boost lucerne seed yield. Further, the outcomes of the study can be leveraged to optimize honeybee colony management, scheduling field operations such as pesticide application and weeding during periods of minimal honeybee activity.

Solving large-scale instances of the urban transit routing problem with a parallel artificial bee colony-hill climbing optimization algorithm

Swarm Intelligence simulates the collective behavior of decentralized and self-organized swarms. One of the main relevant methods is the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm which simulates the foraging behavior of bee swarms in a colony to produce efficient solutions to various problems. The Urban Transit Routing Problem (UTRP) involves finding an efficient set of routes in a transit network to satisfy travel demand subject to operational and budget constraints. It is a complex, NP-Hard problem, in which otherwise correct solutions can be rejected because of impracticability. In this study, a hybrid algorithm consisting of a parallel ABC and Hill Climbing was used to find quality solutions to the UTRP. Thorough comparative results on Mandl’s well-known instance and Mumford’s large-scale instances demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing techniques, achieving high levels of direct trip coverage in small computational times. Remarkably, when applied to the most extensive benchmark comprising over 6 million trips and 60 bus routes, the proposed algorithm demonstrates an impressive 11 % enhancement in direct coverage over the previously best-reported results, allowing the design of real-world bus networks in under 3 hours.

Design of an Improved Model for Spectrum Sharing and Resource Management Using Deep Q-Network, Federated Averaging, and Ant Colony Optimization

Indeed, the ever-evolving wireless communication requires DSS and resource management for effectiveness. The old methods of spectrum allocation have a strategic shortfall since they are static and thus not adapted to real-time network conditions. Besides, more important challenges include issues over privacy and inefficiency of resource utilization. In the light of such problems, this paper proposes a new method by bringing together three deep-learning techniques, which are Deep Q-Networks, Federated Averaging, and Ant Colony Optimisation. Each is chosen because of its various competencies and complementary capabilities. First, DQN is chosen because it has the capability to handle high-dimensional action space. DQN applies deep learning to approximate the Q Value function, which provides the optimal decision of spectrum allocation based on real-time network states, such as spectrum usage and interference levels. With this scheme, up to a 20% gain in network throughput and up to a 15% cut in wasted spectrum compared to traditional methods are achievable. The second component FedAvg tackles the model training collaboration issue with privacy. It enables FedAvg for privacy-preserving resource management, where multiple devices update the global model collaboratively by communicating model updates without exchanging raw data samples. For this approach, the resulting method leads to a further increase in data privacy by reducing data leakage as high as 40%, with an improvement in resource management accuracy of up to 15%. ACO was employed to optimize resource allocation and improve spectrum efficiency. ACO emulates the natural foraging behavior of ants to solve combinatorial optimization problems. Consequently, it has led to up to 25% increase in spectral efficiency and up to 20% improvement in resource allocation balance sets. All these methods put together will provide a wholesome solution that not only optimizes spectrum and resource management but also promises privacy and adaptability. This represents severe improvement in overcoming the weaknesses of the existing approaches and will provide a strong foundation for next-generation wireless networks.

Adult dietary experience influences mortality of the pest melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae), to an ingested toxin

AbstractIngested toxins formulated as baits can be effective in the management of insect pests, but their efficacy may be influenced by insect foraging alongside active ingredients. There are several components that might influence insect consumption of toxic baits, one of which being prior nutritional exposure. In our study, we investigated how protein deprivation following adult emergence influences lethal and sublethal effects of boric acid on the pest tephritid melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae. We performed a series of experiments to address the impact of prior diet on mortality, diet consumption, enzymes involved in detoxification and antioxidation and fly activity. Newly emerged melon fly adults were provided either diet containing 3:1 sucrose/yeast hyrdrolysate or just sucrose for three days prior to bioassays. Overall, protein deprivation had a strong effect on fly interactions with boric acid. In two separate experiments (continuous exposure and short duration feeding), insects only pre‐fed sucrose had significantly higher mortality compared with those pre‐fed protein. Insects that were pre‐fed only sucrose removed more liquid diet over the same duration of the experiments, suggesting compensatory foraging behaviours. Adults pre‐fed sucrose had higher catalase (1.5×) and superoxide dismutase (1.7×) activities compared with adults pre‐fed sucrose‐yeast, but we found no effect of boric acid on their activity or that of glutathione‐S‐transferase or acetylcholinesterase activity. Boric acid consumption also significantly reduced the activity of melon flies. Overall, our results demonstrate that prior diet in fly adulthood can impact subsequent exposure to and efficacy of ingested toxicants.

Foraging bee species differentially prioritize quantity and quality of floral rewards.

Pollinator-plant interactions represent a core mutualism that underpins biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems, and the loss of flowering plants is a major driver of pollinator declines. Bee attraction to flowers is mediated by both quantity of resources (the number of available flowers for exploration) and quality of resources (pollen nutritional value), but whether and how bees prioritize these factors is not well understood. Here, we leveraged a unique plant system to investigate the floral factors influencing bee foraging decisions. Recombinant inbred plant lines were generated by crossing the self-fertilizing Capsella rubella and the pollinator-dependent outcrosser C. grandiflora, to produce plants that varied across floral traits. Using enclosed arenas, we evaluated the foraging behavior of two solitary bee species, Osmia cornifrons and Megachile rotundata, to the isolated inflorescences from these lines. Visits from O. cornifrons were significantly positively correlated with the number of flowers, while M. rotundata visits were significantly positively associated with pollen nutrition, with a preference for plants with higher pollen protein-to-lipid content. Further experiments using artificial flowers confirmed that M. rotundata preferred flowers with higher protein:lipid ratios, while O. cornifrons visits were unaffected by nutrition. These studies demonstrate that, although both bee species collect pollen as their sole source of protein and lipids for themselves and/or their offspring, they differentially prioritize resource quantity (number of flowers) and quality (pollen nutritional content). These studies lay the groundwork for understanding how different foraging strategies evolved, and influence, plant-pollinator ecological networks.

Artificial light at night alters foraging behavior of freshwater amphipods depending on the light spectrum and the presence of predation cues

Abstract Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a common anthropogenic disturbance, which alters animal behavior. However, little is known about the impact of the spectral composition of ALAN and co-occurring predation risk on the behavior of aquatic organisms. We experimentally investigated how ALAN of different spectra (cool white LED and HPS light) affects the behavior and foraging of Gammarus jazdzewskii (Amphipoda) on chironomid prey, both as a single stressor and in combination with an olfactory predation cue. Gammarids exposed to ALAN in the absence of predation cues consumed less, compared with darkness, mainly due to their lower activity. Moreover, gammarids showed a stronger response to LED light, spending more time in the shelter and increasing prey handling time in this treatment. The addition of predation cues did not enhance the negative impact of ALAN on the foraging success. Gammarids maintained similar consumption levels as in the ALAN treatment without predation cues and in darkness with predation cues. However, gammarids in LED light altered their behavior in response to predation threat: they decreased prey handling time and consumed prey faster, which may have compensated for the higher food demand in stressful conditions. They also tended to exhibit risky behavior, leaving the shelter and moving towards the lit area, presumably to escape and avoid the combined effects of light and predation cues. Therefore, when assessing the effects of ALAN on organisms, light quality and co-occurring biotic factors should be considered, as predator pressure is common in natural environments.