Prey body size mediates the predation risk associated with being "odd"

Rodgers, Gwendolen M.; Downing, Beatrice C; Morrell, Lesley J.

doi:10.1093/beheco/aru185

Cited by 36 publications

(45 citation statements)

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“…Body size is correlated with many physiological and ecological processes as well as organism's traits, e.g., metabolic rate [1], life duration [2], predation [3], parasitism [4], and competition [5]. Current knowledge of mechanisms affecting the body size distribution is based mainly on studies involving vertebrates [6][7][8][9], while researches on invertebrates are still rare, although more frequent during last years [10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Habitat Complexity on Body Size of Two Spider Species, Alopecosa cuneata and A. pulverulenta (Araneae, Lycosidae), in River Valley Grasslands

Stańska¹,

Stański²,

Wielgosz³

et al. 2018

Pol. J. Environ. Stud.

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Many studies have shown that vegetation structure and habitat complexity affect taxonomic composition, functional diversity, and the number of individuals in spider assemblages. These factors also affect spider body size, but mechanisms responsible for that are still not well understood. In our research, we examined the relationship between the body size of spiders from two species -Alopecosa cuneata and A. pulverulenta -and environmental factors such as habitat type and habitat complexity. Our research was conducted in the Bug River Valley on 12 plots covering three types of habitats: mesic meadow, sandy grassland, and xerothermic grassland. Spiders were collected in 2007-08 from April to mid-November using pitfall traps. In total we measured 334 males and 168 females of Alopecosa cuneata and 315 males and 104 females of A. pulverulenta. The generalized linear mixed model revealed that individuals of Alopecosa cuneata as well as A. pulverulenta reached larger sizes in more complex vegetation, whereas the habitat type did not affect the spider body size. One of the likely mechanisms responsible for a larger body size in more complex habitats is predator pressure. Birds as the main predators of spiders, being selective in their choice of prey, may collect larger spiders with higher intensity than smaller ones. We suggest that more complex habitats with dense vegetation provide better shelter for large spiders, which allows them to avoid predators. Our results indicate that habitat complexity may be an important determinant of body size distribution in spider assemblages.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Habitat Complexity on Body Size of Two Spider Species, Alopecosa cuneata and A. pulverulenta (Araneae, Lycosidae), in River Valley Grasslands

Stańska¹,

Stański²,

Wielgosz³

et al. 2018

Pol. J. Environ. Stud.

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“…This "oddity effect," where individuals that differ in body size (Rodgers, Downing, & Morrell, 2015;Theodorakis, 1989), colour (Landeau & Terborgh, 1986;Ohguchi, 1978;Pielowski, 1959) or species (Almany, Peacock, Syms, McCormick, & Jones, 2007) are targeted more readily, has been investigated in mammals, birds, fishes and invertebrates alike. This "oddity effect," where individuals that differ in body size (Rodgers, Downing, & Morrell, 2015;Theodorakis, 1989), colour (Landeau & Terborgh, 1986;Ohguchi, 1978;Pielowski, 1959) or species (Almany, Peacock, Syms, McCormick, & Jones, 2007) are targeted more readily, has been investigated in mammals, birds, fishes and invertebrates alike.…”

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confidence: 99%

Oddity, predation risk and social decisions in aquatic invertebrates

et al. 2018

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Group living is widespread across animal taxa, incurring benefits such as increased foraging efficiency or an enhanced chance of surviving a predator's attack. The chances of escaping a predator are often lower for odd‐looking individuals, as these are detected at a higher rate than uniform looking group members. While this “oddity effect” shall operate in animals differing in any given phenotype, including colour, size or species identity, it has been experimentally tested mainly for odd‐coloured individuals. We examined the oddity effect and swarming preferences in two differently sized species of freshwater planktonic crustaceans (large Daphnia magna and small Daphnia pulex). We experimentally investigated whether odd individuals in a swarm of heterospecific Daphnia were more vulnerable to predation by a common predator, the three‐spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Furthermore, Daphnia's swarming preference was tested by giving individuals the opportunity to choose between conspecific/heterospecific odour and a neutral control. In contrast to the predictions of the oddity effect, odd individuals were not always preyed on earlier; instead three‐spined stickleback preferentially predated large, more nutritious individuals. Daphnia of both species reacted towards the perception of con‐ and heterospecifics odours. While D. pulex generally avoided the smell of other daphnids, D. magna avoided conspecifics but tended to prefer heterospecifics over the neutral control. These findings provide new insights into swarming strategies and social preference of an invertebrate and how this behaviour can influence predation risk.

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“…This may suggest a tradeoff between the potential benefits of association with unlike individuals, such as competitive advantages or greater foraging efficiency (Metcalfe & Thompson, 1995;Dyer et al, 2009;Aplin et al, 2014), and phenotypic assortment when faced with the threat of predation. Selective targeting of phenotypically odd individuals by predators can favor within-group homogeneity in prey species (Landeau & Terborgh, 1986;Krakauer, 1995;Rodgers et al, 2015), thereby promoting positive assortment between phenotypically similar individuals. Within fish, size-assortative grouping has been particularly well-studied, and is commonly observed in response to an elevated threat of predation .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This cost to benefit ratio varies according to phenotypic characteristics, such as age, sex, reproductive state, or hunger level, as well as with the size and phenotypic composition of a group Farine, Montiglio, et al, 2015). Members of phenotypically homogeneous groups can experience reduced predation risk (Landeau & Terborgh, 1986;Rodgers et al, 2015) and lower costs of behavioral synchrony (Conradt & Roper, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Grouping is one such response to increased threat levels, and acts to reduce predation risk through dilution effects and interference with a predator's ability to target individual group members (Landeau & Terborgh, 1986;Ioannou et al, 2012). Prey species also frequently exhibit phenotypic assortment according to characteristics such as species, body size, and sex in order to counteract preferential targeting of phenotypically dissimilar individuals by predators (Landeau & Terborgh, 1986;Rodgers et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Social dynamics, network structure, and information diffusion in fish shoals.

Hasenjager¹

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for always ensuring my library was well-stocked, and for fostering my enduring love of the natural world. Animal populations are often highly structured, with individuals differing in terms of whom they interact with and how frequently they do so. The resulting pattern of relationships constitutes a population's social network. In this dissertation, I examine how environmental variation can shape social networks and influence information flow within them. In Chapter I, I review the history of social network analysis in animal behavior research, and discuss recent insights generated by network approaches in behavioral ecology. I focus on the fields of: social learning, collective behavior, animal personalities, and cooperation. Animal network studies are often criticized for a lack of replication at the network level and an over-reliance on descriptive approaches in lieu of hypothesis testing. Small, shoaling fish may provide a means to address these concerns, as manipulative experiments can be conducted on replicate social groups under captive conditions. Chapters III-V examine the impacts of environmental variation on the social networks of Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata) shoals, the social dynamics from which they emerge, and information diffusion within them. In the experiments described in Chapter III, I manipulated shoal composition in terms of within-group familiarity.Mixed shoals of familiar and unfamiliar fish exhibited greater homogeneity in network vi structure relative to other groups, which likely contributed to the rapid diffusion of foraging information observed within them. In the experiments discussed in Chapter IV, Imanipulated the within-shoal mixture of personality types. In addition to impacting frequencies of partner switching and patterns of phenotypic assortment, individual-and group-level personality variation had strong effects on the initial acquisition of novel foraging information and the speed of its transmission through a group. In the experiments in Chapter V, I manipulated the ambient predation risk perceived by groups.High-risk conditions were associated with shifts in network structure consistent with attempts to minimize predation risk. High ambient risk also impeded the acquisition and subsequent transmission of foraging information, likely due to heightened neophobia and/or an increase in the perceived costs of personal sampling. I conclude in Chapter VI by considering the broader implications of my work and highlighting promising avenues for future research.vii

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Prey body size mediates the predation risk associated with being "odd"

Cited by 36 publications

References 50 publications

Impact of Habitat Complexity on Body Size of Two Spider Species, Alopecosa cuneata and A. pulverulenta (Araneae, Lycosidae), in River Valley Grasslands

Impact of Habitat Complexity on Body Size of Two Spider Species, Alopecosa cuneata and A. pulverulenta (Araneae, Lycosidae), in River Valley Grasslands

Oddity, predation risk and social decisions in aquatic invertebrates

Social dynamics, network structure, and information diffusion in fish shoals.

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