Observations Of Aggressive Behavior Research Articles

Host-Parasitoid Relationship between Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758) and Senotainia tricuspis (Meigen, 1838) (Diptera, Sarcophagidae): Fly Aggression Behavior and Infestation Rates of Senotainiosis.

Senotainia tricuspis (Meigen, 1838) is a Sarcophagid dipteran endoparasitoid of Apis mellifera L., and myiasis, caused by this fly, is reported in several European, North African and Middle Eastern countries. Nevertheless, very little knowledge concerning the aggression and parasitisation behavior of S. tricuspis toward A. mellifera is available in the scientific literature, and the temporal pattern of aggression remains unclear. The aim of this investigation was to describe the aggressive behavior of S. tricuspis and to provide data on pupation and adult emergence in order to identify further tools for the control of senotainiosis in beekeeping. Data were collected in an apiary in Pisa province (Tuscany, Italy), where observations of aggressive behavior were conducted indirectly by using a VHS camera and also directly by an observer. Four behavioral categories of the attack were described. A total of 55 aggressions, 21 beecatchers, 104 chases and 6 parasitization events were recorded with the camera. Slow-motion recording analyses of the parasitization episodes resulted in contact of at least 1/6 s between the parasitoid and the host. Through four days of direct observations, a total of 1633 aggression events were recorded. The daily temporal pattern of the number of aggressions showed two main peaks: one during the morning hours (i.e., from 10:00 to 11:00) and one in the afternoon (i.e., from 15:00 to 17:00). The morphometric data on the first-instars of S. tricuspis allowed us to hypothesize a penetration in the bee through its prothoracic spiracle as a modality of entrance in the host body. Third-instars successfully pupate when sinking in topsoil or clay soil, and adults emerge when left to a 4 °C overwintering period of six months. Furthermore, the high mortality rate of those larvae that did not sink and did not pupate successfully suggests that reaching a certain depth in the soil is a determining factor for larvae survival and that mulch and/or minimum soil tillage could prevent severe senotainiosis in apiaries.

A donnybrook in downtown? Observations of controlling aggression and the use of effective place management in a southern entertainment area

Much of the research conducted on aggressive behavior outside of bars has been limited to large entertainment districts outside the USA. These studies consistently show that overcrowding and lack of patron control are main contributors to aggressive behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine if effective place managers and guardians could mitigate acts of aggression in smaller entertainment areas. Based on the work of Townsley and Grimshaw (Crime Prev Community Saf 15(1):23–47, 2013), observations of aggressive behavior were conducted on one street block in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, on Friday night/Saturday mornings, over a 6-week period, totaling 24 h. Findings show the cities use of effective place mangers and capable guardians (e.g., police, bouncers, door attendants, and barricades) significantly limited the opportunities for aggression to rise to critical levels. Comparing these results to prior literature, the absence of aggressive behavior was attributed to proper place management and environmental design.

Changes in the levels of biogenic amines associated with aggressive behavior of queen in the social parasite ant Vollenhovia nipponica

Insect behavior is regulated by physiological and neurological systems. Biogenic amines play a role in motivating the behavior as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and neurohormones in the nervous systems. In ants, the change of brain amine levels is linked to various behavioral properties: reproduction, cooperation, and hostility. Aggressiveness is also manipulated by the neurological systems. The social structures in some ant species are established by aggressive interactions among queens. However, there are a few cases showing the putative role of biogenic amines for the queen aggression. Vollenhovia nipponica is a social parasite ant, which establishes functional monogyny that antagonistic interactions among multiple queens lead to dominance hierarchy. In this time, we examined changes in the levels of biogenic amines in heads of queens in V. nipponica, associated with the observation of aggressive behavior. In the colonies, dealate queens violently attacked toward each other by biting and pulling on body parts. Whereas, the aggressive behavior was never observed in alate queens. In the measurements in four biogenic amines, serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), octopamine (OA), and tyramine (TA), the levels of 5-HT and DA in dealates were significantly higher than those in alates. The levels of OA and TA were not significantly different between them. Moreover, the similar changes were confirmed in the groups of young (10–30 days old) and old queens (more than 6-month old). In V. nipponica queens, 5-HT and DA could regulate motivation of aggression, irrespective of age. However, the changes of biogenic amines are possibly affected by other behavioral factors.

Functions of aggressive behavior and future functional impairment

The present study investigated relations between proactive and reactive functions of physical and relational aggression and functional impairment across early childhood. It was hypothesized that reactive functions of aggression would be associated with functional impairment. Hypotheses with regard to proactive functions of aggression were exploratory. Participants were 36 children (22 girls) from a longitudinal study. At Time 1 (M=50.31 months old, SD=10.97), observations of aggressive behavior were collected during preschool free-play. At Time 2 (M=73.33 months old, SD=10.88), parent-report of functional impairment was collected. Reactive physical aggression was a significant and unique predictor of future impairment when controlling for gender and all other types of aggression. Implications of these findings are discussed from a developmental perspective.

Should severely disturbed psychiatric patients be distributed or concentrated in specialized wards? An empirical study on the effects of hospital organization on ward atmosphere, aggressive behavior, and sexual molestation

This study examines whether ward atmosphere, aggressive behavior, and sexual molestation will change after severely disturbed patients have been distributed over several wards determined by their place of residence, instead of concentrating them in locked single-sex wards. Four wards for predominantly psychotic patients were investigated with the German version of the Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS), and some further questions about the observation of aggressive behavior and sexual molestation once before and twice after internal sectorisation, partial ward opening, and mixing the sexes were asked. Questionnaires (345: 162 staff members, 183 patients) were evaluated. After the structural changes, a significant improvement of ward atmosphere and a reduction of aggressive behavior was found on average in all wards, whereas the impact on sexual molestation remained unclear. Internal sectorisation and sex integration policy, resulting in distributing rather than concentrating severely disturbed patients, have beneficial effects on the social climate of acute wards.

Aggressive and evasive behaviors in Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) larvae: Defenses against entomopathogenic nematode attack

Larvae of the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica , respond to attack by infective juveniles of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora with aggressive and evasive behaviors. Brushing with the legs and rubbing with the abrasive raster were key aggressive behaviors associated with nematode attack in petri dish assays. Remarkably, contact with even a single live nematode triggered behavioral countermeasures directed at eliminating the attacker. Unrestrained P. japonica free to display aggressive behaviors removed more than 60% of attacking nematodes from their cuticle and experienced significantly less parasitism than larvae restrained from displaying defensive behaviors (13% or less of the nematodes removed). Unrestrained larvae were also capable of killing 20.6 ± 4.7% of the attacking nematodes. Observations of aggressive behavior in soil assays supported our petri dish results. Moreover, larvae were observed to respond to the presence of nematodes with evasive behavior. These defense behaviors are so generalized it appears unlikely that they evolved as a specific scarab evolutionary response to selection pressure from entomopathogenic nematodes, but rather to any threat or irritant.

An information processing model for the development of aggression

A theory is presented to account for the development of habitual aggressive behavior during early childhood. It is argued that the aggressive child is one who has acquired aggressive scripts to guide behavior early in life. Once established these scripts become resistant to change and may even persist into adulthood. Aggressive scripts are acquired and maintained through both observational and enactive learning processes. These processes interact with each other as actual aggressive behavior engenders conditions under which the observation of aggressive behavior is more likely and creates conditions that provoke rather than inhibit aggression. The cumulative result is a network of cognitive scripts for social behavior emphasizing aggressive responding. A number of intervening variables may play a role in this cycle, and among the more important would seem to be popularity and academic achievement. Once encoded, the scripts for aggressive behavior may be elicited through a general activation of memory or by specific cues to which the person is exposed. Some of the most potent cues should be those present when the script was encoded, though any aggressive cue may trigger the retrieval of an aggressive script. Thus, observed violence not only provides scripts for future behavior but also triggers the recall of existing aggressive scripts. If these scripts are rehearsed, their recall in the future will be more likely. If undampened, this cumulative learning process can build enduring schemas for aggressive behavior that persist into adulthood.

Peers as Modeling and Normative Influences in the Development of Aggression

An examination of role functions of peers and adult socialization agents (mother, father, and teacher) on two dimensions of aggression-related experiences (modeling and norms) was made. Ss were 108 male elementary school children attending the 4th and 6th grades. A standardized interview focusing on nonparticipatory observations of aggressive behavior and reinforcement-expectations for aggressive behavior served to provide response measures of differences among sources in providing experiences correlated with the acquisition and performance of aggressive behavior. Among sources surveyed, peer-related experiences were significantly more frequently representative of exposure to modeling and reinforcement contingencies associated with aggression, while reports of teacher behavior were least representative of these dimensions.

Home Ranges and Territorial Behavior of the Yellow-Pine Chipmunk, Eutamias Amoenus

About 600 chipmunks, Eutamias amoenus, were live-trapped and observed on a study area of 42 acres in yellow pine forest in central Washington. Observation of dyed chipmunks showed that home ranges revealed by live-trapping are reasonably accurate. Evidence that male yellow-pine chipmunks are more active and have considerably larger home ranges than do females is consistent with studies of other mammals. Annual home ranges of adult males averaged 947 by 534 feet and covered 4.07 acres; those of adult females averaged 686 by 368 feet and had a mean area of 2.32 acres. Some ranges were elongate despite a relatively uniform habitat. Adult breeding females had an average of 6.4 neighboring females overlapping their home ranges, the mean area of overlap being 21.7 per cent and number of captures 25.8 per cent. Most chipmunks that were recaptured in the second and fifth years occupied their original home ranges. in 43 homing tests 88 per cent (15 of 17) of the chipmunks returned from points 430 to 1500 feet from home, 57 per cent (12 of 21) from half a mile, and 25 per cent (one of 4) released 1 mile distant. Seventy-seven per cent of the males but only 25 per cent of the females returned half a mile. a shift of home range was accomplished by 7.8 per cent of the females and 11.9 per cent of the males recaptured the second year. Twenty-eight per cent (13 of 46) of the young animals caught in June and July were recaptured in the autumn. Evidence from spacing of chipmunks and from observations of aggressive behavior near the den indicated that they are territorial.

Aggressive Behavior of Mule Deer toward Bobcat

A number of observations of aggressive behavior of mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) toward bobcats ( Lynx rufus ) have been published by Linsdale and Tomich (a herd of mule deer, Univ. Calif. Press, Berkeley, pp. 258–275,1953). The following observations are offered as a record of similar behavior. For several days a doe and her two fawns were seen in a certain location …