scholarly journals The Dark Side of the Light Show: Predators of Fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara M. Lewis ◽  
Lynn Faust ◽  
Raphaël De Cock
Keyword(s):  
Field Survey ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Feeding Preferences ◽  
Great Smoky Mountains ◽  
Invertebrate Predators ◽  
Smoky Mountains ◽  
Photinus Carolinus ◽  
Consumption Rates ◽  
Specialist Predators

In the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, the Light Show is a popular seasonal attraction created by thousands of courting malePhotinus carolinusfireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) that flash in synchrony to locate females. This study was undertaken to provide a temporal snapshot of whether invertebrate predators are active within these dense and conspicuous firefly breeding aggregations. In addition, we examined whether femalePhoturisfireflies, which are specialist predators on other fireflies, show any feeding preferences within the diverse local firefly fauna. A field survey revealed a surprisingly diverse suite of generalist insectivores feeding on fireflies withinP. carolinusbreeding aggregations. In addition, laboratory studies revealed major differences in prey consumption rates whenPhoturispredators were given access to several lampyrid taxa. This suite of generalist and specialist predators appears to create a complex selective landscape that is predicted to be a powerful force shaping the evolution of firefly defenses.

Using Spatial Modeling to Improve Wetland Inventories in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 482
Author(s):  
Alix A. Pfennigwerth ◽  
Joshua Albritton ◽  
Troy Evans
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Modeling ◽  
National Park ◽  
Great Smoky Mountains ◽  
Smoky Mountains

scholarly journals Our Vulnerable Dark Side—Two Laboratory Approaches

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3941
Author(s):  
Lena Lämmle ◽  
Matthias Ziegler
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Study ◽  
Common Core ◽  
Reward Condition ◽  
Dark Triad ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Ego Threat ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
The Stability

The Dark Triad of personality has been associated with aggression against others as a reaction to perceived provocations. However, previous work has also shown that such responsive aggression even occurs if it means harming oneself. The first of two laboratory studies aimed to investigate whether this relation between the Dark Triad and self-harming behavior also occurs in situations where no others are affected but self-harm is likely. The second laboratory study considered two different settings in a within-participants design in order to analyze the stability of self-harming behavior and to what extent the Dark Triad constructs influence this behavior. The sample for study 1 consisted of 151 students (45.7% female) with a mean age of 21.40 years (SD = 2.19); the sample for study 2 consisted of 251 students (76.0% female) with a mean age of 22.21 years (SD = 3.90). Aside from the Dark Triad’s common core, depending on how self-harm was triggered (ego-threat (mainly narcissism), being alone with one’s own thoughts (mainly psychopathy), or reward condition (mainly Machiavellianism)), the Dark Triad traits differed in their responsiveness but were stable over the last two conditions, thereby suggesting a vulnerable side of the Dark Triad.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document