Arthropod prey vary among orders in their nutrient and exoskeleton content

Reeves, Jacob T.; Fuhlendorf, Samuel D.; Davis, Craig A.; Wilder, Shawn M.

doi:10.1002/ece3.8280

Cited by 17 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…These two closely related species (Johansson et al 2018) share similar physiology and energetic activity profiles, which result in compositional, temporal, and spatial overlap in their foraging ecology. Therefore, we expect the two species to have similar arthropod prey order preference based on digestibility and nutritional value (Reeves et al 2021). Accordingly, we found a dietary overlap of nine prey orders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Web-sourced photographic methods reveal dietary composition and shifts in resident and migrant Coracias rollers in southern Africa

et al. 2023

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Closely related species coexisting in the same niche often have dietary overlap and interspecific competition can result in resource partitioning e.g., dietary shifts, migration or phenological changes. Traditional methods to study avian diets are typically costly, difficult, and invasive. Using web-sourced photographs is an emerging, non-invasive method to study avian foraging ecology. We used this approach, along with photographic road surveys, to study prey composition of migratory European Rollers Coracias garrulus and resident Lilac-breasted Rollers Coracias caudatus where they co-occur in southern Africa. These insectivorous sister species are frequently photographed with prey in their bills because of their conspicuous perch-and-wait foraging behaviour and bright plumage coloration. We collated over 250 photographs of rollers holding prey and identified prey items representing 15 animal orders. Lilac-breasted Roller diet contained six unique orders of prey during the Austral summer (when the European Roller is present), and only one during winter (when the European Roller has migrated north). This suggests that Lilac-breasted Rollers may broaden their diet seasonally to alleviate competition with European Rollers during summer. Additionally, Lilac-breasted and European Rollers had an 84% overlap in dietary composition, potentially representing high interspecific competition - even during wet savanna summers when resource abundance is high - that might have originally driven the evolution of migratory behaviour in the European Roller. Our findings expand the current knowledge of roller diets and highlighting the growing role of social media in ecological studies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Web-sourced photographic methods reveal dietary composition and shifts in resident and migrant Coracias rollers in southern Africa

et al. 2023

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“…Taxonomic groups without any particular defensive structures, such as aphids and springtails, were frequently consumed, further supporting this hypothesis. Apart from their strong exoskeleton, Coleoptera also have low protein content (Reeves et al, 2021), which could further explain why they were not predated very often. The low predation probability of pseudoscorpion prey might illustrate that, sometimes, offence is the best defence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Apart from their strong exoskeleton, Coleoptera also have low protein content (Reeves et al, 2021), which could further explain why F I G U R E 6 Mosaic plot representing the relative frequency of the predator taxonomic groups within each category of agreement between the two food webs. Coding and colours are as in Figure 5.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, two (spider) species living in different microhabitats could be placed together, resulting in more frequent spider-on-spider predation. Given their high protein content and relatively soft exoskeleton (Reeves et al, 2021), spiders make high risk-high reward prey for other predators. Targeting smaller spider individuals might help mitigate this risk.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Arthropod food webs predicted from body size ratios are improved by incorporating prey defensive properties

Walle

Logghe

Haas

et al. 2023

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Trophic interactions are often deduced from body size differences, assuming that predators prefer prey smaller than themselves because larger prey are more difficult to subdue. This has mainly been confirmed in aquatic ecosystems, but rarely in terrestrial ecosystems, especially in arthropods. Our goal was to validate whether body size ratios can predict trophic interactions in a terrestrial, plant‐associated arthropod community and whether predator hunting strategy and prey taxonomy could explain additional variation. We conducted feeding trials with arthropods from marram grass in coastal dunes to test whether two individuals, of the same or different species, would predate each other. From the trial results, we constructed one of the most complete, empirically derived food webs for terrestrial arthropods associated with a single plant species. We contrasted this empirical food web with a theoretical web based on body size ratios, activity period, microhabitat, and expert knowledge. In our feeding trials, predator–prey interactions were indeed largely size‐based. Moreover, the theoretical and empirically based food webs converged well for both predator and prey species. However, predator hunting strategy, and especially prey taxonomy improved predictions of predation. Well‐defended taxa, such as hard‐bodied beetles, were less frequently consumed than expected based on their body size. For instance, a beetle of average size (measuring 4 mm) is 38% less vulnerable than another average arthropod with the same length. Body size ratios predict trophic interactions among plant‐associated arthropods fairly well. However, traits such as hunting strategy and anti‐predator defences can explain why certain trophic interactions do not adhere to size‐based rules. Feeding trials can generate insights into multiple traits underlying real‐life trophic interactions among arthropods.

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“…It was suggested by these results that some stage‐dependent factors may also underlie ODS in araneophagic spiders, although the relative importance of the life stage was lower than that of the other main factors (Table 1a ). In general, organisms at lower trophic levels (e.g., herbivorous insects) are rich in lipid content, while those at higher trophic levels (e.g., spiders) contain more protein than lipids (Reeves et al, 2021 ; Wilder et al, 2013 ). Thus, predators at the top trophic levels tend to suffer from lipid limitation, an essential macronutrient for improving juvenile growth (Jensen et al, 2010 ; Wiggins & Wilder, 2018 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ontogenetic dietary shift from non‐dangerous to dangerous prey in predator‐eating predators under capture risk

Suzuki

Ikemoto

Yokoi

2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Evaluating the patterns and generality of ontogenetic dietary shifts (ODSs) contributes to understanding prey–predator interactions and food web dynamics. Numerous studies have focused on predators that target distinctively lower trophic‐level organisms. However, the ODS of predators that routinely prey on organisms at similar trophic levels (i.e., predator‐eating predators) have been neglected in ODS research. The ODS patterns of predator eaters may not fit into conventional frameworks owing to constraints of potential capture risk (e.g., deadly counterattack from prey) and body size. We aimed to reveal the ODS patterns of predator eaters and determine whether the patterns were affected by body size and capture risk. Assuming that capture risk is a significant factor in ODS patterns, we expected: (1) juvenile araneophagic spiders to forage on non‐dangerous prey (insects) and capture larger non‐dangerous prey more frequently than dangerous prey (spiders); and (2) as they grow, their prey types will shift from non‐dangerous to dangerous prey because larger predators will be able to capture dangerous prey as the optimal food. As a result of field observations, we revealed that the major ODS pattern in these spiders changed from a mixed (both insect and spider) to a spider‐dominant diet. The model selection approach showed that this diet shift was partly due to predator size, and the relative importance of predator size was higher than the life stage per se and almost equal to species identity. In these spiders, the body size of spider prey tended to be smaller than that of insects when the predators were small, suggesting that capture risk may be a critical factor in determining the ODS patterns of these predators. Therefore, our study adds to the evidence that the capture risk is crucial in comprehensively understanding the mechanisms determining ODS patterns in natural systems.

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Arthropod prey vary among orders in their nutrient and exoskeleton content

Abstract: consume a diversity of prey that can vary widely in quality. Arthropod prey provide bulk nutrients such as carbohydrates, lipids, and protein that are important as a source of energy and for building body mass

Cited by 17 publications

References 43 publications

Web-sourced photographic methods reveal dietary composition and shifts in resident and migrant Coracias rollers in southern Africa

Web-sourced photographic methods reveal dietary composition and shifts in resident and migrant Coracias rollers in southern Africa

Arthropod food webs predicted from body size ratios are improved by incorporating prey defensive properties

The ontogenetic dietary shift from non‐dangerous to dangerous prey in predator‐eating predators under capture risk

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