A Learning Strategy for Predator Preying on Edible and Inedible Prey

Tsoularis, A.

doi:10.1007/s10441-007-9020-y

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Two types of sequence experiments were designed (each with a different set of 23 birds) to avoid any potential protection transfer effect, that is when an inedible firebug is presented as the first prey (Gamberale‐Stille & Sillén‐Tullberg ) or, on the contrary, any potential reinforcement effect, when an edible roach is presented as the first prey (Tsoularis ). In the first type of sequence experiment, each trial started with the presentation of a roach followed by the presentation of a firebug.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low Ability of Great Tits to Discriminate Similarly Inconspicuous Edible and Inedible Prey

et al. 2016

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Numerous studies have shown warning coloration to facilitate the discrimination of edible and inedible prey. However, inedible insect species may possess cryptic coloration as well. It has been shown that some other visual features (especially characteristic body shape) are sufficient for the recognition of some insect taxa (e.g. ladybirds, ants, wasps). We tested the ability of wild-caught great tits (Parus major) to discriminate between the identically coloured edible (roach -Blaptica dubia) and the inedible (firebug -Pyrrhocoris apterus) as prey according to subtle peripheral visual traits (shape of legs and antennae, body posture, and means of locomotion). Both prey species were offered either simultaneously or alternately. The ability of the birds to learn was tested by means of fourteen trial repetitions in two sessions. In general, great tits were not able to learn to discriminate between firebugs and roaches by subtle shape cues alone during the two sessions. However, multivariate analysis of individual bird behaviour showed that they adopted one of three different attitudes to the presented prey. Most of the birds never attacked any or always attacked both prey. In addition, a small proportion of the birds was able to discriminate between the two prey types and attacked only roaches. Nevertheless, firebugs survived most of the attacks, which suggests that in case of chemically protected prey, the evolution of conspicuous coloration is not always the best/only option.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low Ability of Great Tits to Discriminate Similarly Inconspicuous Edible and Inedible Prey

et al. 2016

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“…(19) is satisfied. λ − and λ + are roots of (A6) and given by (21). (18), and consider the following one-dimensional discrete dynamics for x n ∈ R:…”

Section: Appendix 1 Dynamics Without Model Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tsoularis and Wallace [24] and Tsoularis [21][22][23] considered a type of mathematical model with the predator's learning and forgetting and discussed its effect on the predation rate, making use of numerical calculations of the mathematical model, 'learning automaton' as it is called by themselves. They mainly discussed the predation efficiency from the viewpoint of its optimality as foraging strategy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A mathematical model of population dynamics for Batesian mimicry system

Seno

Kohno

2012

Journal of Biological Dynamics

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We analyse a mathematical model of the population dynamics among a mimic, a corresponding model, and their common predator populations. Predator changes its search-and-attack probability by forming and losing its search image. It cannot distinguish the mimic from the model. Once a predator eats a model individual, it comes to omit both the model and the mimic species from its diet menu. If a predator eats a mimic individual, it comes to increase the search-and-attack probability for both model and mimic. The predator may lose the repulsive/attractive search image with a probability per day. By analysing our model, we can derive the mathematical condition for the persistence of model and mimic populations, and then get the result that the condition for the persistence of model population does not depend on the mimic population size, while the condition for the persistence of mimic population does depend the predator's memory of search image.

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Adaptive Evolution of Defense Ability Leads to Diversification of Prey Species

Wang

2014

Acta Biotheor

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In this paper, by using the adaptive dynamics approach, we investigate how the adaptive evolution of defense ability promotes the diversity of prey species in an initial one-prey-two-predator community. We assume that the prey species can evolve to a safer strategy such that it can reduce the predation risk, but a prey with a high defense ability for one predator may have a low defense ability for the other and vice versa. First, by using the method of critical function analysis, we find that if the trade-off is convex in the vicinity of the evolutionarily singular strategy, then this singular strategy is a continuously stable strategy. However, if the trade-off is weakly concave near the singular strategy and the competition between the two predators is relatively weak, then the singular strategy may be an evolutionary branching point. Second, we find that after the branching has occurred in the prey strategy, if the trade-off curve is globally concave, then the prey species might eventually evolve into two specialists, each caught by only one predator species. However, if the trade-off curve is convex-concave-convex, the prey species might eventually branch into two partial specialists, each being caught by both of the two predators and they can stably coexist on the much longer evolutionary timescale.

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A Learning Strategy for Predator Preying on Edible and Inedible Prey

Cited by 3 publications

References 22 publications

Low Ability of Great Tits to Discriminate Similarly Inconspicuous Edible and Inedible Prey

Low Ability of Great Tits to Discriminate Similarly Inconspicuous Edible and Inedible Prey

A mathematical model of population dynamics for Batesian mimicry system

Adaptive Evolution of Defense Ability Leads to Diversification of Prey Species

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