Predator Experience Research Articles

Activity of Sphaerotheca breviceps tadpoles in response to chemical cues of the predaceous tadpoles Hoplobatrachus tigerinus

Tadpoles of Sphaerotheca breviceps raised in the laboratory from the egg stage, and hence lacking prior experience of a predator or its odors, were tested to examine their responses to a predator’s (tadpoles of Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) water-borne chemical cues. The stimulus solution was obtained following 24 h of rearing tadpoles of H. tigerinus (one tadpole per 200 mL water) that were not fed during this period. Upon exposure to the stimulus solution the activity of S. breviceps tadpoles decreased by about 90% within 5 min. Their resting period increased significantly over baseline activity, whereas the swimming period, distance traversed, and swimming spurts declined. However, whenever a test tadpole moved, its swimming velocity was high in response to stimulus solution. The antipredatory responses declined with increase in time of storage of the stimulus solution, indicating decay of the predator’s chemical cues. The findings suggest that (1) antipredator defense strategies of S. breviceps do not require prior experience of predators, (2) the predator’s chemical cues are labile in nature, and (3) the response of prey tadpoles to such cues is similar to reported behavior of anuran tadpoles in response to real predators and alarm cues.

Prey detection without successful capture affects spider’s orb-web building behaviour

Animals obtain information from past foraging experience to adjust their foraging activity according to their environment. The ability of spiders to obtain information from unsuccessful predation experiences was investigated by examining the effects on web building, a significant foraging investment, of prey detection without successful capture in the orb-web spider Cyclosa octotuberculata. Four treatments were employed: (1) successful capture and feeding: one syrphid fly was allowed to be captured and consumed by the spider on the web; (2) single prey-item detection: a syrphid fly was placed on the web to lure the spider, but was removed before capture; (3) five prey-item detection: above prey-item detection stimulus was given five times; and, (4) control: neither prey nor feeding on the web. While control spiders decreased the total thread length and capture area of their webs, prey-item detection spiders in both conditions increased them, indicating that the spider obtained information from unsuccessful predation experience to adjust their foraging investment. The fed spiders exhibited a significantly greater increase than the prey-detection-only spiders, suggesting that prey detection alone and prey detection with consumption had different informational effects. Total thread length did not differ between single and five prey-item detection spiders, but distance between two adjacent sticky spirals increased only in the former spiders, possibly because five times unsuccessful predations prevented spiders to reduce web stickiness. It suggests that the spider changed web morphology according to the number of prey detection.

Predator Experience Affects Mating Behavior in Male Gambusia affinis

ABSTRACT We tested the hypothesis that predator experience and immediate predation threat would influence mating behaviors in male western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). A series of trials were conducted in which individual males with and without predator experience were placed in an aquarium with females. For each group of males, one Lepomis cyanellus was added as a predator in one-half of the trials. The results indicated that under immediate predation threat naüve males performed more copulatory attempts than those with predator experience. Naïve males also tended to be smaller and attempted more chasing behaviors than predator-experienced males.

Conditioned olfactory responses of a predatory mite, Neoseiulus womersleyi, to volatiles from prey‐infested plants

AbstractTo clarify the prey‐finding behavior of the predatory mite Neoseiulus womersleyi (Schicha) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), we studied its olfactory responses to volatiles from the prey‐infested plant on which the mites had been collected. We used a local N. womersleyi population called Kanaya collected from tea (Camellia sinensis L.) (Theaceae) plants infested by Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Kanaya City, Japan. Neoseiulus womersleyi (Kanaya population) were more attracted to volatiles from tea plants infested with five female T. kanzawai per leaf for 7 days than to intact tea leaves in a Y‐tube olfactometer. Tetranychus kanzawai‐induced tea leaf volatiles were identified as (E)‐β‐ocimene, (E)‐4,8‐dimethyl‐1,3,7‐nonatriene, and (E,E)‐α‐farnesene. As olfactory responses are known to differ among local populations of N. womersleyi, we compared the responses of the Kanaya population with those of a Kikugawa population collected from tea plants infested by T. kanzawai in Kikugawa City. To test the influence of previous predation experience, we reared the two populations on tea plants infested by T. kanzawai or on kidney bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) infested by Tetranychus urticae Koch. The Kanaya population was more attracted to the volatiles from infested plants on which they had been reared. Because the Kanaya population was not attracted to the plant volatiles they had not previously experienced, the positive response to previously experienced volatiles might be the result of learning. By contrast, the Kikugawa population showed no preference for previously experienced volatiles from infested plants. The implications of this flexibility in foraging behavior are discussed.

Prey experience of predation influences mortality rates at settlement in a coral reef fish, Pomacentrus amboinensis

Previous exposure to predators influenced the survival immediately after settlement in a coral reef damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis. Rapid learning of antipredator behaviour may in part have driven the rapid increase in survival in the days following this critical transition.

Begging and short-term need in cowbird nestlings: how different are brood parasites?

Because brood parasitic nestlings are usually unrelated to their nestmates and to the provisioning adult, they are free from indirect costs of begging. Consequently, they are predicted to beg more intensely than host nestlings, and some models predict they will beg at an invariantly high level, regardless of short-term need. Previous work has shown intense begging by parasitic cowbirds, but short-term need was not controlled. In this study, we manipulated short-term need and measured begging intensity in two species pairs of host and parasitic nestlings: shiny cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis) parasitizing larger hosts than themselves (rufous-bellied thrushes, Turdus rufiventris), and brown-headed cowbirds (M. ater) parasitizing smaller hosts than themselves (yellow warblers, Dendroica petechia). All four species increased their begging intensity with short-term need, though the change was much less pronounced between food-deprived and control treatments than between control and hand-feeding treatments. Shiny cowbirds begged more intensely than rufous-bellied thrushes following each treatment. In contrast, brown-headed cowbirds did not beg significantly more intensely than yellow warblers under any of the treatments. Intense begging by both species of parasites was as effective as host begging in stimulating the adults to make provisioning visits, but shiny cowbirds were less successful at acquiring food from adult thrushes. A wide array of factors may underlie the apparent differences in the begging behavior and success of brown-headed and shiny cowbirds, including relative size, experience, and local risk of nest predation. Our experiments clearly demonstrate, however, that these two species of parasitic cowbirds adjust their begging intensity based on short-term need.

An Experimental Study of Predator Recognition in Great Tit Fledglings

Studies of naturally predator‐naïve adult birds (finches on predator‐free islands) and birds experimentally hand reared in isolation from predators indicate that birds can recognise predators innately; that is, birds show anti‐predator behaviour without former experience of predators. To reduce predation risk efficiently during the vulnerable fledgling period, we would predict an innate response to be fully developed when the chicks leave the nest. However, 30‐day‐old naïve great tit fledglings (Parus major) did not respond differently to a model of a perched predator than to a similarly sized model of a non‐predator. Although chicks showed distress responses such as warning calls and freezing behaviour, they did not differentiate between the stimuli. In contrast, wild‐caught first‐year birds (4 mo old) and adults responded differentially to the two stimuli. Lack of recognition of a perched predator might be one explanation for the high mortality rate found in newly fledged great tits. Our results imply that parental care is not only important for food provisioning, but also to reduce predation risk during the time when fledglings are most vulnerable.

Fat reserves and perceived predation risk in the great tit, Parus major.

The fat reserves of small birds are built up daily as insurance against starvation. They are believed to reflect a trade-off between the risks of starvation and predation such that in situations of high predation risk birds are expected either to reduce their fat reserves in response to mass-dependent predation risk or to increase them in response to foraging interruptions. We assessed the effect on fat reserves of experimentally altering the perceived (but not the actual) risk of predation of wild great tits at a winter feeding site. The perceived predation risk was alternated between 'safe' and 'risky'. Increasing the perceived risk of predation involved 'swooping' a model sparrowhawk over the feeder at four unpredictable times each day using a remote mechanism We produce evidence that the experiment was suceessfull in altering the perceived risk of predation. As predicted from the hypothesis of mass-dependent predation risk, great tits (Parus major) carried significantly reduced fat reserves during the 'risky' treatment. Furthermore, dominant individuals were able to reduce their reserves more than subordinates. As birds returned to feeders within seconds after a predator 'attack', the reduction in fat reserves cannot be attributed to an interruption in feeding.

Predator experience on cryptic prey affects the survival of conspicuous aposematic prey.

Initially, aposematism, which is an unprofitable trait, e.g. noxiousness conspicuously advertised to predators, appears to be a paradox since conspicuousness should increase predation by naive predators. However, reluctance of predators for eating novel prey (e.g. neophobia) might balance the initial predation caused by inexperienced predators. We tested the novelty effects on initial predation and avoidance learning in two separate conspicuousness levels of aposematic prey by using a 'novel world' method. Half of the wild great tits (Parus major) were trained to eat cryptic prey prior to the introduction of an aposematic prey, which potentially creates a bias against the aposematic morph. Both prey types were equally novel for control birds and they should not have shown any biased reluctance for eating an aposematic prey. Knowledge of cryptic prey reduced the expected initial mortality of the conspicuous morph to a random level whereas control birds initially ate the conspicuous morph according to the visibility risk. Birds learned to avoid conspicuous prey in both treatments but knowledge of cryptic prey did not increase the rate of avoidance learning. Predators' knowledge of cryptic prey did not reduce the predation of the less conspicuous aposematic prey and additionally predators did not learn to avoid the less conspicuous prey. These results indicate that predator psychology, which was shown as reluctance for attacking novel conspicuous prey, might have been important in the evolution of aposematism.

Effect of nymphal diet on adult predation behavior in Orius majusculus (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae).

The predatory bug Orius majusculus (Reuter) was reared on 2 different diets during the nymphal stages. The 1st group was exclusively offered eggs of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a standard diet for O. majusculus production. The 2nd group was exclusively offered 4th instars of the pea aphid, Acyrtosiphon pisum (Harris). Subsequently, adult predatory behavior in experimental arenas containing A. pisium was recorded using 2 video cameras. One camera permitted observation of the predator's contact with the prey, where the 2nd camera viewed the arena from above to record the path taken by O. majusculus adults before and after contact with prey. When O. majusculus were reared on aphids, adult bugs successfully located and consumed 55% of experimental prey and continued prey search behavior after each aphid meal. O. majusculus adults that had no experience of aphid predation as nymphs, did not prey on aphids in the experimental arena. The mean walking speed of this group of predators increased from 5.9 +/- 1.2 mm/s to 9.8 +/- 0.7 mm/s after contact or detection of prey, indicating that predators rapidly moved away from unfamiliar prey. Moreover, for egg-reared O. majusculus, all contacts between aphid and predator were lateral, along the side of the prey and were effectively repelled by an aphid kicking response. In contrast, 83% of attacks by aphid-reared O. majusculus were directed at the head or posterior abdomen for which the prey could not defend themselves adequately. When egg-reared O. majusculus were exposed to novel aphid prey for 1-8 d, the frequency of aphid attack increased significantly. We conclude that the standard diet used for rearing O. majusculus may adversely affect the efficiency of this predator as an agent of biological control.

Prior exposure to a predator influences lateralization of cooperative predator inspection in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata

Functional specializations of the right and left side of the brain have been shown to occur in all vertebrate classes and are known to affect various aspects of behaviour. Recent evidence suggests that cerebral lateralization influences cooperative predator inspection in fish. In order to confirm these findings, predator inspection was studied in female guppies (Poecilia reticulata) while a shoalmate (their own mirror image) was visible either on their left or right side. We used laboratory‐reared guppies with no natural experience of predators. One half of the subjects were sensitized to a predator by repeatedly introducing a hungry individual of the species Lepomis gibbosus into their home tank prior to the test, while the other half remained without any experience of predators. Guppies with prior experience of the predator showed a greater tendency to approach a live predator when their shoalmate was visible on their right side.

Predator recognition and defence strategies in crucian carp, Carassius carassius

Crucian carp from populations that lack piscivores are extremely vulnerable to predation. However, in the presence of piscivores these fish develop an inducible morphological defence, a deep body. This switch from a vulnerable, shallow‐bodied morph to a morphologically defended morph makes this species very suitable for investigations of anti‐predator strategies, and trade‐offs between morphological and behavioural defences. To address these questions, we performed eight different experiments. We found that crucian carp exhibited fright responses to chemical cues from unfamiliar predators (northern pike, perch) when these were fed prey that contained alarm substance (for northern pike: crucian carp, roach; for perch: crucian carp). Cues from small pike that were fed prey that lacked alarm substance (swordtails) caused no significant fright response whereas cues from larger pike with the same diet did. Perch on a chironomid diet elicited weaker but significant fright responses. Starved predators caused as strong fright reactions as recently fed ones did, whereas no response was exhibited towards nonpredatory fish (roach, crucian carp). Crucian carp were able to detect the presence of pike after cues had been diluted to an equivalent of 21 000 l, and larger predators elicited stronger fright responses. Prior experience of predators decreased fright responses. In particular, individuals from populations that coexisted with northern pike responded less to chemical cues from northern pike than individuals without prior experience did. Thus, crucian carp may use both alarm‐substance related and predator‐related cues to identify predators. Further, they were able to discriminate between large and small predators. Finally, individuals from populations that coexist with predators exhibit less pronounced fright responses. These fish have an induced morphological defence, a deep body, which most likely decreases the need for strong antipredator behaviour.

OFFSPRING-PARENT COMMUNICATION IN A SUBSOCIAL TREEHOPPER (HEMIPTERA: MEMBRACIDAE: UMBONIA CRASSICORNIS)

Parental care of post-hatching offspring is widespread in insects, but the role of communication in parent-offspring interactions remains largely unknown. I have found that, in the subsocial treehopper Umbonia crassicornis , aggregated nymphal offspring produce substrate-borne, vibrational signals in synchronized bursts that elicit the mother's antipredator behavior. In this study I describe the signals used by nymphs and explore their role in mother-offspring interactions and within-brood communication. Nymphs were stimulated to signal in the laboratory in response to light contact, simulating the approach of a predator. Signals of nymphs at the site of disturbance triggered a rapid wave of signaling by many individuals within the aggregation. This coordinated signaling was associated with the mother's defensive behavior. Signaling was limited to the vibrational channel: when transmission of vibrations was blocked between signaling nymphs and the mother, the mothers' response was abolished. Nymphs signaled not only in response to contact, but also in response to playback of signals from their siblings. Nymphs in otherwise undisturbed aggregations signaled only in response to signals coordinated into synchronized, group displays, and not to signals in random temporal patterns. However, nymphal signaling thresholds were lowered after a recent experience of simulated predation. After a period in which nymphs were stimulated to signal (by light contact simulating a predator's approach), playback of one individual signal could trigger a coordinated burst within the aggregation. It remains unknown if coordination among siblings to produce synchronized, group signals is completely cooperative, or if siblings compete for the mother's proximity. But it is clear that a complex system of communication among siblings, and between siblings and their parent, is an important feature of maternal care in these subsocial insects.

The price of eggs: increased investment in egg production reduces the offspring rearing capacity of parents

Understanding the selective pressures shaping the number of offspring per breeding event is a key area in the study of life-history strategies. However, in species with parental care, costs incurred in offspring production, rather than rearing, have been largely ignored in both theoretical and empirical studies until relatively recently. Furthermore, the few experimental studies that have manipulated production costs have not yet teased apart effects that operate via the parental phenotype from effects on the quality of the resulting young. To examine whether increased egg production influences parental brood rearing capacity independently of effects operating via egg quality, we experimentally increased egg production in gulls and then examined their capacity to rear a control clutch. We found that the capacity of parents to rear the control brood was substantially reduced solely as a consequence of having themselves produced one extra egg. The paradox that, in many species, parents apparently aim for fewer young per breeding event than the experimentally and theoretically demonstrated optimum, has partly arisen from the failure to take into account the constraints imposed by production costs.

Change in foraging behaviour of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis after exposure to dead conspecifics and their products

AbstractAdult females of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias‐Henriot are strongly attracted to infochemicals released by plants infested with their prey, the two‐spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch), thereby effectively locating their prey. However, we found a consistently lower degree of attraction to these infochemicals for a population of P. persimilis, which is called non‐responding population. Here we demonstrate that this low degree of attraction is a contagious phenomenon and that it cannot be explained by differences in abiotic conditions, physiological state and experience of predators or by genetic differences between predator populations. Female predators exposed to dead conspecifics of the non‐responding population and their products showed a lower degree of attraction to plant odours and a higher mortality than predators exposed to products of a living conspecific of the non‐responding population. This was true 6–7 days after contact with dead conspecifics and their products whereas 2 days after contact no effects were detected. The present results are discussed in view of our hypothesis that the change in foraging behaviour as well as the high mortality rate are symptoms of a contagious disease affecting the non‐responding population.

Ontogeny of black-footed ferret predatory behavior towards prairie dogs

To study the effects of environmental upbringing and predation experience on black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) predatory skills towards prairie dogs, we compared killing efficiency and behaviors of 32 black-footed ferret kits (from 24 different litters). Four treatment groups were established: group 1 (n = 8), kits raised in indoor cages and never exposed to live prey; group 2 (n = 8), kits raised in indoor cages and fed live hamsters twice a week beginning at 8 weeks of age; group 3 (n = 8), kits raised in indoor cages, fed live hamsters, and exposed to live prairie dogs in family trials once per week; and group 4, kits raised in outdoor enclosures with ad libitum access to live prairie dogs in natural burrows. Juvenile black-footed ferrets raised with exposure to live hamsters were more successful at killing prairie dogs than kits devoid of any predation experience. Previous experience with prairie dogs (in both indoor cages and outdoor pens) significantly increased predation efficiency. Witnessing a black-footed ferret mother performing a kill enhanced the kit's predatory skills. We conclude that the placement of the kill bite appears to be innate for black-footed ferrets, but the likelihood of killing and the efficiency at handling prey are substantially enhanced by experience.

Ontogeny of black-footed ferret predatory behavior towards prairie dogs

To study the effects of environmental upbringing and predation experience on black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) predatory skills towards prairie dogs, we compared killing efficiency and behaviors of 32 black-footed ferret kits (from 24 different litters). Four treatment groups were established: group 1 (n = 8), kits raised in indoor cages and never exposed to live prey; group 2 (n = 8), kits raised in indoor cages and fed live hamsters twice a week beginning at 8 weeks of age; group 3 (n = 8), kits raised in indoor cages, fed live hamsters, and exposed to live prairie dogs in family trials once per week; and group 4, kits raised in outdoor enclosures with ad libitum access to live prairie dogs in natural burrows. Juvenile black-footed ferrets raised with exposure to live hamsters were more successful at killing prairie dogs than kits devoid of any predation experience. Previous experience with prairie dogs (in both indoor cages and outdoor pens) significantly increased predation efficiency. Witnessing a black-footed ferret mother performing a kill enhanced the kit's predatory skills. We conclude that the placement of the kill bite appears to be innate for black-footed ferrets, but the likelihood of killing and the efficiency at handling prey are substantially enhanced by experience.

Effects of Experience and Risk of Predation on the Foraging Behaviour of the South-Eastern Pacific Muricid Concholepas concholepas (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

1. Different size classes of the muricid Concholepas concholepas (Bruguiere)(small and medium subadult specimens inhabiting mainly the high- and mid-intertidal, and large adult ones inhabiting mainly the subtidal) were assessed for handling times and diet selection by offering them three different sizes of the high-intertidal mussel Perumytilus purpuratus (Lamarck). 2. The effect of experience on the foraging efficiency of the different size classes of the muricid was tested by comparing the handling times of specimens starved after collection from the field with those of specimens subjected to starvation after having been exclusively fed with this mussel. 3. Experienced predators showed a consistent reduction in handling time with corresponding increase in prey profitability, although this varied in magnitude in the nine distinct predator/prey size combinations. As a consequence, foraging experience changed the profitability ranking of different classes of prey. 4. Prey-size preferences changed with foraging experience in accordance with the associated variations in prey profitabilities. Particularly, the number of attacks per unit time and the average weight of the mussels consumed by the different size classes of C. concholepas increased with experience, while the total time devoted to foraging decreased slightly. 5. The exposure of experienced C. concholepas to effluent from a higher-order predator, the subtidal asteroid Meyenaster gelatinosus (Meyen), induced the muricid to reduce the time devoted to foraging. This reduction in foraging time was achieved differently, according to the size of the forager: small individuals reverted to their initial preference for smaller mussels, while medium and large individuals reduced the number of attacks. Both effects lowered the rate of food intake, which must be seen as a cost of reducing risk of predation.

Predator recognition and anti-predator responses in the rainbowfish Melanotaenia eachamensis

Predator evasion behaviour patterns of three populations of rainbowfish (Melanotaenia eachamensis) were compared. The populations differed in the level of complexity of their natural habitats and the type and extent of predation. The predator recognition abilities of fish were assessed by exposing them to models differing in their degree of predator realism. The availability of vegetated cover and the location of the models with respect to cover were manipulated. Fish from Lake Tinaroo, a relatively open habitat containing numerous predators, showed strong changes in elective group size (EGS) in response to the different models but did not rely on cover as a place of refuge. In contrast, Dirran Creek fish originate from a small, fast-flowing, structurally complex stream lacking predatory fish species, and they showed little ability to distinguish between the different models and responded to threat by spending longer in vegetated areas. Members of the Lake Eacham captive stock increased their EGS in response to models representing low threat and with more threatening models increased the amount of time spent in vegetated regions of the arena. The contrasting reactions to predatory threat displayed by these populations highlights the need to use a number of different response indices when comparing the anti-predator responses of different fish populations. These data suggest that the level of habitat complexity as well as prior predator experience influence anti-predator responses of different fish popu-lations.

Different antipredator behaviour in two anuran tadpoles: effects of predator diet

Recent investigations have indicated that animals are able to use chemical cues of predators to assess the magnitude of predation risk. One possible source of such cues is predator diet. Chemical cues may also be important in the development of antipredator behaviour, especially in animals that possess chemical alarm substances. Tadpoles of the common toad (Bufo bufo) are unpalatable to most vertebrate predators and have an alarm substance. Tadpoles of the common frog (Rana temporaria) lack both these characters. We experimentally studied how predator diet, previous experience of predators and body size affect antipredator behaviour in these two tadpole species. Late-instar larvae of the dragonfly Aeshna juncea were used as predators. The dragonfly larvae were fed a diet exclusively of insects, R. temporaria tadpoles or B. bufo tadpoles. R. temporaria tadpoles modified their behaviour according to the perceived predation risk. Depending on predator diet, the tadpoles responded with weak antipredatory behaviour (triggered by insect-fed predators) or strong behaviour (triggered by tadpole-fed predators) with distinct spatial avoidance and lowered activity level. The behaviour of B. bufo in predator diet treatments was indistinguishable from that in the control treatment. This lack of antipredator behaviour is probably related to the effective post-encounter defenses and more intense competitive regime experienced by B. bufo. The behaviour of both tadpole species was dependent on body size, but this was not related to predator treatments. Our results also indicate that antipredator behaviour is largely innate in tadpoles of both species and is not modified by a brief exposure to predators.