Trophic strategy of ant-eating Mexcala elegans (Araneae: Salticidae): looking for evidence of evolution of prey-specialization

AbstractThe role of the gut microbiome is increasingly being recognized by health scientists and veterinarians, yet its role in wild animals remains understudied. Variations in the gut microbiome could be the result of differential diets among individuals, such as variation between sexes, across seasons, or across reproductive stages. We evaluated the hypothesis that diet alters the avian gut microbiome using stable isotope analysis (SIA) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We present the first description of the thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia) fecal microbiome. The murre microbiome was dominated by bacteria from the genus Catellicoccus, ubiquitous in the guts of many seabirds. Microbiome variation was explained by murre diet in terms of proportion of littoral carbon, trophic position, and sulfur isotopes, especially for the classes Actinobacteria, Bacilli, Bacteroidia, Clostridia, Alphaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. We also observed differences in the abundance of bacterial genera such as Catellicoccus and Cetobacterium between sexes and reproductive stages. These results are in accordance with behavioural observations of changes in diet between sexes and across the reproductive season. We concluded that the observed variation in the gut microbiome may be caused by individual prey specialization and may also be reinforced by sexual and reproductive stage differences in diet.

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Prey specialization may influence patterns of gene flow in wolves of the Canadian Northwest

Molecular Ecology ◽

10.1046/j.0962-1083.2001.01408.x ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 2787-2798 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

L. E. Carmichael ◽

J. A. Nagy ◽

N. C. Larter ◽

C. Strobeck

Keyword(s):

Gene Flow ◽

Prey Specialization

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Size-related boldness is not altered by stomach flushing in a terrestrial salamander

Amphibia-Reptilia ◽

10.1163/15685381-bja10054 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Sebastiano Salvidio ◽

Andrea Costa ◽

Fabrizio Oneto

Keyword(s):

Body Condition ◽

Mixed Model ◽

Linear Mixed Model ◽

Animal Personality ◽

Model Analysis ◽

Mixed Model Analysis ◽

Linear Mixed Model Analysis ◽

Before And After ◽

Trophic Strategy ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Animal personality is a relatively neglected field in amphibian research. In this study we assessed the influence of stomach flushing, a non-lethal technique used in amphibian dietary studies, on the boldness behaviour of the cave salamander Speleomantes strinatii. The time of emergence from a shelter located in an unfamiliar environment (a proxy for individual boldness) was measured in 26 cave salamanders before and after stomach flushing, while 14 non-flushed salamanders were tested as controls. Boldness was a repeatable behaviour for salamanders and larger individuals emerged from their shelter more rapidly than smaller ones. Linear mixed model analysis showed that flushing, sex and body condition had no effect on this behaviour. These findings are promising in the framework of the study of salamander personality. In particular, our results will be useful when exploring the relationship between individual trophic strategy and boldness, aggression or exploration behaviours in terrestrial salamanders.

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New species and new records of ant-eating spiders from Mediterranean Europe (Araneae: Zodariidae)

Arachnologische Mitteilungen Arachnology Letters ◽

10.30963/aramit5703 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. 8

Author(s):

Robert Bosmans ◽

Paolo Pantini ◽

Pamela Loverre ◽

Rocco Addante

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

New Records ◽

Mediterranean Europe ◽

Ant Eating

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Cretaceous foraminiferal morphogroup distribution patterns, palaeocommunities and trophic structures: a case study from the Sergipe Basin, Brazil

Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Earth Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0263593300005253 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 81 (3) ◽

pp. 221-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 105

Author(s):

Eduardo A. M. Koutsoukos ◽

Malcolm B. Hart

Keyword(s):

Feeding Strategy ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Selection Response ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Direct Response ◽

Strategy Versus ◽

Trophic Strategy ◽

Adaptive Morphology

Foraminiferal studies have been used in palaeo-environmental reconstructions of the marine Cretaceous succession (upper Aptian to Maastrichtian) of the Sergipe Basin, in northeastern Brazil. The foraminiferal assemblages show broadly three types of response to changes in environment: (1) variations in morphotypes of the taxa present; (2) changes in specific and generic diversity; and (3) changes in relative abundance.Twelve palaeocommunities, characterised by the relative dominance of the major foraminiferal groups, can be recognised in the succession. Their palaeoenvironmental distribution is proposed as a model with reference to the Sergipe Cretaceous sequence.An intimate relationship is inferred among foraminiferal association distribution patterns, trophic structures (community feeding strategy, dwelling habits, substrate niche patterns) and water-mass conditions (depth-related in part). It is suggested that the distribution patterns may be a direct response of the functional adaptive morphology of the foraminiferal tests to individual characteristics of behavioural structure (preferential dwelling microhabitat and trophic strategy versus environment). The approach is a simple, yet very powerful tool, for the interpretation of foraminiferal palaeocommunities and palaeoceanographic research. It may also permit interpretation of palaeocommunity strategies in terms of adaptation rate and selection response (i.e. “r-selection” versus “k-selection”) to variable environmental conditions.

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Novel cooperative antipredator tactics of an ant specialized against a snake

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.190283 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (8) ◽

pp. 190283

Author(s):

Teppei Jono ◽

Yosuke Kojima ◽

Takafumi Mizuno

Keyword(s):

Eusocial Insects ◽

Ant Eating ◽

Eusocial Species

Eusocial insects can express surprisingly complex cooperative defence of the colony. Brood and reproductive castes typically remain in the nest and are protected by workers' various antipredator tactics against intruders. In Madagascar, a myrmicine ant, Aphaenogaster swammerdami , occurs sympatrically with a large blindsnake, Madatyphlops decorsei . As blindsnakes generally specialize on feeding on termites and ants brood by intruding into the nest, these snakes are presumably a serious predator on the ant. Conversely, a lamprophiid snake, Madagascarophis colubrinus , is considered to occur often in active A . swammerdami nests without being attacked. By presenting M . colubrinus , M . decorsei and a control snake, Thamnosophis lateralis , at the entrance of the nest, we observed two highly specialized interactions between ants and snakes: the acceptance of M . colubrinus into the nest and the cooperative evacuation of the brood from the nest for protection against the ant-eating M . decorsei . Given that M . colubrinus is one of the few known predators of blindsnakes in this area, A . swammerdami may protect their colonies against this blindsnake by two antipredator tactics, symbiosis with M . colubrinus and evacuation in response to intrusion by blindsnakes. These findings demonstrate that specialized predators can drive evolution of complex cooperative defence in eusocial species.

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Ecological study based on the distribution of recent foraminifers from southeast of Buenos Aires province, Argentinean Continental Shelf

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4821.1.7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4821 (1) ◽

pp. 135-147

Author(s):

EMILIANA BERNASCONI

Keyword(s):

Buenos Aires ◽

High Energy ◽

Buenos Aires Province ◽

Inner Shelf ◽

Foraminiferal Assemblage ◽

Benthic Foraminifers ◽

Oxygen Levels ◽

Trophic Strategy ◽

Local Water ◽

Sandy Sediments

The study about the distribution of benthic foraminifers in relationship with the type of substrate is presented. Samples of surface sediments from 15 to 60 m of depth from the southeast coast of the province of Buenos Aires (40º 30´ - 42ºS), Argentina were analysed. The foraminiferal assemblage was constituted by forty-eight species that belong to 22 genera. It was characterized mostly by the free-living style, epifaunal microhabitats, oxic levels and a detritivore trophic strategy. Based on statistical analysis, three zones were determinated: at 15 m depth , characterized mainly by Buccella peruviana (d´Orbigny), and species of Bolivina reflected a littoral environment with sandy sediments and the most important clay contribution, whereas it also presented the lowest oxygen levels were determinated; between 24-48 m depth, associted by Ammonia parkinsoniana (d´Orbigny), Buccella peruviana and Quinqueloculina seminula (Linné), this zone displayed an oxygenated environment with coarse grainsize from inner shelf where local water circulation may explain the high energy observed; and the last one located between 36 to 58 m of depth was characterized by Buccella peruviana, Ammonia parkinsoniana, Elphidium macellum (Fichtel & Moll), Cibicides dispars (d´Orbigny) and Cibicides aknerianus (d´Orbigny) regflecting an inner shelf environment with sandy sediments, the lowest water temperature and the highest oxygen levels.

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