Low Prey Densities Research Articles

Lionfish cause increased mortality rates and drive local extirpation of native prey

As predators play a central role in prey population regulation, predicting the impact of a novel predator requires determining how the invader affects the compensatory dynamics that underlie native prey persistence. The Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans is an invasive meso- predator that voraciously consumes native coral-reef fishes of the tropical western Atlantic and Caribbean. The fairy basslet Gramma loreto is a common prey of lionfish, and pre-invasion research has demonstrated that basslet populations undergo regulating density-dependent mor- tality due to predation. To unequivocally measure lionfish effects on prey mortality and to test whether prey survival remained density-dependent when exposed to predation by the invader, a controlled field experiment was conducted wherein both fairy basslet settlement density and lion- fish presence were manipulated by divers on natural coral reefs. On reefs with and without lion- fish, fairy basslet populations were repeatedly censused over the 28 d experimental period and mortality rates across a gradient of prey densities were quantified. Per capita loss of fairy basslet was density-dependent on reefs with and without introduced lionfish; however, the magnitude of this loss was significantly higher on reefs with the invader present. High mortality rates at low prey density resulted in local extinction of 2 of 14 fairy basslet populations exposed to the invader, a phenomenon observed only on lionfish reefs. Further, 9 out of 14 lionfish-exposed prey popula- tions showed loss rates of >50% compared with just 3 prey populations with such rates on native- only reefs.

Enhanced leaf nitrogen status stabilizes omnivore population density

Plant traits can mediate the strength of interactions between omnivorous predators and their prey through density effects and changes in the omnivores’ trophic behavior. In this study, we explored the established assumption that enhanced nutrient status in host plants strengthens the buffering effect of plant feeding for omnivorous predators, i.e., prevents rapid negative population growth during prey density decline and thereby increases and stabilizes omnivore population density. We analyzed 13 years of field data on population densities of a heteropteran omnivore on Salix cinerea stands, arranged along a measured leaf nitrogen gradient and found a 195 % increase in omnivore population density and a 63 % decrease in population variability with an increase in leaf nitrogen status from 26 to 40 mgN × g−1. We recreated the leaf nitrogen gradient in a greenhouse experiment and found, as expected, that increasing leaf nitrogen status enhanced omnivore performance but reduced per capita prey consumption. Feeding on high nitrogen status host plants can potentially decouple omnivore–prey population dynamics and allow omnivores to persist and function effectively at low prey densities to provide “background level” control of insect herbivores. This long-term effect is expected to outweigh the short-term effect on per capita prey consumption—resulting in a net increase in population predation rates with increasing leaf nitrogen status. Conservation biological control of insect pests that makes use of omnivore background control could, as a result, be manipulated via management of crop nitrogen status.

Vertical distribution of pigmented and non-pigmented nanoflagellates in the East China Sea

Nanoflagellates can be separated into two groups according to their trophic mode, i.e. pigmented nanoflagellates (PNF) and heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF). However, a newly identified group, mixotrophic nanoflagellates (MNF), are pigmented and show the ability of prey on bacteria. To examine the vertical variations in PNF and HNF abundances, as well as their relationships and the nutritional strategies that they might use, two summer cruises were undertaken in the East China Sea in July 2011 (OR1 966) and July 2012 (OR1 1004). The results show that both HNF and PNF abundances decline with increasing water depth. Vertical variations of abundances are believed to be influenced by prey and light, for HNF and PNF respectively. Over a large part of the sampling area, the ratio of PNF to HNF abundances is about 1:1 in the disphotic and euphotic zones, but exceeds 1.5 in the nutrient-depleted environment along the margin of the continental shelf. The correlation between PNF abundance and bacteria/Synechococcus abundance is positive where PNF/HNF >1.5. However, there is no significant correlation between PNF/HNF abundance when PNF/HNF >1.5 and light/nutrients, indicating that vertical distributions are influenced mainly by prey (bacteria and Synechococcus) in the nutrient-depleted environment. This study assumes that PNF consists mostly of MNF. In the euphotic zone they receive energy from photosynthesis, which is stimulated by the available nutrients from grazing. Their abundance is thus higher than that of HNF. However, in the disphotic zone, both PNF and HNF satisfy their nutrient demands by grazing, and PNF/HNF is close to 1. In other words, mixotrophy might be the main trophic mode for PNF in the nutrient-depleted, oligotrophic environment. Meanwhile, in deeper water (300m), the much lower prey density means that MNF cannot satisfy the basic energy demands of metabolism and photosynthesis, and thus HNF abundance exceeds that of PNF.

Fixed dose aluminum sulfate treatment to eradicate the salmon parasite Gyrodactylus salaris: effects on benthic macroinvertebrates

Gyrodactylus salaris is an ectoparasite invasive to Norway that is highly virulent to pre-smolt stages of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). To eliminate the parasite without killing the salmon host, aqueous aluminum sulfate and sulfuric acid (AlS treatment) have been applied to infested rivers for short durations. When the River Lærdalselva and its tributaries were treated in the summer of 2012, we studied communities of macroinvertebrates in a small stream that received AlS for 18 days. We monitored pH, inorganic aluminum (Ali) and collected quantitative samples of macroinvertebrates. Concentrations of inorganic aluminum (Ali) were generally in the range of 20–50 µg/L, but episodes up to 95 µg/L were recorded. Six of the fourteen recorded macroinvertebrate taxa were, to some degree, negatively affected by the treatment. The acid sensitive ephemeropterans Baetis subalpinus and Baetis rhodani were almost eliminated from the treated site (p < 0.001 for both compared to the untreated site). Halfway into the treatment, abundances of Baetis were approximately 15 individuals per m2 at the treated site. Densities of Baetis at the untreated site were above 250 individuals per m2 throughout the treatment. The plecopteran Isoperla grammatica, the trichopteran Rhyacophila nubila, and the dipterans Chironomidae and Simuliidae also responded to the treatment, but the effects were not as prominent as for Baetis. For R. nubila and I. grammatica, the decline in population sizes could be a behavioral response related to lower prey densities (Baetis, Simuliidae, and Chironomidae). The reduction of Baetis led to a prominent reduction in the number of grazers and scrapers and gatherers/collectors (p = 0.004 for both groups). No such responses were found for the other feeding groups. Significant reductions in populations of Baetis can affect ecosystem functioning and, thereby, have implications for pre-smolt survival following AlS treatments.

Global dynamics of a prey-predator model with Allee effect and additional food for the predators

Provision of additional/alternative food to the predators for controlling predator-prey dynamics has been receiving considerable attention from theoretical as well as experimental biologists. This is due to environment friendly role played by the additional food in controlling and managing the interacting population. Theoretical investigations done on additional food provided predator-prey models reveal that provision of additional food to predators has a significant role to play in enhancement of commercially important predator species and also in reduction of prey population. The quality and quantity of the additional food provided to predators play vital role in shaping the dynamics of the interacting system. So far as our knowledge goes, all theoretical investigations carried out in this direction assume logistic growth for the prey species. In reality, the per capita growth rate of the prey population is often an increasing function at low prey density. Incorporation of this realistic growth rate induces Allee effect into the dynamics of the prey species. In this paper, we consider an additional food provided predator-prey model wherein the prey population is subjected to Allee effect. The model includes both strong and weak Allee effects. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the considered model that highlights the influence of Allee effect in prey and additional food for the predators on the system dynamics.

Does Mutual Interference Affect the Feeding Rate of Aphidophagous Coccinellids? A Modeling Perspective.

Mutual interference involves direct interactions between individuals of the same species that may alter their foraging success. Larvae of aphidophagous coccinellids typically stay within a patch during their lifetime, displaying remarkable aggregation to their prey. Thus, as larvae are exposed to each other, frequent encounters may affect their foraging success. A study was initiated in order to determine the effect of mutual interference in the coccinellids’ feeding rate. One to four 4th larval instars of the fourteen-spotted ladybird beetle Propylea quatuordecimpunctata were exposed for 6 hours into plastic containers with different densities of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae, on potted Vicia faba plants. The data were used to fit a purely prey-dependent Holling type II model and its alternatives which account for interference competition and have thus far been underutilized, i.e. the Beddington-DeAngelis, the Crowley-Martin and a modified Hassell-Varley model. The Crowley-Martin mechanistic model appeared to be slightly better among the competing models. The results showed that although the feeding rate became approximately independent of predator density at high prey density, some predator dependence in the coccinellid’s functional response was observed at the low prey—high predator density combination. It appears that at low prey densities, digestion breaks are negligible so that the predators do waste time interfering with each other, whereas at high prey densities time loss during digestion breaks may fully accommodate the cost of interference, so that the time cost may be negligible.

Revisiting the Stability of Spatially Heterogeneous Predator-Prey Systems Under Eutrophication.

We employ partial integro-differential equations to model trophic interaction in a spatially extended heterogeneous environment. Compared to classical reaction-diffusion models, this framework allows us to more realistically describe the situation where movement of individuals occurs on a faster time scale than on the demographic (population) time scale, and we cannot determine population growth based on local density. However, most of the results reported so far for such systems have only been verified numerically and for a particular choice of model functions, which obviously casts doubts about these findings. In this paper, we analyse a class of integro-differential predator-prey models with a highly mobile predator in a heterogeneous environment, and we reveal the main factors stabilizing such systems. In particular, we explore an ecologically relevant case of interactions in a highly eutrophic environment, where the prey carrying capacity can be formally set to 'infinity'. We investigate two main scenarios: (1) the spatial gradient of the growth rate is due to abiotic factors only, and (2) the local growth rate depends on the global density distribution across the environment (e.g. due to non-local self-shading). For an arbitrary spatial gradient of the prey growth rate, we analytically investigate the possibility of the predator-prey equilibrium in such systems and we explore the conditions of stability of this equilibrium. In particular, we demonstrate that for a Holling type I (linear) functional response, the predator can stabilize the system at low prey density even for an 'unlimited' carrying capacity. We conclude that the interplay between spatial heterogeneity in the prey growth and fast displacement of the predator across the habitat works as an efficient stabilizing mechanism. These results highlight the generality of the stabilization mechanisms we find in spatially structured predator-prey ecological systems in a heterogeneous environment.

Population dynamics of Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) in Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik: 1966-2012.

In 2010, the world's tiger (Panthera tigris) range countries agreed to the goal of doubling tiger numbers over 12 years, but whether such an increase is biologically feasible has not been assessed. Long-term monitoring of tigers in Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik (SABZ), Russia provided an opportunity to determine growth rates of a recovering population. A 41-year growth phase was followed by a rapid decline in tiger numbers. Annual growth rates during the growth phase averaged 4.6%, beginning near 10% in the earliest years but quickly dropping below 5%. Sex ratio (females per male) mirrored growth rates, declining as population size increased. The rapid decline from 2009 to 2012 appeared to be tied to multiple factors, including poaching, severe winters and disease. Reproductive indicators of this population are similar to those of Bengal tiger populations, suggesting that growth rates may be similar. These results suggest that, first, tiger populations likely in general grow slowly: 3-5% yearly increases are realistic and larger growth rates are likely only when populations are highly depressed, mortality rates are low and prey populations are high relative to numbers of adult females. Second, while more research is needed, it should not be assumed that tiger populations with high prey densities will necessarily grow more quickly than populations with low prey densities. Third, while growth is slow, decline can be rapid. Fourth, because declines can happen so quickly, there is a constant need to monitor populations and be ready to respond with appropriate and timely conservation interventions if tiger populations are to remain secure. Finally, an average annual growth rate across all tiger populations of 6%, required to reach the Global Tiger Initiative's goal of doubling tiger numbers in 12 years, is a noble but unlikely scenario.

Low prey abundance leads to less efficient foraging behavior in Steller sea lions

Breath-hold divers should adjust their dive behaviors to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of foraging on prey patches of different densities at different depths. However, few studies have quantified how animals respond to changes in prey availability (depth and density), and how this affects their foraging efficiency. We tested the effects of changes in prey availability on the foraging behavior and efficiency of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) by measuring diving metabolic rate, dive durations, and food intake of 4 trained sea lions diving in the open ocean on controlled prey patches of different densities at different depths. Sea lions completed bouts of 5 consecutive dives on high- or low-density prey patches at two depths (10m and 40m). We found that the rate of energy expenditure did not change under any of the imposed foraging conditions (mean±SD: 0.22±0.02kJmin−1kg−1), but that the proportion of time spent consuming prey increased with prey patch density due to changes in diving patterns. At both depths, sea lions spent a greater proportion of the dive bout foraging on prey patches with high prey density, which led to high rates of energy gain (4.3±0.96kJmin−1kg−1) and high foraging efficiency (cost:benefit was 1:20). In contrast, the sea lions spent a smaller proportion of their dive bout actively feeding on prey patches with low prey density, and consequently had a lower energetic gain (0.91±0.29kJmin−1kg−1) and foraging efficiency (1:4). The 5-fold differences in foraging efficiency between the two types of prey patches were greater than the 3-fold differences that we expected based on differences in food availability. Our results suggest that sea lions faced with reduced prey availability forage less efficiently and therefore would have greater difficulty obtaining their daily energy requirements.

Functional response curves of avian molluscivores: high intake rates maintained even at low prey density

Functional response curves of avian molluscivores: high intake rates maintained even at low prey density

Intraguild Predation in Heteroptera: Effects of Density and Predator Identity on Dipteran Prey.

In tropical freshwaters, different species of water bugs (Heteroptera) constitute a guild sharing similar prey resources including chironomid and mosquito larvae. Assuming possibilities of intraguild predation (IGP) among the constituent members, an attempt was made to evaluate the effects of prey and predator density on the mortality of mosquito and chironomid larvae (shared prey), using Laccotrephes griseus Guérin-Méneville (Hemiptera: Nepidae) and Ranatra filiformis Fabricius (Hemiptera: Nepidae) as IG predators and Anisops bouvieri Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) as IG prey. The predation on mosquito and chironomid larvae varied with the density and combinations of the predators. When present as conspecific IG predators, L. griseus exhibited greater effect on the prey mortality than R. filiformis. The effects on shared prey suggest that the two predators are not substitutable in terms of the effect on the shared prey mortality. The mortality of A. bouvieri (IG prey) at low shared prey density was significantly different (p < 0.05) from high shared prey density. In view of predatory effect of the heteropteran predators on the dipteran larvae, the results suggest possible interference by the presence of A. bouvieri as an intermediate predator. It seems that the presence of heteropteran predators including A. bouvieri as IG prey may benefit the dipteran prey under situations when the density is low in tropical waters. The intensity of the predatory effect may differ based on the species composition at IG predator level. For mosquito biological control, the interactions between the predators may not be substitutable and are independent in their effects.

Conspecific density modulates the effect of predation on dispersal rates.

Dispersal decisions underlie the spatial dynamics of metacommunities. Prey individuals may disperse to reduce the risk of either predation or starvation, and both of these risks may depend on conspecific density. Surprisingly, there is little theory examining how dispersal rates should change in response to the combined effects of predation and changes in conspecific density. We develop such a model and show that, under certain conditions, predators may induce dispersal at low prey densities but not high prey densities. We then experimentally manipulate the density of the ciliate Paramecium aurelia and the perceived presence of its predator, the flatworm Stenostomum virginiamum, in a two-patch metacommunity to parameterise the model. Paramecium dispersed in response to Stenostomum at low densities, but they reduced their dispersal in response to predation risk at high predator densities. By applying our model to the empirical data, we show that this switch in dispersal strategy, linked to increases in prey density, occurred because predators increased the difficulty or risk of dispersal. Together, the model and experiment reveal that the effects of predators on dispersal are contingent on prey density. Previous studies have sometimes reported an increase in dispersal rate when predation risk is elevated, and other times a decrease in dispersal rate. Our demonstration of a switch point, with predation risk increasing dispersal at low prey densities but reducing dispersal above a threshold of prey density, may reconcile the diversity of prey dispersal behaviours reported in these previous investigations and observed in nature.

To kill, stay or flee: the effects of lions and landscape factors on habitat and kill site selection of cheetahs in South Africa.

Understanding how animals utilize available space is important for their conservation, as it provides insight into the ecological needs of the species, including those related to habitat, prey and inter and intraspecific interactions. We used 28 months of radio telemetry data and information from 200 kill locations to assess habitat selection at the 3rd order (selection of habitats within home ranges) and 4th order (selection of kill sites within the habitats used) of a reintroduced population of cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus in Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa. Along with landscape characteristics, we investigated if lion Panthera leo presence affected habitat selection of cheetahs. Our results indicated that cheetah habitat selection was driven by a trade-off between resource acquisition and lion avoidance, and the balance of this trade-off varied with scale: more open habitats with high prey densities were positively selected within home ranges, whereas more closed habitats with low prey densities were positively selected for kill sites. We also showed that habitat selection, feeding ecology, and avoidance of lions differed depending on the sex and reproductive status of cheetahs. The results highlight the importance of scale when investigating a species’ habitat selection. We conclude that the adaptability of cheetahs, together with the habitat heterogeneity found within Phinda, explained their success in this small fenced reserve. The results provide information for the conservation and management of this threatened species, especially with regards to reintroduction efforts in South Africa.

Effects of breeding habitat and field margins on the reproductive performance of Skylarks (Alauda arvensis) on intensive farmland

Field margin management is a common measure employed in Europe to support farmland bird populations. In this study we found and analysed 237 nests of the Skylark Alauda arvensis in the Netherlands over a period of 6 years to determine the effects of arable field margins and breeding crop on nest-level reproductive success. Additionally, the effect of field margins on predation was investigated and food availability in crops and field margins was compared. Neither clutch size, nest survival nor nestling body weight were improved by field margin availability, irrespective of the breeding crop used. However, the choice of breeding crop had important effects. Nestling weight was significantly lower in cereals than in grassland and lucerne, corresponding with the low prey densities present in cereals. Nest survival was lowest in grassland due to frequent silage cutting. Predation rates were highest in cereals but were not affected by field margin proximity. The highest reproductive success was achieved in lucerne, which was mown twice a year and retained a suitable height for breeding throughout the breeding season. We conclude that field margins are not sufficient to maintain a Skylark population in this intensively farmed area. The presumably more subtle effects of increased food availability cannot compensate for the high nest failure rates resulting from agricultural operations and predation. In this and similar areas, the provisioning of safe nesting habitat throughout the breeding season is essential to improve breeding performance. Our research suggests that this can be achieved by reducing the frequency of silage cutting on grassland and by increasing the surface area of lucerne.

Eco-evolutionary experience in novel species interactions.

A better understanding of how ecological novelty influences interactions in new combinations of species is key for predicting interaction outcomes, and can help focus conservation and management efforts on preventing the introduction of novel organisms or species (including invasive species, GMOs, synthetic organisms, resurrected species and emerging pathogens) that seem particularly 'risky' for resident species. Here, we consider the implications of different degrees of eco-evolutionary experience of interacting resident and non-resident species, define four qualitative risk categories for estimating the probability of successful establishment and impact of novel species and discuss how the effects of novelty change over time. Focusing then on novel predator-prey interactions, we argue that novelty entails density-dependent advantages for non-resident species, with their largest effects often being at low prey densities. This is illustrated by a comparison of predator functional responses and prey predation risk curves between novel species and ecologically similar resident species, and raises important issues for the conservation of endangered resident prey species.

Effects of bottom trawling on fish foraging and feeding

The effects of bottom trawling on benthic invertebrates include reductions of biomass, diversity and body size. These changes may negatively affect prey availability for demersal fishes, potentially leading to reduced food intake, body condition and yield of fishes in chronically trawled areas. Here, the effect of trawling on the prey availability and diet of two commercially important flatfish species, plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) and dab (Limanda limanda), was investigated over a trawling intensity gradient in the Irish Sea. Previous work in this area has shown that trawling negatively affects the condition of plaice but not of dab. This study showed that reductions in local prey availability did not result in reduced feeding of fish. As trawling frequency increased, both fish and prey biomass declined, such that the ratio of fish to prey remained unchanged. Consequently, even at frequently trawled sites with low prey biomass, both plaice and dab maintained constant levels of stomach fullness and gut energy contents. However, dietary shifts in plaice towards energy-poor prey items were evident when prey species were analysed individually. This, together with a potential decrease in foraging efficiency due to low prey densities, was seen as the most plausible cause for the reduced body condition observed. Understanding the relationship between trawling, benthic impacts, fish foraging and resultant body condition is an important step in designing successful mitigation measures for future management strategies in bottom trawl fisheries.

Typhlodromalus aripo De Leon (Acari: Phytoseiidae) development and reproduction on major cassava pests at different temperatures and humidities: an indication of enhanced mite resilience

Both prey type and abiotic conditions limit performance of phytoseiid predators. The exotic predatory mite, Typhlodromalus aripo developed and reproduced when maintained on eggs and active stages of the cassava green mite (CGM) Mononychellus progresivus at three different temperatures. At the highest temperature of 33 °C and the lowest at 12 °C, mite survival was less than 15 % over a period of ten days with low fecundity. At 12 °C, immatures took longer to reach maturity, while at 33 °C high mortality (>80 %) occurred. The best performance was recorded at 27 °C and 75 % relative humidity. Typhlodromalus aripo was also able to feed, develop and reproduce on the crawlers’ stage of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci and the nymphal stage of the mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti, though a low survival rate (<10 %) was observed for the stages of protonymph, deutonymph and adults. Normal life stage development and egg hatchability were recorded at 27 °C and 75 % RH. The egg stage exhibited high drought tolerance (70 % hatching at 40 % RH). Typhlodromalus aripo females consumed less than 3 crawlers and produced less than one egg/day when fed with B. tabaci and P. manihoti at 75 % RH. The study indicated that for successful utilization of T. aripo in the biological control of CGM, it would be important to introduce the predator at low prey density whether in absence or presence of alternative prey on cassava. In conclusion, results revealed T. aripo to have drought resilient survival attributes which enhances this phytoseiid as an effective biological control agent.

Predator‐free space, functional responses and biological invasions

SummaryPredator–prey interactions are mediated by the structural complexity of habitats, but disentangling the many facets of structure that contribute to this mediation remains elusive. In a world replete with altered landscapes and biological invasions, determining how structure mediates the interactions between predators and novel prey will contribute to our understanding of invasions and predator–prey dynamics in general.Here, using simplified experimental arenas, we manipulate predator‐free space, whilst holding surface area and volume constant, to quantify the effects on predator–prey interactions between two resident gammarid predators and an invasive prey, the Ponto‐Caspian corophiidChelicorophium curvispinum.Systematically increasing predator‐free space alters the functional responses (the relationship between prey density and consumption rate) of the amphipod predators by reducing attack rates and lengthening handling times. Crucially, functional response shape also changes subtly from destabilizingTypeIItowards stabilizingTypeIII, such that small increases in predator‐free space to result in significant reductions in prey consumption at low prey densities.Habitats with superficially similar structural complexity can have considerably divergent consequences for prey population stability in general and, particularly, for invasive prey establishing at low densities in novel habitats.

Predation rate and numerical response of Aphidoletes aphidimyza feeding on different densities of Aphis craccivora

Predation rate and numerical response are basic to any investigation of predator–prey relationships and key components in the selection of predators for biological control. The density-dependent predation rate and numerical response of Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Rondani) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) to varying densities (5, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80) of third-instar Aphis craccivora (Koch) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), were studied in laboratory conditions [23±1°C, 70 ± 5% relative humidity (RH), and a photoperiod of 16:8 h L:D. Predation rate data were analysed using the age-stage, two-sex consumption rate software. Net consumption rate (C0) increased by increasing prey density. The lowest and highest net consumption rates were 20.75 and 190.8 prey nymphs at densities of 5 and 80 A. craccivora. The transformation rate from prey population to predator offspring (Qp) increased by increasing prey density. The reproductive numerical response, in terms of eggs laid, increased curvilinearly with increasing prey density. Females laid 121.375 ± 4.301 eggs when exposed to the highest prey density (80) and 52.5 ± 1.544 eggs at lowest prey density (5). It can be concluded that different densities of A. craccivora influenced the reproductive performance of A. aphidimyza in terms of predation rate and numerical response.

Numerical and functional responses of forest bats to a major insect pest in pine plantations.

Global change is expected to modify the frequency and magnitude of defoliating insect outbreaks in forest ecosystems. Bats are increasingly acknowledged as effective biocontrol agents for pest insect populations. However, a better understanding is required of whether and how bat communities contribute to the resilience of forests to man- and climate-driven biotic disturbances. We studied the responses of forest insectivorous bats to a major pine defoliator, the pine processionary moth pityocampa, which is currently expanding its range in response to global warming. We used pheromone traps and ultrasound bat recorders to estimate the abundance and activity of moths and predatory bats along the edge of infested pine stands. We used synthetic pheromone to evaluate the effects of experimentally increased moth availability on bat foraging activity. We also evaluated the top-down regulation of moth population by estimating T. pityocampa larval colonies abundance on the same edges the following winter. We observed a close spatio-temporal matching between emergent moths and foraging bats, with bat activity significantly increasing with moth abundance. The foraging activity of some bat species was significantly higher near pheromone lures, i.e. in areas of expected increased prey availability. Furthermore moth reproductive success significantly decreased with increasing bat activity during the flight period of adult moths. These findings suggest that bats, at least in condition of low prey density, exhibit numerical and functional responses to a specific and abundant prey, which may ultimately result in an effective top-down regulation of the population of the prey. These observations are consistent with bats being useful agents for the biocontrol of insect pest populations in plantation forests.