scholarly journals Size, not temperature, drives cyclopoid copepod predation of invasive mosquito larvae

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246178
Author(s):  
Marie C. Russell ◽  
Alima Qureshi ◽  
Christopher G. Wilson ◽  
Lauren J. Cator

During range expansion, invasive species can experience new thermal regimes. Differences between the thermal performance of local and invasive species can alter species interactions, including predator-prey interactions. The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a known vector of several viral diseases of public health importance. It has successfully invaded many regions across the globe and currently threatens to invade regions of the UK where conditions would support seasonal activity. We assessed the functional response and predation efficiency (percentage of prey consumed) of the cyclopoid copepods Macrocyclops albidus and Megacyclops viridis from South East England, UK against newly-hatched French Ae. albopictus larvae across a relevant temperature range (15, 20, and 25°C). Predator-absent controls were included in all experiments to account for background prey mortality. We found that both M. albidus and M. viridis display type II functional response curves, and that both would therefore be suitable biocontrol agents in the event of an Ae. albopictus invasion in the UK. No significant effect of temperature on the predation interaction was detected by either type of analysis. However, the predation efficiency analysis did show differences due to predator species. The results suggest that M. viridis would be a superior predator against invasive Ae. albopictus larvae due to the larger size of this copepod species, relative to M. albidus. Our work highlights the importance of size relationships in predicting interactions between invading prey and local predators.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie C. Russell ◽  
Alima Qureshi ◽  
Christopher G. Wilson ◽  
Lauren J. Cator

AbstractDuring range expansion, invasive species can experience new thermal regimes. Differences between the thermal performance of local and invasive species can alter species interactions, including predator-prey interactions. The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a known vector of several viral diseases of public health importance. It has successfully invaded many regions across the globe and currently threatens to invade regions of the UK where conditions would support seasonal activity. We assessed the functional response and predation efficiency (percentage of prey consumed) of the cyclopoid copepods Macrocyclops albidus and Megacyclops viridis from South East England, UK against newly-hatched French Ae. albopictus larvae across a relevant temperature range (15, 20, and 25°C). Predator-absent controls were included in all experiments to account for background prey mortality. We found that both M. albidus and M. viridis display type II functional response curves, and that both would therefore be suitable biocontrol agents in the event of an Ae. albopictus invasion in the UK. No significant effect of temperature on the predation interaction was detected by either type of analysis. However, the predation efficiency analysis did show differences due to predator species. The results suggest that M. viridis would be a superior predator against invasive Ae. albopictus larvae due to the larger size of this copepod species, relative to M. albidus. Our work highlights the importance of size relationships in predicting interactions between invading prey and local predators.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasir Islam ◽  
Farhan Mahmood Shah ◽  
Xu Rubing ◽  
Muhammad Razaq ◽  
Miao Yabo ◽  
...  

AbstractIn the current study, we investigated the functional response of Harmonia axyridis adults and larvae foraging on Acyrthosiphon pisum nymphs at temperatures between 15 and 35 °C. Logistic regression and Roger’s random predator models were employed to determine the type and parameters of the functional response. Harmonia axyridis larvae and adults exhibited Type II functional responses to A. pisum, and warming increased both the predation activity and host aphid control mortality. Female and 4th instar H. axyridis consumed the most aphids. For fourth instar larvae and female H. axyridis adults, the successful attack rates were 0.23 ± 0.014 h−1 and 0.25 ± 0.015 h−1; the handling times were 0.13 ± 0.005 h and 0.16 ± 0.004 h; and the estimated maximum predation rates were 181.28 ± 14.54 and 153.85 ± 4.06, respectively. These findings accentuate the high performance of 4th instar and female H. axyridis and the role of temperature in their efficiency. Further, we discussed such temperature-driven shifts in predation and prey mortality concerning prey-predator foraging interactions towards biological control.


2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1808) ◽  
pp. 20150520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay J. Falk ◽  
Hannah M. ter Hofstede ◽  
Patricia L. Jones ◽  
Marjorie M. Dixon ◽  
Paul A. Faure ◽  
...  

Many predators and parasites eavesdrop on the communication signals of their prey. Eavesdropping is typically studied as dyadic predator–prey species interactions; yet in nature, most predators target multiple prey species and most prey must evade multiple predator species. The impact of predator communities on prey signal evolution is not well understood. Predators could converge in their preferences for conspicuous signal properties, generating competition among predators and natural selection on particular prey signal features. Alternatively, predator species could vary in their preferences for prey signal properties, resulting in sensory-based niche partitioning of prey resources. In the Neotropics, many substrate-gleaning bats use the mate-attraction songs of male katydids to locate them as prey. We studied mechanisms of niche partitioning in four substrate-gleaning bat species and found they are similar in morphology, echolocation signal design and prey-handling ability, but each species preferred different acoustic features of male song in 12 sympatric katydid species. This divergence in predator preference probably contributes to the coexistence of many substrate-gleaning bat species in the Neotropics, and the substantial diversity in the mate-attraction signals of katydids. Our results provide insight into how multiple eavesdropping predator species might influence prey signal evolution through sensory-based niche partitioning.


Author(s):  
Azadeh Farazmand ◽  
Masood Amir-Maafi

Abstract In this research, functional responses of Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot preying on different Tetranychus urticae Koch nymphal densities (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128) were studied at eight constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 27.5, 30, 32.5, 35 and 37.5°C) in a circular Petri dish (3-cm diameter × 1-cm height) under lab conditions. At all temperatures, the logistic regression showed a type II functional response. A nonlinear relationship was found between temperature and attack rate and the reciprocal of handling time. The reciprocal of handling time decreased exponentially with increasing temperature. In contrast, the attack rate grew rapidly with increasing temperatures up to an optimum, showing a decreasing trend at higher temperatures. In order to quantify the functional response of A. swirskii over a broad range of temperatures and to gain a better estimation of attack rate and handling time, a temperature-settled functional response equation was suited to our data. Our model showed that the number of prey consumed increased with rising prey density. Also, the predation rates increased with increasing temperatures but decreased at extremely high temperatures. Based on our model, the predation rate begins at the lower temperature threshold (11.73°C) and reaches its peak at upper temperature threshold (29.43°C). The coefficient of determination (R2) of the random predator model was 0.99 for all temperatures. The capability of A. swirskii to search and consume T. urticae over a wide range of temperatures makes it a good agent for natural control of T. urticae in greenhouses.


1980 ◽  
Vol 112 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Everson

AbstractThe activity of the predacious mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot was greater oh a glass substrate than on a bean leaf substrate. Temperature did not affect its relative activity on the two substrates. The phytophagous mite Tetranychus urticae Koch was inactive on the bean leaf substrate. It was active on the glass substrate and its activity varied with temperature. The functional response of P. persimilis and T. urticae was examined at four temperatures (15°, 20°, 25°, 30 °C). Each functional response to increasing temperature rose curvilinearly to a plateau. From Holling’s disk equation, rate of successful search increased and handling time decreased.


2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 828-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.D. Walker ◽  
I.J. Russon ◽  
R. Duijf ◽  
G. Van Der Velde ◽  
S.E. Wendelaar Bonga

Abstract Fish ectoparasites are introduced to water bodies or aquaculture systems along with their hosts. Argulid fish lice can survive off-host for a given time, and in spite of quarantine measures might also be introduced via the transfer of water. However, they must cope with varying abiotic conditions without access to food. We investigated the effect of temperature (5 to 28oC) on the off-host survival time of Argulus japonicus, an invasive species which is apparently increasing its distribution, and compared this with the European A. foliaceus. A clear effect of temperature on the off-host survival time of all stages of both species was demonstrated. Larval and juvenile A. japonicus survived up to 9 days at 22oC and in the case of adults up to 13 days at 15oC. By comparison, larval A. foliaceus survived up to 5 days at 15oC, adults up to 14 days at 9oC and juveniles up to 7 days at 9oC and 15oC. Thus, A. japonicus is more resistant to starvation at higher temperatures under controlled off-host conditions and A. foliaceus is more resistant to starvation at lower temperatures. Infectivity of A. japonicus decreased linearly with the time spent off-host after 2 days for larvae and 4 days for adults. Temperature only had a significant effect on the infectivity of both developmental stages after 24 hours off-host between 13–23oC for larvae and 13–18oC for adults. In conclusion both species can potentially survive off-host periods in water transports for up to 13–14 days as adults. Their survival is shorter as larvae. This study demonstrates that transportation of water has the potential to introduce Argulus species.


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