scholarly journals Seeing is believing: information content and behavioural response to visual and chemical cues

2013 ◽  
Vol 280 (1763) ◽  
pp. 20130886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco G. Gonzálvez ◽  
Miguel A. Rodríguez-Gironés
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
Oecophylla Smaragdina ◽  
Visual Appearance ◽  
Predator Cues ◽  
Conflicting Demands ◽  
Relative Value ◽  
Examination Time ◽  
Foraging Time

Predator avoidance and foraging often pose conflicting demands. Animals can decrease mortality risk searching for predators, but searching decreases foraging time and hence intake. We used this principle to investigate how prey should use information to detect, assess and respond to predation risk from an optimal foraging perspective. A mathematical model showed that solitary bees should increase flower examination time in response to predator cues and that the rate of false alarms should be negatively correlated with the relative value of the flower explored. The predatory ant, Oecophylla smaragdina , and the harmless ant , Polyrhachis dives , differ in the profile of volatiles they emit and in their visual appearance. As predicted, the solitary bee Nomia strigata spent more time examining virgin flowers in presence of predator cues than in their absence. Furthermore, the proportion of flowers rejected decreased from morning to noon, as the relative value of virgin flowers increased. In addition, bees responded differently to visual and chemical cues. While chemical cues induced bees to search around flowers, bees detecting visual cues hovered in front of them. These strategies may allow prey to identify the nature of visual cues and to locate the source of chemical cues.

Look before you jump: jumping spiders discriminate different ants by visual cues

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajesh Vijayan ◽  
Chethana Casiker ◽  
Divya Uma
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Oecophylla Smaragdina ◽  
Predominant Role ◽  
Weaver Ants ◽  
Jumping Spiders ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Invertebrate Predator ◽  
Top Predators

AbstractAnts, being ubiquitous, aggressive, and top predators, play a predominant role in terrestrial ecosystems. Jumping spiders are another prominent invertebrate predator that are present in similar habitats as that of ants. Most jumping spiders are thought to avoid ants, yet little is known if they discriminate among them. In this study we examined the response of jumping spider genus Plexippus towards three different ant species (Oecophylla smaragdina, the weaver ants; Camponotus sericeus the golden-back carpenter ants, and Leptogenys processionalis, the procession ants). In a behavioral assay that excluded tactile and chemical cues, we tested if spiders distinguish the three ants by visual cues alone. We recorded and analysed behaviors such as ‘look’, ‘approach’, ‘stalk’, ‘attack’, and ‘avoidance’ by spiders towards ants. Our results show that the three ants differ in their color, movement and aggressive behavior. Spiders gave ‘short looks’ to live ants, suggesting movement is important in detecting ants. Furthermore, spiders gave significantly more ‘long looks’ to procession and golden-back ants compared to weaver ants. Spiders approached, stalked and attacked procession ants more compared to weaver ants. Numerous jumping spiders and ants overlap in their habitat, and it is advantageous to selectively avoid some ants over others. Our results suggests that jumping spiders can indeed distinguish ants that co-occur in their habitat by visual cues alone, however, the precise nature of visual cues warrants further studies.

Male salamanders remember individuals based on chemical or visual cues

Behaviour ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 146 (11) ◽  
pp. 1485-1498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Kohn ◽  
Robert Jaeger
Keyword(s):  
Filter Paper ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Plethodon Cinereus ◽  
Multiple Cues

AbstractThe use of multiple cues can enhance the detection, recognition, discrimination, and memorability of individuals by receivers. We conducted two experiments, using only males, to test whether territorial red-backed salamanders, Plethodon cinereus, could use only chemical or only visual cues to remember familiar conspecifics. In both experiments, focal males spent significantly more time threatening unfamiliar than familiar male intruders. They also chemoinvestigated the filter paper containing chemical cues of unfamiliar intruders more often than that of familiar intruders. These results suggest that red-backed salamanders can use both chemical and visual cues to recognize familiar individuals, allowing them to distinguish between less threatening neighbours and more threatening intruders in the heterogeneous forest floor habitat, where visual cues alone would not always be available.

scholarly journals Periwinkle climbing response to water- and airbone predator chemical cues may depend on home-marsh geography

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5744 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Carroll ◽  
Morgan B. Church ◽  
Christopher M. Finelli
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Chemical Cue ◽  
Predator Cues ◽  
Littorina Irrorata ◽  
Spatial Refuge ◽  
Response To Water

The salt marsh periwinkle, Littorina irrorata, exhibits a spatial refuge from predation by climbing the stems of Spartina alterniflora in order to avoid benthic predators. Salt marsh periwinkles have a broad geographic distribution, and for many species, responses to predators also varies with biogeography. This study sought to determine if the geographical location of the home marsh influenced the response of periwinkles (climbing height) to blue crab predator cues both via air and water. Snails from Louisiana (LA) climbed higher in general than those from North Carolina (NC), regardless of chemical cue. However, LA snails climbed 11 cm higher in the presence of waterborne predators than control snails with no cue, while NC snails only climbed five cm higher in the same comparisons. Airborne chemical cue tended to have snails climbing at intermediate heights. These responses were significantly enhanced when both populations of snails were housed together. Periwinkle response to predator cues was stronger in LA than NC, and so it is possible that the behavioral response of these snails to predators varies with biogeography of the home marsh. Also interestingly, the results of this study also suggest that cue delivery is probably occurring via mechanisms other than water, and potentially via airborne cues. Therefore, salt marsh periwinkles likely respond to numerous cues that initiate behavioral responses, including airborne cues, and these responses may vary by home-marsh geography.

Effects of turbidity on the reactive distance, search time, and foraging success of juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 1978-1984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin J Meager ◽  
Turid Solbakken ◽  
Anne C Utne-Palm ◽  
Tina Oen
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Search Time ◽  
Turbid Water ◽  
Reactive Distance ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Dark Conditions ◽  
Predation Rates

We investigated the effects of turbidity on the foraging behaviour of juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) on mysid prey (Praunus neglectus) in the laboratory. The influence of turbidity on vision and chemoreception was examined by measuring reactive distances and search times to visual, chemical, and visual–chemical prey cues over turbidity levels ranging from 0.4 to 17·m–1 (beam attenuation·m–1). We also compared foraging rates of juvenile cod on mysids in highly turbid water and clear water under well lit and totally dark conditions. Juvenile cod using chemical cues were able to locate mysids from significantly longer distances than when only visual cues were available. Turbidity did not affect reactive distance to chemical cues, and had only a weak negative effect on reactive distance to visual and visual–chemical cues. Search time was variable, but tended to increase with turbidity. Turbidity did not affect predation rates on free-ranging mysids, but predation rates were significantly lower in dark conditions than in well lit conditions. We suggest that juvenile cod use chemoreception in conjunction with vision (at close ranges) to locate prey in highly turbid water.

Sensory determinants of agonistic interactions in the red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus

Behaviour ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 150 (12) ◽  
pp. 1467-1489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arielle Duhaime-Ross ◽  
Geneviève Martel ◽  
Frédéric Laberge
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Plethodon Cinereus ◽  
Inanimate Object ◽  
Agonistic Interactions ◽  
Multimodal Signals ◽  
Sensory Modalities

Many animals use and react to multimodal signals — signals that occur in more than one sensory modality. This study focused on the respective roles of vision, chemoreception, and their possible interaction in determining agonistic responses of the red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus. The use of a computer display allowed separate or combined presentation of visual and chemical cues. A cue isolation experiment using adult male and juvenile salamanders showed that both visual and chemical cues from unfamiliar male conspecifics could increase aggressive displays. Submissive displays were only increased in juveniles, and specifically by the visual cue. The rate of chemoinvestigation of the substrate was increased only by chemical cues in adults, whereas both chemical and visual cues increased this behaviour in juveniles. Chemoinvestigation appears, thus, more dependent on sensory input in juvenile salamanders. A follow-up experiment comparing responses to visual cues of different animals (conspecific salamander, heterospecific salamander and earthworm) or an inanimate object (wood stick) showed that exploratory behaviour was higher in the presence of the inanimate object stimulus. The heterospecific salamander stimulus produced strong submissive and escape responses, while the conspecific salamander stimulus promoted aggressive displays. Finally, the earthworm stimulus increased both aggressive and submissive behaviours at intermediate levels when compared to salamander cues. These specific combinations of agonistic and exploratory responses to each stimulus suggest that salamanders could discriminate the cues visually. This study sheds some light on how information from different sensory modalities guides social behaviour at different life stages in a salamander.

scholarly journals Speed and accuracy in nest-mate recognition: a hover wasp prioritizes face recognition over colony odour cues to minimize intrusion by outsiders

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1802) ◽  
pp. 20142750 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Baracchi ◽  
I. Petrocelli ◽  
L. Chittka ◽  
G. Ricciardi ◽  
S. Turillazzi
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Mate Recognition ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
Nest Mate ◽  
Colony Odour ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
Chemical Profiles ◽  
Serious Injury

Social insects have evolved sophisticated recognition systems enabling them to accept nest-mates but reject alien conspecifics. In the social wasp, Liostenogaster flavolineata (Stenogastrinae), individuals differ in their cuticular hydrocarbon profiles according to colony membership; each female also possesses a unique (visual) facial pattern. This species represents a unique model to understand how vision and olfaction are integrated and the extent to which wasps prioritize one channel over the other to discriminate aliens and nest-mates. Liostenogaster flavolineata females are able to discriminate between alien and nest-mate females using facial patterns or chemical cues in isolation. However, the two sensory modalities are not equally efficient in the discrimination of ‘friend’ from ‘foe’. Visual cues induce an increased number of erroneous attacks on nest-mates (false alarms), but such attacks are quickly aborted and never result in serious injury. Odour cues, presented in isolation, result in an increased number of misses: erroneous acceptances of outsiders. Interestingly, wasps take the relative efficiencies of the two sensory modalities into account when making rapid decisions about colony membership of an individual: chemical profiles are entirely ignored when the visual and chemical stimuli are presented together. Thus, wasps adopt a strategy to ‘err on the safe side’ by memorizing individual faces to recognize colony members, and disregarding odour cues to minimize the risk of intrusion from colony outsiders.

scholarly journals Predator recognition and responses in the endangered Macquarie perch (Macquaria australasica)

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Culum Brown ◽  
Jennifer Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Perch Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Threatening Processes

Macquarie perch, Macquaria austalasica, is an endangered species endemic to southern Australia whose distribution is highly fragmented and continues to decline. Key threatening processes include habitat destruction, dams and weirs, overfishing and interactions with introduced species. Here, we examined the responses of small and large Macquarie perch to two native predators and to the introduced redfin perch, Perca fluviatilis. Our results showed that Macquarie perch generally avoided large-bodied native predators but was attracted to small-bodied native predators. Responses to large and small redfin perch lay between these two extremes, suggesting that the Macquarie perch does treat these foreign fish as potential threats. Macquarie perch relied on both visual and chemical cues to identify predators, although its response tended to be stronger when exposed to visual cues. The results suggest that Macquarie perch has the capacity to recognise and respond to invasive species in a threat-sensitive manner, which has positive implications for the conservation management of the species.

Differential use of visual and chemical cues in predator recognition and threat-sensitive predator-avoidance responses by larval newts (Notophthalmus viridescens)

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 1646-1652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Mathis ◽  
Frank Vincent
Keyword(s):  
Late Stage ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽  
Perceived Threat ◽  
Notophthalmus Viridescens ◽  
Hyla Chrysoscelis ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Poison Glands

For prey under the threat of predation, the ability to distinguish between different levels of danger can have important fitness consequences. Larval central newts, Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis, distinguished between predatory (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum larvae) and nonpredatory (Hyla chrysoscelis/versicolor complex tadpoles) heterospecifics, but only when chemical cues were available. When only visual cues were present, larvae responded to both predatory and nonpredatory stimuli by reducing activity (fright response), but did not distinguish between the two types. Fine-scale discrimination of visual stimuli may have failed to develop because larval newts typically live in aquatic habitats in which chemical cues may be more reliable than visual cues, owing to large amounts of sediments and vegetation or possibly to myopia. Late-stage newt larvae that were approaching metamorphosis were unpalatable to A. t. tigrinum, and histological examination of the skin revealed that granular (poison) glands were present in the skin of late-stage but not early-stage larvae. Late-stage larvae did not distinguish between chemical stimuli from predators and nonpredators, which suggests that fright responses of larval newts are plastic and can be modified according to the level of perceived threat.

Predator chemical cues affect prey feeding activity differently in juveniles and adults

2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley R. Johnston ◽  
Markus Molis ◽  
Ricardo A. Scrosati
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Life History Stage ◽  
Ontogenetic Changes ◽  
Nucella Lapillus ◽  
Nonconsumptive Effects ◽  
Predator Cues ◽  
Predator Effects

Nonconsumptive predator effects on prey behaviour are common in nature, but the possible influence of prey life-history stage on such responses is poorly known. We investigated whether prey life-history stage may be a factor affecting prey feeding activity responses to predator chemical cues, for which we used dogwhelks ( Nucella lapillus (L., 1758)) and their main prey, barnacles ( Semibalanus balanoides (L., 1758)), as a model system. Barnacles use their modified legs (cirri) to filter food from the water column. Through a manipulative laboratory experiment, we tested the hypothesis that the presence of dogwhelks affects the frequency of leg swipes differently in juvenile and adult barnacles. Juveniles showed a similar feeding activity with and without nearby dogwhelks, but adults exhibited a significantly lower frequency of leg swipes when dogwhelks were present. Such an ontogenetic change in the response of barnacles to predatory cues might have evolved as a result of dogwhelks preferring adult barnacles over juvenile barnacles, as found previously. Alternatively, barnacles could learn to recognize predator cues as they age, as shown for other prey species. Overall, our study indicates that the nonconsumptive effects of predators on prey need to be fully understood under consideration of the possible ontogenetic changes in prey responses to predator cues.

scholarly journals Interaction between static visual cues and force-feedback on the perception of mass of virtual objects

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenyan Bi ◽  
Jonathan Newport ◽  
Bei Xiao
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Interaction Design ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Force Feedback ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Visual Appearance ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Movement Trajectories ◽  
Weight Illusion

ABSTRACTWe use force-feedback device and a game engine to measure the effects of material appearance on the perception of mass of virtual objects. We discover that the perceived mass is mainly determined by the ground-truth mass output by the force-feedback device. Different from the classic Material Weight Illusion (MWI), however, heavy-looking objects (e.g. steel) are consistently rated heavier than light-looking ones (e.g. fabric) with the same ground-truth mass. Analysis of the initial accelerated velocity of the movement trajectories of the virtual probe shows greater acceleration for materials with heavier rated mass. This effect is diminished when the participants lift the object for the second time, meaning that the influence of visual appearance disappears in the movement trajectories once it is calibrated by the force-feedback. We also show how the material categories are affected by both the visual appearance and the weight of the object. We conclude that visual appearance has a significant interaction with haptic force-feedback on the perception of mass and also affects the kinematics of how participants manipulate the object.CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing → Empirical studies in HCI; Empirical studies in interaction design; Empirical studies in visualization;ACM Reference FormatWenyan Bi, Jonathan Newport, and Bei Xiao. 2018. Interaction between static visual cues and force-feedback on the perception of mass of virtual objects. In Proceedings of. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 5 pages.

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