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Wormlions are small fly larvae that dig pits in loose soil to trap their prey. Similar to other trapbuilding predators, like spiders and antlions, they depend on the habitat structure for successful trap construction and prey catch. We examined whether sites at which wormlions are present differ in sand depth and particle size from nearby sites, at which wormlions are absent. Next, in the laboratory we manipulated both sand depth and type (fine vs. coarse) to determine their joint effect on microhabitat preference, the size of the constructed pit, wormlion movement, and their latency to respond to prey. We expected better performance by wormlions in fine and deep sand, and the sand in wormlions' natural sites to be finer and deeper. However, in only partial agreement with our expectations, wormlion sites featured finer sand but not deeper sand. In the laboratory, wormlions preferred both fine and deep sand, and moved more in shallow and coarse sand, which we interpret as an attempt to relocate away from unfavorable conditions. However, only deep sand led to larger pits being constructed and to a faster response to prey. The preference for fine sand could, therefore, be related to other benefits that sand provides. Finally, body mass was a dominant factor, interacting with the preference for both deep and fine sand: deep over shallow sand was more favored by large wormlions and fine over coarse sand by smaller ones. Our results suggest that several factors should be incorporated when studying microhabitat selection.

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Habitat development may affect wildlife behaviour, favouring individuals or behaviours that cope better with perceived threats (predators). Bolder behaviours in human‐dominated habitats (HDH; e.g. urban and rural settlements) may represent habituation specifically to humans, or a general reduction in predator‐avoidance response. However, such carry‐over effects across threat types (i.e. beyond humans) and phases of the escape sequence have not been well studied to date. Here we investigated escape behaviours of a locally common wader species, the spur‐winged lapwing Vanellus spinosus. We assayed their flight initiation distance (FID) and subsequent escape behaviours in agricultural areas and in HDH. We found that lapwings in HDH were bolder, and that the difference was manifested in several phases of the predator‐avoidance sequence (shorter FIDs, shorter distances fled, and a higher probability of escape by running vs. flying). When re‐approached (by an observer) after landing, lapwings in HDH were also more repetitive in their FID than those in other habitats. To determine whether this apparent bolder behaviour in HDH areas is merely a consequence of habituation to humans or represents a broader behavioural change, we introduced an additional threat type—a remotely‐operated taxidermic jackal (‘Jack‐Truck’). Finding bolder responses in the HDH to the human threat alone (and not to the Jack‐Truck) could have supported the habituation hypothesis. In contrast, however, we found a bolder response in the HDH to both threat types, as well as a correlation between their FIDs across different sites. These bolder behaviours suggest that HDH impose a broader behavioural change on lapwings, rather than just simple habituation. Overall, our findings demonstrate how FID trials can reveal strong behavioural carry‐over effects of HDH following human and non‐human threats, including effects on the subsequent phases of escaping the predator. Further, FID assays may reveal consistent behavioural types when assessed under field conditions, and offer a direct way to differentiate among the various poorly understood and non‐mutually exclusive mechanisms that lead to behavioural differences among organisms in HDH. The mechanistic perspective is essential for understanding how rapid urbanization impacts wildlife behaviour, populations, and the range of behaviours within them, even in species apparently resilient to such environmental changes.