Soldier bug predation on swallowtail caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae): Circumvention of defensive chemistry

Berenbaum, May R.; Moreno, Ben; Green, E.

doi:10.1007/bf01048003

Cited by 17 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Moreover, many experimental designs may not adequately represent the behavioural defence mechanisms of insect prey, such as escape by dropping (Frank et al, 2007;Herrick et al, 2008), defensive thrashing (Frank et al, 2007) or active excretion of noxious chemicals (Berenbaum, Moreno & Green, 1992;Nishida, 2002;Grant, 2006). The often crucial importance of prey behaviour under attack from invertebrate predators (Nishida, 2002) renders any experiments using artificial prey items questionable, as means of quantifying mortality caused by these predators.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Quantifying predation on folivorous insect larvae: the perspective of life-history evolution

Remmel

Davison

Tammaru

2011

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Assumptions about mortality rates form a cornerstone for models of life-history evolution. When seeking adaptive explanations for body sizes, the size dependence of predation risk is of particular interest. Here, we review published studies that provide (1) estimates of the daily predation rates experienced by insect larvae feeding on tree leaves or (2) evidence concerning the relationship between predation risk and larval size. Larvae were found to experience an average avian predation rate of 3.1% per day and an average arthropod predation rate of 10.5% per day. In some studies, mortality rates were systematically dependent on parameters of the larvae (e.g. coloration) or of the environment (host plant, season), but not to the extent that would render generalizations meaningless. Nevertheless, mortality rates varied considerably more for arthropod than avian predators, making an estimate of avian predation rate more reliable for use in quantitative models. Moreover, birds tend to be a more important predator guild exploiting the larger larval stages, as indicated by the predominantly positive size dependence of avian predation risk. By contrast, predation by arthropods was generally negatively size dependent. Based on the available data, we estimate that avian predation rates increase approximately 3.6-fold, while arthropod predation rates decrease approximately 4.9-fold, in response to a 2-fold increase in the linear size of prey. A modelling exercise showed that realistic mortality rates -if assumed to be independent of size -cannot serve as a basis for adaptive explanations for observed body sizes. However, by assuming a positive size dependence of mortality risk within the limits observed for bird predation, it is possible to explain a wide range of body sizes within an optimality framework.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Quantifying predation on folivorous insect larvae: the perspective of life-history evolution

Remmel

Davison

Tammaru

2011

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These active defense mechanisms may have differential efficiency depending on the predator (McClure & Despland, 2011). In swallowtail larvae (Papilionidae), there is a particular defense mechanism, the osmeterium , an eversible organ that releases noxious chemicals following disturbance; the osmeterium repels effectively predacious arthropods (Honda, 1983; Berenbaum et al ., 1992; Chattopadhyay, 2011) but it is less effective against vertebrate predators (Järvi et al ., 1981; Leslie & Berenbaum, 1990). Considering that chemical defenses entail a cost to individual performance due to the energy investment required to translocate or synthesize them (Björkman & Larson, 1991; Bowers, 1992; Higginson et al ., 2011), and that behavioural defenses such as thrashing also involve energy expenditure, sharing of active defenses via group living should decrease associated costs and thereby enhance individual performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gregariousness affects performance and defensive reactions in swallowtail caterpillars

Cisternas

Escobedo

Ríos

et al. 2020

Ecological Entomology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1. Group living in caterpillars may enhance individual performance due to sharing of costs associated with individual tasks when dealing with biotic or abiotic ecological factors. 2. In the gregarious caterpillar Battus polydamas archidamas (Papilionidae) egg clusters and caterpillar groups vary in size. We hypothesized that individual survival would be higher in larger groups and that group living would enhance individual performance: shorter development time and/or reduced frequency of (presumably costly) defensive reactions in larvae and larger adult size. We also tested whether the group size conferring the highest survival to laboratory-reared caterpillars matched the most frequent egg clutch size in the field. 3. We collected egg clutches in the field and reared caterpillars in groups of 1, 6, 10, and 14 individuals. We quantified larval survival and stage duration as well as adult mass under laboratory conditions, excluding natural enemies. We also recorded the frequency of larval defensive reactions (thrashing and osmeterium display) against a tactile stimulus of first-instar larvae. 4. Group living enhanced caterpillar survival, particularly during the first instars, when caterpillars are 100% gregarious. Groups of intermediate size reduced larval development time but group living did not affect adult mass. Individual caterpillars in groups showed defensive reactions less frequently than solitary individuals, revealing a cost-saving feature of gregariousness for this swallowtail species. The most frequent clutch size in the field (9-10 eggs) did not match the larval group with highest survival (14 individuals), but did match the group with shortest development time.

show abstract

“…[6]), warning signals (including behaviours, sounds and colours, i.e., aposematism) or alternatively crypsis [7]–[11], and/or direct behavioural response (fleeing [12], feigning death [13], [14], attacking [15]–[18]). Conversely, predators are selected for their efficacy to acquire prey, i.e., in bypassing their defence [19]–[24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Native Prey and Invasive Predator Patterns of Foraging Activity: The Case of the Yellow-Legged Hornet Predation at European Honeybee Hives

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Contrary to native predators, which have co-evolved with their prey, alien predators often benefit from native prey naïveté. Vespa velutina, a honeybee predator originating from Eastern China, was introduced into France just before 2004. The present study, based on video recordings of two beehives at an early stage of the invasion process, intends to analyse the alien hornet hunting behaviour on the native prey, Apis mellifera, and to understand the interaction between the activity of the predator and the prey during the day and the season. Chasing hornets spent most of their time hovering facing the hive, to catch flying honeybees returning to the hive. The predation pressure increased during the season confirming previous study based on predator trapping. The number of honeybee captures showed a maximum peak for an intermediate number of V. velutina, unrelated to honeybee activity, suggesting the occurrence of competition between hornets. The number of honeybees caught increased during midday hours while the number of hornets did not vary, suggesting an increase in their efficacy. These results suggest that the impact of V. velutina on honeybees is limited by its own biology and behaviour and did not match the pattern of activity of its prey. Also, it could have been advantageous during the invasion, limiting resource depletion and thus favouring colonisation. This lack of synchronization may also be beneficial for honeybee colonies by giving them an opportunity to increase their activity when the hornets are less effective.

show abstract

Soldier bug predation on swallowtail caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae): Circumvention of defensive chemistry

Cited by 17 publications

References 13 publications

Quantifying predation on folivorous insect larvae: the perspective of life-history evolution

Quantifying predation on folivorous insect larvae: the perspective of life-history evolution

Gregariousness affects performance and defensive reactions in swallowtail caterpillars

Native Prey and Invasive Predator Patterns of Foraging Activity: The Case of the Yellow-Legged Hornet Predation at European Honeybee Hives

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About