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publicJul 2025View details →

Effects of adult and egg predators on hatching plasticity of the pulmonate limpet

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publicJun 2025View details →

Lasius flavus ants protect root aphid eggs from predators and pathogens during winter hibernation

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publicMay 2025View details →

Deterring egg predators with fecal strings is more efficient when eggs are aggregated

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publicJan 2021View details →

Pre-dispersal seed predation obscures the detrimental effect of dust on wildflower reproduction - flowering and egg phenology

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opencc-zeroDec 2019View details →

The roles of temperature, nest predators and information parasites for geographical variation in egg covering behaviour of tits (Paridae)

Aim: Nest building is widespread among animals. Nests may provide receptacles for eggs, developing offspring and the parents, and protect them from adverse environmental conditions. Nests may also indicate the quality of the territory and its owner and can be considered as an extended phenotype of its builder(s). Nests may, thus, function as a sexual and social signal. Here, we examined ecological and abiotic factors—temperature, nest predation and interspecific information utilization—shaping geographical variation in a specific nest structure—hair and feather cover of eggs— and its function as an extended phenotype before incubation in great (Parus major) and blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) across Europe. We also tested whether egg covering is associated with reproductive success of great tits. Location: Fourteen different study sites and 28 populations across Europe. Taxon: Parus major, Cyanistes caeruleus. Methods: We recorded clutch coverage estimates and collected egg covering nest material from the tit nests. We also measured nest specific breeding parameters and phenotypic measurements on adults. We tested whether mean spring temperatures, nest predation rates and flycatcher (Ficedula spp) densities in the study areas explain the large-scale geographical variation of clutch coverage and reproductive success of tits. Results: The degree of egg coverage of great tits increased with lower mean spring temperature, higher nest predation rate and higher flycatcher density. We did not find egg covering of blue tits to be associated with any of the ecological or abiotic factors. Moreover, egg covering of great tits was not associated with reproductive success in our cross-sectional data, yet a rigorous assessment of fitness effects would require long-term data. Main conclusions: Our findings suggest that, in great tits, egg covering may simultaneously provide thermal insulation against cold temperatures during egg-laying in spring and also represent a counter-adaptation to reduce information parasitism by flycatchers and nest predation. Hence, geographical variation in interspecific interactions, and consequently in co-evolutionary processes, may affect the evolution of nest characteristics besides environmental conditions.

opencc-zeroNov 2020View details →

Multimodal mechanosensing enables treefrog embryos to escape egg-predators

Mechanosensory-cued hatching (MCH) is widespread, diverse, and improves survival in many animals. From flatworms and insects to frogs and turtles, embryos use mechanosensory cues and signals to inform hatching timing, yet mechanisms mediating mechanosensing in ovo are largely unknown. The arboreal embryos of red-eyed treefrogs, Agalychnis callidryas, hatch prematurely to escape predation, cued by physical disturbance in snake attacks. When otoconial organs in the developing vestibular system become functional, this response strengthens, but its earlier occurrence indicates another sensor must contribute. Post-hatching, tadpoles use lateral line neuromasts to detect water motion. We ablated neuromast function with gentamicin to assess their role in A. callidryas' hatching response to disturbance. Prior to vestibular function, this nearly eliminated the hatching response to a complex simulated attack cue, egg-jiggling, revealing that neuromasts mediate early MCH. Vestibular function onset increased hatching, independent of neuromast function, indicating young embryos use multiple mechanosensory systems. MCH increased developmentally. All older embryos hatched in response to egg-jiggling, but neuromast function reduced response latency. In contrast, neuromast ablation had no effect on timing or level of hatching in motion-only vibration playbacks. It appears only a subset of egg-disturbance cues stimulate neuromasts; thus embryos in attacked clutches may receive uni- or multimodal stimuli. A. callidryas embryos have more neuromasts than described for any other species at hatching, suggesting precocious sensory development may facilitate MCH. Our findings provide insight into the behavioral roles of two mechanosensory systems in ovo and open possibilities for exploring sensory perception across taxa in early life stages.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Adult mortality probability and nest predation rates explain parental effort in warming eggs with consequences for embryonic development time

Parental behavior and effort vary extensively among species. Life history theory suggests that age-specific mortality could cause this interspecific variation, but past tests have focused on fecundity as the measure of parental effort. Fecundity can cause costs of reproduction that confuse whether mortality is the cause or consequence of parental effort. We focus on a trait, parental time and effort in warming embryos, which varies widely among species of diverse taxa and is not tied to fecundity. We conducted studies on songbirds of four continents and show that time spent warming eggs varies widely among species and latitudes, and is not correlated with clutch size. Adult and offspring (nest) mortality explained most of the interspecific variation in time and effort that parents spend warming eggs measured by average egg temperatures. Parental effort in warming eggs is important because embryonic temperature can influence embryonic development period and, hence, exposure time to predation risk. We show through correlative evidence and experimental swapping of embryos between species that parentally induced egg temperatures cause interspecific variation in embryonic development period. The strong association of age-specific mortality with parental effort in warming eggs and the subsequent effects on embryonic development time are unique results that can advance understanding of broad geographic patterns of life history variation.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Oviposition site choice under conflicting risks demonstrates that aquatic predators drive terrestrial egg-laying

Laying eggs out of water was crucial to the transition to land and has evolved repeatedly in multiple animal phyla. However, testing hypotheses about this transition has been difficult because extant species only breed in one environment. The pantless treefrog, Dendropsophus ebraccatus, makes such tests possible because they lay both aquatic and arboreal eggs. Here, we test the oviposition site choices of D. ebraccatus under conflicting risks of arboreal egg desiccation and aquatic egg predation, thereby estimating the relative importance of each selective agent on reproduction. We also measured discrimination between habitats with and without predators and development of naturally laid aquatic and arboreal eggs. Aquatic embryos in nature developed faster than arboreal embryos, implying no cost to aquatic egg laying. In choice tests, D. ebraccatus avoided habitats with fish, showing that they can detect aquatic egg predators. Most importantly, D. ebraccatus laid most eggs in the water when faced with only desiccation risk, but switched to laying eggs arboreally when desiccation risk and aquatic predators were both present. This provides the first experimental evidence to our knowledge that aquatic predation risk influences non-aquatic oviposition and strongly supports the hypothesis that it was a driver of the evolution of terrestrial reproduction.

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →

Data from: Testing the link between perceived and actual risk of predation: mosquito oviposition site selection and egg predation by native and introduced fish

1. According to the threat-sensitivity hypothesis, prey avoidance behaviour should reflect the magnitude of predation risk. Since predation can strongly affect reproduction success, ovipositing females are expected to adaptively adjust their predator-avoidance response, or local breeding patch selectivity, in accordance with the perceived level of threat posed for their progeny by specific predators. However, association between avoidance and predation can be disrupted when the prey and the predator lack spatio-temporal opportunities to co-evolve, such as in cases of non-native predator introductions. 2. We examined the interactions between mosquitoes (from the genus Culex) and three species of sympatric predaceous freshwater fish, a native cyprinid (Barbus paludinosus), a cichlid (Pseudocrenilabrus philander), and an introduced poeciliid, the Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). 3. In an outdoor mesocosm experiment we quantified patterns of Culex oviposition site selection across fish species using free-roaming, caged, and fish-free treatments. In a complementary laboratory experiment we tested the effectiveness of each fish species as predators of mosquito eggs and larvae. 4. Synthesis and applications. We found evidence for: (i) mosquito egg raft predation by free- roaming fish; (ii) fish-specific avoidance by ovipositing Culex and (iii) a positive association between fish-specific oviposition avoidance and fish-specific efficiency as an egg predator. These results contribute towards a better understanding of predator-prey coevolution, predator-borne cue recognition, and suggest local native fish, the Southern mouthbrooder (Pseudocrenilabrus philander), as an alternative to Gambusia for the biocontrol of Culex mosquitoes.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2023View details →

Predation of mesopelagic fish on tuna eggs and larvae: fitness benefits of synchronizing spawning with the moon

This repository contains all data and R code used in the research article "Model of mesopelagic fish predation on eggs and larvae shows benefits of tuna spawning under full moon" - https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lno.12465Data and code are originally structured in folders and can be found in GitHub - https://github.com/dottmann/moon_light

opennotspecifiedFeb 2021View details →

Figure 1 in Egg predation and vertebrates associated with wild crocodilian nests in Mexico determined using camera-traps

Figure 1. Geographical location of the study areas and photographic records of eggs predation. Procyon lotor (a, e, f), Didelphis virginiana (b), Cuniculus paca (c), Nasua narica (d, g), and Caracara cheriway (h).

opennotspecifiedFeb 2021View details →

Figure 2 in Egg predation and vertebrates associated with wild crocodilian nests in Mexico determined using camera-traps

Figure 2. Non-linear regression models: (a)- Predator species increase with the number of vertebrates recorded in the areas of study. (b)- The number of nests lost decreases as crocodilian size increases.

opencc-zeroAug 2021View details →

Dormant plasticity of rotifer diapausing eggs in relation to predator kairomones

In freshwater ecosystems, dormant strategy of diapausing eggs under predation risk has important ecological implication for zooplanktons. Although kairomones released by predators can induce phenotypic responses of prey, hatching patterns of diapausing eggs in relation to kairomones have received contradictory conclusions in zooplanktons. Maternal effects may also affect hatching strategy of diapausing eggs during predator-prey interactions. We used classical Brachionus calyciflorus–Asplanchna models to determine timing and proportion of diapausing-egg hatchlings in association with parental and embryonic exposure to kairomones. Results obtained from two Brachionus clones supported hypothesis that diapausing eggs could detect Asplanchna kairomones and adjusted hatching patterns. Diapausing eggs showed early and synchronous hatching patterns in environment with kairomones. Data also supported prediction that Brachionus mothers could transmit environmental cues of Asplanchna to diapausing eggs and affect their hatching in relation to kairomones. Compared with diapausing eggs from mothers not exposed to kairomones, diapausing eggs produced by mothers experienced kairomones attained higher hatching rate when they hatched in the same environment either with kairomones or not. Our results suggest that diapausing eggs of B. calyciflorus possess dormant plasticity to defend against predation from Asplanchna, which may be influenced by maternal effects during asexual or sexual life cycles.

opennotspecifiedApr 2013View details →

FIGURES 1–4 in Morphology and Postdepositional Dynamics of Eggs of the Predator Podisus distinctus (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae)

FIGURES 1–4. Eggs of Podisus distinctus (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Fig. 1. Egg four hours after laying exhibiting a base narrower than the apex (arrow) and a convex circular operculum (arrowhead). The chorion possesses spine-like projections on the egg lateral aspect arranged in irregular polygonal forms (P) and erect aero-micropylar processes (AM). Fig. 2. Oocyte showing the hexagonal pattern (arrowhead) and folded aero-micropylar processes (arrow). Fig. 3. Egg isolated from the common oviduct, exhibiting residues of follicular tissue (FT), curved aero-micropylar processes (arrow), and spine-like projections curved along the operculum surface (arrowhead). Fig. 4. Egg less than one hour after laying, with nearly erect spine-like projections and aero-micropylar processes.

opennotspecifiedApr 2013View details →

FIGURES 5–8 in Morphology and Postdepositional Dynamics of Eggs of the Predator Podisus distinctus (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae)

FIGURES 5–8. Eggs of Podisus distinctus (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Fig. 5. Mature egg, four hours after laying with completely erect spine-like projections above the operculum and aero-micropylar processes. Fig. 6. Mature egg, two-day-old after laying with radially positioned spine-like projections emanating from the base of the posterior pole. Fig. 7. Mature egg, two-day-old after laying showing bound spine-like projections on the egg lateral aspect (arrowhead) and smooth aeromicropylar processes (arrow). Fig. 8. Mature egg, two-day-old after laying with eclosion line (EL) internal to the aeromicropylar processes. The region has no signs of spine-like projections and is surrounded by a row of short spine-like projections (arrow), followed by the operculum long spine-like projections (arrowhead).

opencc-zeroSep 2023View details →

Data from: Egg predators improve the hatching success of salamander eggs

A common challenge that oviparous animals face is securing survivorship during the vulnerable embryonic stage. One of the parental investment strategies to improve survivorship is providing physical structures to protect the embryos. In amphibians, there is a notable diversity in jelly-layer structures surrounding eggs. Previous studies show that these jelly layers provide eggs with protection against egg predators, egg pathogens, and desiccation. However, few studies examined the cost–benefit relationship of the jelly-layer structures. By using the predator–prey interaction between wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) tadpoles and spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) eggs as a model system, we tested three hypotheses: (1) having the outer jelly layers would be costly to the embryos, (2) the relative benefit of the structural egg defense would become apparent and increase as the intensity of egg predation increases, and (3) a certain degree of predation would increase the hatching success of salamander embryos by mechanically thinning the thick outer jelly layers and increasing oxygen diffusion throughout an egg mass. To test these hypotheses, we conducted a factorial experiment in which we crossed four egg-predation levels with two jelly-layer conditions, intact or removed. We found that the jelly layers were essential in protecting spotted salamander embryos from wood frog tadpoles but that the associated cost was apparent in no-predation treatments. The differential survivorship between intact eggs and eggs without jelly layers showed that the fitness advantage of jelly layers increased as the level of predation increased. Finally, the hatching success of intact egg masses was highest under the high predation conditions. These results imply that the evolution of the jelly-layer thickness occurred under constant egg-predation pressure. Given this predator–prey coevolution, egg predators may play a critical role in improving the hatching success of salamander embryos under certain conditions.

publicOct 2020View details →

The roles of temperature, nest predators and information parasites for geographical variation in egg covering behaviour of tits (Paridae)

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