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opencc-by-4.0Feb 2016View details →

Figure 2. After 21 in Predation on eggs of Schneider's dwarf caiman, Paleosuchus trigonatus (Schneider, 1807), by armadillos and other predators

Figure 2. After 21 days, (A) a giant armadillo returns to the same nest and is driven away by an adult Paleosuchus trigonatus. After (B) remaining face to face with the caiman, (C, D) the armadillo departs, circling the nest tree.

opencc-by-4.0May 2016View details →

Figure 6 in Sharing the space: coexistence among terrestrial predators in Neotropical caves

Figure 6. Ordering diagram for the five model species produced by the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Legend: Hum = humidity; Temp = temperature; Subs = substrate.

opencc-by-4.0May 2016View details →

Figure 2 in Sharing the space: coexistence among terrestrial predators in Neotropical caves

Figure 2. Substrate categories utilised for the field observations and the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Rocky substrates: (a) wall and (b) unconsolidated substrate (scale = 5 cm). Organic substrates: (c) guano (forceps for scale) and (d) leaf litter. Photographs by the authors.

opencc-by-4.0May 2016View details →

Figure 5 in Sharing the space: coexistence among terrestrial predators in Neotropical caves

Figure 5. Ordering diagram of the species produced by the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Legend: Hum = humidity; Temp = temperature; Subs = substrate. The codes for species are given in Appendix 1.

opencc-by-4.0Feb 2015View details →

Figure 2 in Phoretic behaviour of Attacobius attarum (Roewer, 1935) (Araneae: Corinnidae: Corinninae) dispersion not associated with predation?

Figure 2. Behavioural repertoire of Attacobius attarum for dispersion in Atta sexdens: (A) female spider in bunch of loose soil from the nest of leaf-cutting ant, in search of a winged male; (B) approximation of female of leaf-cutting ants before the mating flight; (C) climbing of the spider to the dorsal region of winged female; (D) spider detail on the back of the queen; (E, F) winged male and female of leaf-cutting ants are preparing for the mating flight with phoretic spiders on their pronota.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2014View details →

Figure 4 in Predation on invasive land gastropods by a Neotropical land planarian

Figure 4. Obama ladislavii capturing Deroceras laeve: (A) planarian encountering the slug; (B) planarian attaching its anterior end to the slug; (C, D) planarian moving towards the slug's head to prevent escape; (E–H) slug surrounded by the planarian and pressed against the substrate.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2014View details →

Figure 1 in Predation on invasive land gastropods by a Neotropical land planarian

Figure 1. Experimental design for determining prey tracking behaviour. Solid line indicates outline of the slime trail. Dashed line indicates a possible path taken by the planarian, and X the planarian's initial position.

opencc-zeroSep 2020View details →

Habitat features and performance interact to determine the outcomes of terrestrial predator-prey pursuits

1. Animals are responsive to predation risk, often seeking safer habitats at the cost of foraging rewards. Although previous research has examined how habitat features affect detection by predators, little is known about how the interaction of habitat features, sensory cues, and physical performance capabilities affect prey escape performance once detected. 2. To investigate how specific habitat features affect predation risk, we developed an individual-based model of terrestrial predator–prey pursuits in habitats with programmable features. 3. We ran simulations varying the relative performance capabilities of predator and prey as well as the availability and abundance of refuges and obstacles in the habitat. 4. Prey were more likely to avoid detection in complex habitats containing a higher abundance of obstacles; however, if detected, prey escape probability was dependent on both the abundance of refuges and obstacles and the predator's relative performance capabilities. Our model accurately predicted the relative escape success for impala escaping from cheetah in open savanna versus acacia thicket habitat, though escape success was consistently underestimated. 5. Our model provides a mechanistic explanation for the differential effects of habitat on survival for different predator–prey pairs. Its flexible nature means that our model can be refined to simulate specific systems and could have applications toward management programs for species threatened by habitat loss and predation.

opencc-zeroNov 2020View details →

Data from: Climate drives the geography of marine consumption by changing predator communities

The global distribution of primary production and consumption by humans (fisheries) is well-documented, but we have no map linking the central ecological process of consumption within food webs to temperature and other ecological drivers. Using standardized assays that span 105° of latitude on four continents, we show that rates of bait consumption by generalist predators in shallow marine ecosystems are tightly linked to both temperature and the composition of consumer assemblages. Unexpectedly, rates of consumption peaked at midlatitudes (25 to 35°) in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres across both seagrass and unvegetated sediment habitats. This pattern contrasts with terrestrial systems, where biotic interactions reportedly weaken away from the equator, but it parallels an emerging pattern of a subtropical peak in marine biodiversity. The higher consumption at midlatitudes was closely related to the type of consumers present, which explained rates of consumption better than consumer density, biomass, species diversity, or habitat. Indeed, the apparent effect of temperature on consumption was mostly driven by temperature-associated turnover in consumer community composition. Our findings reinforce the key influence of climate warming on altered species composition and highlight its implications for the functioning of Earth's ecosystems.

opencc-zeroDec 2020View details →

Data for: Microclimate structures communities, predation and herbivory in the High Arctic

In a warming world, changes in climate may result in species-level responses as well as changes in community structure through knock-on effects on ecological interactions such as predation and herbivory. Yet, the links between these responses at different levels are still inadequately understood. Assessing how microclimatic conditions affect each of them at local scales provides information essential for understanding the consequences of macroclimatic changes projected in the future. Focusing on the rapidly changing High Arctic, we examine how a community based on a common resource species (avens, Dryas spp.), a specialist insect herbivore (Sympistis zetterstedtii), and natural enemies of lepidopteran herbivores (parasitoids) varies along a multidimensional microclimatic gradient. We ask (1) how parasitoid community composition varies with local abiotic conditions, (2) how the community-level response of parasitoids is linked to species-specific traits (koino- or idiobiont life cycle strategy and phenology) and (3) whether the effects of varying abiotic conditions extend to interaction outcomes (parasitism rates on the focal herbivore and realized herbivory rates). We recorded the local communities of parasitoids, herbivory rates on Dryas flowers and parasitism rates in Sympistis larvae at 20 sites along a mountain slope. For linking community-level responses to microclimatic conditions with parasitoid traits, we used joint species distribution modelling. We then assessed whether the same abiotic variables also affect parasitism and herbivory rates, by applying generalized linear and additive mixed models. We find that parasitism strategy and phenology explain local variation in parasitoid community structure. Parasitoids with a koinobiont strategy preferred high-elevation sites with higher summer temperatures or sites with earlier snowmelt and lower humidity. Species of earlier phenology occurred with higher incidence at sites with cooler summer temperatures or later snowmelt. Microclimatic effects also extend to parasitism and herbivory, with an increase in the parasitism rates of the main herbivore S. zetterstedtii with higher temperature and lower humidity, and a matching increase in herbivory rates. Our results show that microclimatic variation is a strong driver of local community structure, species interactions and interaction outcomes in Arctic ecosystems. In view of ongoing climate change, these results predict that macroclimatic changes will profoundly affect arctic communities.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2020View details →

Dataset from Pardini, E. A., Parsons, L. S., Ştefan, V., & Knight, T. M. (2018). GLMM BACI environmental impact analysis shows coastal dune restoration reduces seed predation on an endangered plant. Restoration Ecology, 26(6), 1190-1194.

Data and its metadata used in the analysis from the publication: Pardini, E. A., Parsons, L. S., Ştefan, V., & Knight, T. M. (2018). GLMM BACI environmental impact analysis shows coastal dune restoration reduces seed predation on an endangered plant. Restoration Ecology, 26(6), 1190-1194. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/rec.12678">https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/rec.12678</a>

opencc-by-4.0Feb 2019View details →

Figure 1 in Predation and oviposition potential of Brazilian populations of the predatory mite Amblyseius tamatavensis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on eggs of Bemisia tabaci (Insecta: Hemiptera)

Figure 1 Locations of the collection sites of the populations of Amblyseius tamatavensisin Brazil (May 2015 to May 2016).

opencc-zeroNov 2019View details →

Data from: Neural representation of bat predation risk and evasive flight in moths: a modelling approach

Most animals are at risk from multiple predators and can vary anti-predator behaviour based on the level of threat posed by each predator. Animals use sensory systems to detect predator cues, but the relationship between the tuning of sensory systems and the sensory cues related to predator threat are not well-studied at the community level. Noctuid moths have ultrasound-sensitive ears to detect the echolocation calls of predatory bats. Here, combining empirical data and mathematical modelling, we show that moth hearing is adapted to provide information about the threat posed by different sympatric bat species. First, we found that multiple characteristics related to the threat posed by bats to moths correlate with bat echolocation call frequency. Second, the frequency tuning of the most sensitive auditory receptor in noctuid moth ears provides information allowing moths to escape detection by all sympatric bats with similar safety margin distances. Third, the least sensitive auditory receptor usually responds to bat echolocation calls at a similar distance across all moth species for a given bat species. If this neuron triggers last-ditch evasive flight, it suggests that there is an ideal reaction distance for each bat species, regardless of moth size. This study shows that even a very simple sensory system can adapt to deliver information suitable for triggering appropriate defensive reactions to each predator in a multiple predator community.

opencc-zeroNov 2019View details →

Data from: Do introduced apex predators suppress introduced mesopredators? A multiscale spatiotemporal study of dingoes and feral cats in Australia suggests not

1. The role of apex predators in structuring ecosystems through the suppression of mesopredator activity and abundance is receiving increasing attention, largely due to the potential benefits for biodiversity conservation. In Australia, invasive mesopredators such as feral cats (Felis catus) have been identified as major contributors to Australia's mass mammal extinctions since European arrival. The introduced dingo (Canis familiaris) has been proposed as a novel way to suppress the impacts of feral cats, however scientific evidence of the dingo's suppressive role is equivocal. 2. We used camera traps to investigate whether a large introduced predator (dingo) suppresses the activity of an established introduced mesopredator (feral cat) across a national park site conserving endangered species, and an agricultural site supporting cattle grazing enterprises. 3. Feral cats and dingoes exhibited marked overlap in both temporal and spatial activity, indicating coexistence. Some temporal separation was evident at the agricultural site, however this reflected higher diurnal activity by dingoes, not a responsive shift in cat activity. Cat activity times were unrelated to dingo presence and did not differ between areas occupied by dingoes and dingo-free areas. There was no evidence of dingoes excluding cats from patches at either site, nor was there evidence of within-night fine-scale spatiotemporal avoidance of dingoes by cats. 4. Species co-occurrence models revealed dingoes had no negative effect on the probability of cat presence. The probability of detecting a cat on the national park was significantly higher in areas with dingoes than in dingo-free areas, while on agricultural land, cat detectability did not differ between areas with and without dingoes. Cats remained active, abundant and widespread across both sites, with evidence of cats hunting and breeding successfully in areas occupied by dingoes. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our findings indicate that feral cats can coexist with dingoes, without apparent suppression of cat activity, abundance, or fitness. Proposals to reintroduce or restore dingoes and other large predators to suppress invasive mesopredators and conserve biodiversity should be carefully evaluated on a site-by-site basis, as their ability to suppress cats and protect species of conservation significance will likely be context dependent.

opencc-zeroDec 2019View details →

Data from: Predation drives the evolution of brain cell proliferation and brain allometry in male Trinidadian killifish, Rivulus hartii

The external environment influences brain cell proliferation, and this might contribute to brain plasticity underlying adaptive behavioural changes. Additionally, internal genetic factors influence brain cell proliferation rate. However, to date, researchers have not examined the importance of environmental vs. genetic factors in causing natural variation in brain cell proliferation. Here, we examine brain cell proliferation and brain growth trajectories in free-living populations of Trinidadian killifish, Rivulus hartii, exposed to contrasting predation environments. Compared to populations without predators, populations in high predation environments exhibited higher rates of brain cell proliferation and a steeper brain growth trajectory (relative to body size). To test whether these differences in the wild persist in a common garden environment, we reared first generation fish originating from both predation environments in uniform laboratory conditions. Just as in the wild, brain cell proliferation and brain growth in the common garden were greater in high predation populations than in no predation populations. The similar results in field and common garden studies indicate that population differences in these brain features are intrinsic, probably genetic, differences arising from natural selection acting on overall brain growth and life history rather than differences arising through phenotypic plasticity.

opencc-zeroNov 2023View details →

Predator selection on multicomponent warning signals in an aposematic moth

Aposematic prey advertise their unprofitability with conspicuous warning signals that are often composed of multiple color patterns. Many species show intraspecific variation in these patterns even though selection is expected to favor invariable warning signals that enhance predator learning. However, if predators acquire avoidance to specific signal components, this might relax selection on other aposematic traits and explain variability. Here we investigated this idea in the aposematic moth Amata nigriceps that has conspicuous black and orange coloration. The size of the orange spots in the wings is highly variable between individuals, whereas the number and width of orange abdominal stripes remain consistent. We produced artificial moths that varied in the proportion of orange in the wings or the presence of abdominal stripes. We presented these to a natural avian predator, the noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala), and recorded how different warning signal components influenced their attack decisions. When moth models had orange stripes on the abdomen, birds did not discriminate between different wing signals. However, when the stripes on the abdomen were removed, birds chose the model with smaller wing spots. In addition, we found that birds were more likely to attack moths with a smaller number of abdominal stripes. Together, our results suggest that bird predators primarily pay attention to the abdominal stripes of A. nigriceps, and this could relax selection on wing coloration. Our study highlights the importance of considering individual warning signal components if we are to understand how predation shapes selection on prey warning coloration.

FIG. A3A, B in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. A3A, B. — Six most parsimonious trees (A-F) obtained from the parsimony phylogenetic analysis under equal weights,with the Dasyuromorphia node constrained.

FIG. 18 in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. 18. — Reconstruction of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 stalking some rodents ("Neoreomys" huilensis Fields, 1957) in the La Venta area during Middle Miocene. Artist: Juan Giraldo.

FIG. 7 in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. 7. — Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997; VPPLT 1612, right side of the skull: A, lateral view; B, dorsolateral view; C, lineal draw in dorsolateral view. Abbreviations: Al, alisphenoid; dmm, depression for the masseter muscle; Eo, exoccipital; fdv, foramen for diploic vein; Fr, frontal; Ip, interparietal; Ju, jugal; La, lacrimal; Mx, maxilla; Na, nasal; oc, occipital condyle; Pa, parietal; Pal, palatine; pgp, postglenoid process; pop, postorbital process; prgp, preglenoid process of jugal; Px, premaxilla; smf, suprameatal foramen; Sq, squamosal; scr, sagittal crest. Scale bar: 20 mm.

FIG. 6 in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. 6. — Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997; VPPLT 1612, left side of the skull: A, lateral view; B, dorsolateral view; C, lineal draw in dorsolateral view. Abbreviations: Al, alisphenoid; Eo, exoccipital; Fr, frontal; fro, foramen rotundum; iof, infraorbital foramen; Ip, interparietal; Ju, jugal; La, lacrimal; Mx, maxilla; Na, nasal; oc, occipital condyle; Os, orbitosphenoid; Pa, parietal; Pal, palatine; pgp, postglenoid process; pop, postorbital process; prgp, preglenoid process of jugal; sof, sphenorbital fissure; smf, suprameatal foramen; Sq, squamosal; scr, sagittal crest; tl, temporal line. Scale bar: 20 mm.