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Cannibalism
Kinds of Cannibalism Selected AbstractsPARENTS BENEFIT FROM EATING OFFSPRING: DENSITY-DEPENDENT EGG SURVIVORSHIP COMPENSATES FOR FILIAL CANNIBALISMEVOLUTION, Issue 10 2006Hope Klug Abstract Why should animals knowingly consume their own young? It is difficult to imagine many circumstances in which eating one's own young (i.e., filial cannibalism) actually increases an individual's fitness; however, filial cannibalism commonly co-occurs with parental care in fishes. The evolutionary significance of filial cannibalism remains unclear. The most commonly accepted explanation is that filial cannibalism is a mechanism by which caring males gain energy or nutrients that they reinvest into future reproduction, thereby increasing net reproductive success. There is mixed support for this hypothesis and, at best, it can only explain filial cannibalism in some species. A recent alternative hypothesis suggests that filial cannibalism improves the survivorship of remaining eggs by increasing oxygen availability, and thus increases current reproductive success. This theory has received little attention as of yet. We evaluated the hypothesis of oxygen-mediated filial cannibalism in the sand goby by examining the effect of oxygen and egg density on the occurrence of filial cannibalism, evaluating the effects of partial clutch cannibalism on the survivorship of remaining eggs, and comparing potential costs and benefits of filial cannibalism related to the net number of eggs surviving. Indeed, we found that oxygen level and egg density affected the occurrence of cannibalism and that simulated partial clutch cannibalism improved survivorship of the remaining eggs. Additionally, because increased egg survivorship, stemming from partial egg removal, compensated for the cost of cannibalism (i.e., number of eggs removed) at a range of cannibalism levels, filial cannibalism potentially results in no net losses in reproductive success. However, oxygen did not affect egg survivorship. Thus, we suggest a more general hypothesis of filial cannibalism mediated by density-dependent egg survivorship. [source] THE EVOLUTION OF FILIAL CANNIBALISM AND FEMALE MATE CHOICE STRATEGIES AS RESOLUTIONS TO SEXUAL CONFLICT IN FISHESEVOLUTION, Issue 2 2000Kai Lindström Abstract., Filial cannibalism (the consumption of one's own viable offspring) is common among fish with paternal care. In this study, I use a computer simulation to study simultaneous evolution of male filial cannibalism and female mate choice. Under certain conditions, selection on parental males favors filial cannibalism. When filial cannibalism increases a male's probability to raise the current brood successfully, filial cannibalism also benefits the female. However, when egg eating is a male investment into future reproduction, a conflict between female and male interests emerges. Here I investigate how female discrimination against filial cannibals affects evolution of filial cannibalism and how different female choice criteria perform against filial cannibalism. The introduction of discriminating females makes the fixation of filial cannibalism less likely. I introduced three different female choice criteria: (1) females who could discern a male's genotype, that is, whether the male was going to eat eggs as an investment in future reproductive events; (2) energy-choosing females that preferred to mate with males who had enough energy reserves to live through the current brood cycle without consuming eggs; and (3) females that preferred to mate with already mated males, that is, males with eggs in their nest. Genotype choice never coexisted with filial cannibals at fixation and filial cannibals were unable to invade a population with genotype-choosing females. Energy choice was successful only when males had high energy reserves and were less dependent on filial cannibalism as an alternative energy source. The egg choosers frequently coexisted with the cannibals at fixation. When the female strategies were entered simultaneously, the most frequent outcome for low mate sampling costs was that both the cannibals and the egg choice was fixed and all other strategies went extinct. These results suggest that sexual conflicts may not always evolve toward a resolution of the conflict, but sometimes the stable state retains the conflict. In the present case, this was because the egg-preference strategy had a higher fitness than the other female strategies. The outcome of this simulation is similar to empirical findings. In fish with paternal care, male filial cannibalism and female preference for mates with eggs commonly co-occur. [source] Interdemic variation of cannibalism in a wolf spider (Pardosa monticola) inhabiting different habitat typesECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Jeroen Vanden Borre Abstract., 1.,Cannibalism was investigated in the wolf spider Pardosa monticola (Clerck) using spiders collected from four populations with varying densities, inhabiting two different coastal dune habitat types. Sampled individuals were paired randomly and tested immediately for their cannibalism propensity. 2.,The occurrence of cannibalism was found to be influenced by the size (cephalothorax width) of both the smaller and the larger spider of a pair. Larger size differences enhanced cannibalism. 3.,Cannibalism rates were not significantly different in spiders from high-density compared with low-density populations. Cannibalism rates showed, however, large variability between habitat types, with higher rates in spiders from dune grasslands than from dune slacks. This is suggested to result from differences in prey availability throughout the growing season between both habitat types. 4.,Different size classes of spiders did not use different microhabitats, indicating that microhabitat segregation as a cannibalism-avoidance behaviour is absent in this species. [source] Costs of cannibalism in the presence of an iridovirus pathogen of Spodoptera frugiperdaECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Trevor Williams Abstract., 1.,The costs of cannibalism were examined in larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the presence of conspecifics infected by a lethal invertebrate iridescent virus (IIV). The hypothesis of a positive correlation between insect density and the likelihood of disease transmission by cannibalism was examined in laboratory microcosms and a field experiment. 2.,Transmission was negligible following peroral infection of early instars with purified virus suspensions or following coprophagy of virus-contaminated faeces excreted by infected insects. In contrast, 92% of the insects that predated infected conspecifics acquired the infection and died prior to adult emergence in the laboratory. Diseased larvae were more likely to be victims of cannibalism than healthy larvae. 3.,The prevalence of cannibalism was density dependent in laboratory microcosms with a low density (10 healthy insects + one infected insect) or high density (30 healthy insects + one infected insect) of insects, and field experiments performed on maize plants infested with one or four healthy insects + one infected insect. 4.,Cannibalism in the presence of virus-infected conspecifics was highly costly to S. frugiperda; in all cases, insect survival was reduced by between ,,50% (laboratory) and ,,30% (field) in the presence of the pathogen. Contrary to expectations, the prevalence of disease was not sensitive to density because cannibalism resulted in self-thinning. As infected individuals are consumed and disappear from the population, the prevalence of disease will be determined by the timescale over which transmission can be achieved, and the rate at which individuals that have acquired an infection become themselves infectious to conspecific predators. [source] Influence of chorion ingestion on the performance of Ascia monuste and its association with cannibalismECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 6 2001Helen C. H. Barros-Bellanda Summary 1. In some lepidopterans, the newly hatched caterpillars feed on chorion (animal protein) as their first food. This is also a frequent behaviour of newly hatched caterpillars of Ascia monuste. 2. According to some parameters tested (time for pupation, number of adults, male imago weight, and fifth-instar ingestion), chorion ingestion by first-instar larvae affects adult performance positively. The ingestion of ultraviolet-sterilised chorion provided the same positive effect on performance. It is thus suggested that young caterpillars may be benefiting from chorion nutritionally, and that chorion ingestion is a chain of events that leads to positive effects on insect performance. 3. Cannibalism in A. monuste was observed in newly hatched caterpillars and is related to the chorion ingestion behaviour. A condition for this to occur was the interval of time of hatching, which means that, if a group of caterpillars hatches very much before another group, once the caterpillars have ingested the chorion of their own eggs, there is a tendency for them to ingest the chorion of other eggs (including unhatched eggs) and, consequently, practice cannibalism. 4. Ascia monuste immatures are considered to be herbivorous, however it is important to know that they eat animal tissue (chorion and conspecific eggs). [source] Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., brown trout Salmo trutta L. and Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.): a review of aspects of their life historiesECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 1 2003A. Klemetsen Abstract ,,,Among the species in the family Salmonidae, those represented by the genera Salmo, Salvelinus, and Oncorhynchus (subfamily Salmoninae) are the most studied. Here, various aspects of phenotypic and life-history variation of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., brown trout Salmo trutta L., and Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) are reviewed. While many strategies and tactics are commonly used by these species, there are also differences in their ecology and population dynamics that result in a variety of interesting and diverse topics that are challenging for future research. Atlantic salmon display considerable phenotypic plasticity and variability in life-history characters ranging from fully freshwater resident forms, where females can mature at approximately 10 cm in length, to anadromous populations characterised by 3,5 sea-winter (5SW) salmon. Even within simple 1SW populations, 20 or more spawning life-history types can be identified. Juveniles in freshwater can use both fluvial and lacustrine habitats for rearing, and while most smolts migrate to sea during the spring, fall migrations occur in some populations. At sea, some salmon undertake extensive oceanic migrations while other populations stay within the geographical confines of areas such as the Baltic Sea. At the other extreme are those that reside in estuaries and return to freshwater to spawn after spending only a few months at sea. The review of information on the diversity of life-history forms is related to conservation aspects associated with Atlantic salmon populations and current trends in abundance and survival. Brown trout is indigenous to Europe, North Africa and western Asia, but was introduced into at least 24 countries outside Europe and now has a world-wide distribution. It exploits both fresh and salt waters for feeding and spawning (brackish), and populations are often partially migratory. One part of the population leaves and feeds elsewhere, while another part stays as residents. In large, complex systems, the species is polymorphic with different size morphs in the various parts of the habitat. Brown trout feed close to the surface and near shore, but large individuals may move far offshore. The species exhibits ontogenetic niche shifts partly related to size and partly to developmental rate. They switch when the amount of surplus energy available for growth becomes small with fast growers being younger and smaller fish than slow growers. Brown trout is an opportunistic carnivore, but individuals specialise at least temporarily on particular food items; insect larvae are important for the young in streams, while littoral epibenthos in lakes and fish are most important for large trout. The sexes differ in resource use and size. Females are more inclined than males to become migratory and feed in pelagic waters. Males exploit running water, near-shore and surface waters more than females. Therefore, females feed more on zooplankton and exhibit a more uniform phenotype than males. The Arctic charr is the northernmost freshwater fish on earth, with a circumpolar distribution in the Holarctic that matches the last glaciation. Recent mtDNA studies indicate that there are five phylogeographic lineages (Atlantic, Arctic, Bering, Siberian and Acadian) that may be of Pleistocene origin. Phenotypic expression and ecology are more variable in charr than in most fish. Weights at maturation range from 3 g to 12 kg. Population differences in morphology and coloration are large and can have some genetic basis. Charr live in streams, at sea and in all habitats of oligotrophic lakes, including very deep areas. Ontogenetic habitat shifts between lacustrine habitats are common. The charr feed on all major prey types of streams, lakes and near-shore marine habitats, but has high niche flexibility in competition. Cannibalism is expressed in several cases, and can be important for developing and maintaining bimodal size distributions. Anadromy is found in the northern part of its range and involves about 40, but sometimes more days in the sea. All charr overwinter in freshwater. Partial migration is common, but the degree of anadromy varies greatly among populations. The food at sea includes zooplankton and pelagic fish, but also epibenthos. Polymorphism and sympatric morphs are much studied. As a prominent fish of glaciated lakes, charr is an important species for studying ecological speciation by the combination of field studies and experiments, particularly in the fields of morphometric heterochrony and comparative behaviour. [source] Scent of a Woman , The Effect of Female Presence on Sexual Cannibalism in an Orb-Weaving Spider (Araneae: Araneidae)ETHOLOGY, Issue 7 2009Stefan H. Nessler Post-mating sexual cannibalism occurs as a regular element of mating behaviour in a number of spider species. Frequencies of cannibalism, however, are highly variable between and within species. In Argiope bruennichi, males apparently differ in their motivation to escape a female attack but causes for this variability are unknown. We observed that the probability of sexual cannibalism is positively correlated with male age, i.e. the number of days that passed between male maturation and copulation. The mating season in this species is short with 3,4 wk and males mostly mature days before the females, whose maturation phase is longer. Consequently, as the season progresses, the availability of virgin females increases, quickly reaches a peak and then rapidly declines. In addition, the age of still unmated males increases with the season and both of these factors can potentially affect the degree of sexual cannibalism. To separate these factors, males were collected in their penultimate stage and kept until mating either with or without contact to female pheromones. Thereby, we experimentally manipulated the male's perception of female presence. Within each treatment, we formed three male age groups: (1) 2,6 d, (2) 12,16 d and (3) 22,28 d. Our results demonstrate that the probability of cannibalism was independent of male age but was explained by the treatment of males: males exposed to virgin female pheromones were significantly more likely to be cannibalised than males that were kept without female pheromones. This suggests that males change their reproductive strategy according to perceived mating prospects. [source] Otolith-based analysis of survival and size-selective mortality of stocked 0+ year pike related to time of stockingJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2004P. Grønkjær The effect of time of stocking on the extent and source of mortality in 0+ year pike Esox lucius was investigated in a lake (20 ha) and a drainable pond (0·5 ha) using pike with alizarin marked otoliths. The results indicated that pike stocked late relative to the recruitment of native 0+ year pike fell victim to cannibalism from these larger individuals. This resulted in very low survival through the first growing season (<2%). Pike stocked early in the season exhibited significantly higher survival (>12%). Analyses of the size distribution of the alizarin marks from these fish revealed that the largest 0+ year pike exhibited by a factor of 3·3, higher survival than the average 0+ year pike in the lake. In order for large 0+ year pike to exhibit such high relative fitness a minimum of 69·7% of the original population must suffer size dependent mortality. In the pond the survival of the largest pike was by a factor of 4·2 higher than the average pike, and the corresponding size dependent mortality was 76·4%. The substantial size-dependent mortality was most probably due to intra-cohort cannibalism or habitat segregation between large and small 0+ year pike that exposes the small pike to predatory fishes in the open lake. Cannibalism exerts a major influence on the survival of 0+ year pike post-stocking although the magnitude and origin differ in relation to stocking time. [source] Sibling cannibalism in dorada under experimental conditions.JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2000II. Effect of initial size heterogeneity, light regime on early cannibalism Cannibalism among embryos and larvae of Brycon moorei (Characidae) occurs during daytime and night-time, and persists under permanent darkness. Embryos and larvae of dorada-provisioned with formulated feed over the first week of exogenous feeding did not survive, except for those exerting cannibalism. When offered alternative fish prey [embryos of Prochilodus magdalenae (0·5,0·8 mg) and Oreochromis niloticus (9,10 mg)], 1-day-old embryos of dorada preferred preying on these, thereby reducing early cannibalism. However, this promoted depensatory growth and more intense cannibalism later in the larval stage. Dorada provisioned with Artemia nauplii in excess showed more homogeneous growth and higher survival, most cannibalistic acts being restricted to the first 24 h of exogenous feeding, just after oral teeth were fully developed (21 h after hatching). Provisioning dorada with Artemia nauplii a few hours before their oral teeth were fully developed reduced early cannibalism from 41 to 15%. High proportions of deformed fish caused higher mortality, both directly and indirectly, as they promoted early cannibalism, depensatory growth and more intense cannibalism among larvae. The initial sorting of embryos, based on their occupation of the water column improved survival significantly during the first week of exogenous feeding, up to 52% in progenies containing <10% of deformed fish. Size-grading of larvae and young juveniles over the next 2 weeks reduced cannibalism to 2·6 and 1·9% day,, in the first and second weeks, respectively. These results indicate that cannibalism in dorada can be mitigated efficiently through appropriate rearing procedures, and open promising perspectives for the intensive culture of this fast-growing tropical species. [source] Effects of Added Shelter and Stocking Density on Growth of Sleepy Cod Oxyeleotris lineolatus in PondsJOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 4 2003Brett W. Herbert Sleepy cod Oxyeleotris lineolatus is a species of freshwater goby in demand in Australian markets by consumers of Asian origin. It is related to marble goby Oxyeleotris marmoratus, the most expensive freshwater food fish in Asia, which is cultured throughout southeast Asia in ponds and cages. The performance of sleepy cod in culture conditions was investigated to assess the viability of farming them in northern Australia. Sleepy cod fingerlings (62.8 ± 0.8 mm total length and 2.56 ± 0.095 g) were stocked into experimental ponds at 32,857 fish/ha, and grown out for 8 mo. Shelter was provided in each of three replicate ponds and was absent in three control ponds. The provision of shelter in juvenile growout was found to be of no benefit, although fish in ponds provided with shelter weighed slightly more per unit length than fish in ponds without shelter. Cannibalism was not a problem in growout, and survival was close to 100%. After the shelter trial was completed, fish were graded into large and small classes (three replicates of each), and grown out without shelter at the same density for 158 d. Following that, fish were again graded, and the largest 30% retained from growout at a density of 8,857 fish/ha (large, 198 ± 6.44 g) or 10,000 fish/ha (small, 48.9 ± 1.27 g). These were grown out for 188 d. Growth of selected stock at low densities was slower than earlier growth rates, although smaller fish gained weight more rapidly than larger fish. Growth rates were better than the only published data for marble goby. Further investigation into high density culture and different genotypes of sleepy cod needs to be undertaken to determine the viability of pond culture. [source] The Anthropology of CannibalismAMERICAN ETHNOLOGIST, Issue 1 2001Gananath Obeyesekere The Anthropology of Cannibalism. Laurence R. Goldman. ed. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey, 1999.168 pp., tables, maps, index. [source] Man corn: Cannibalism and violence in the prehistoric american southwestAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 3 2002Patricia M. Lambert No abstract is available for this article. [source] Cannibalism in wild bonobos (Pan paniscus) at Lui KotaleAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2010Andrew Fowler Abstract We describe the cannibalization of an infant bonobo (circa 2.5 years old) at Lui Kotale, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The infant died of unknown causes and was consumed by several community members including its mother and an older sibling one day after death. Certain features concerning the pattern of consumption fit in with previously observed episodes of cannibalism in Pan, whereas others, such as the mother's participation in consuming the body, are notable. The incident suggests that filial cannibalism among apes need not be the result of nutritional or social stress and does not support the idea that filial cannibalism is a behavioral aberration. Am. J. Primatol. 72:509,514, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Feeding on Shauna Grant: Ritual Cannibalism in Two Documentary RetrospectivesTHE JOURNAL OF POPULAR CULTURE, Issue 1 2002Thomas S. Johnson First page of article [source] Rights violations, rumour, and rhetoric: making sense of cannibalism in Mambasa, Ituri (Democratic Republic of Congo)THE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, Issue 4 2007Johan Pottier In January 2003, in the midst of civil war, Mbuti pygmies from Mambasa, Ituri, informed human rights organizations and the media that relatives had been killed, cooked, and eaten by soldiers of the Mouvement pour la Libération du Congo (MLC). Nearly two years later, spectacularly, the accusers withdrew their testimonies. This article tries to make sense of the allegation and subsequent retraction by reviewing how the Congolese print media covered the story. Against the backdrop of turbulent politics and moral crisis, it is argued that ,Cannibalism in Mambasa' needs to be understood first and foremost as a politically driven metaphor of extreme violence and suffering, even though acts of cannibalism cannot be ruled out. Résumé En janvier 2003, en pleine guerre civile dans l'Ituri, des Pygmées Mbuti de Mambasa informèrent les organisations humanitaires et les médias que des membres de leur tribu avaient été tués, cuits et dévorés par les soldats du Mouvement pour la Libération du Congo (MLC). Deux ans plus tard, les accusateurs se rétractaient spectaculairement. Le présent article tente de donner un sens à ces accusations puis aux rétractations, à travers la couverture de cette affaire par la presse congolaise. L'auteur affirme que dans ce contexte de grave crise politique et morale, le « cannibalisme à Mambasa » doit être d'abord, et avant tout, compris comme une métaphore politique de violence et de souffrance extrêmes, bien que l'on ne puisse pas exclure la possibilité que des actes de cannibalisme aient bien été commis. [source] Getting Beyond the Plastinated Political Economy of "Late Modern Cannibalism"1ANTIPODE, Issue 1 2010Harold A. Perkins First page of article [source] Dynamics of intracohort cannibalism in cultured fishAQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 7 2002E Baras Abstract Cannibalism is a frequent phenomenon in fish, especially in culture environments where fish are unable to escape predation via habitat segregation or migration. Not all cultured fish species start to exhibit cannibalism at the same age or size, nor is cannibalism equally intense in different species or life stages. Predator to prey size ratios vary substantially between species and life stages, chiefly because cannibalism is governed by gape size limitations and allometric growth of mouthparts. The development of sense organs, hard body parts, swimming and escape capacities in both the predator and the prey also influence prey size selectivity. The dynamics of cannibalism are influenced by these, as well as by environmental, factors that have effects on feed intake, growth depensation and facilitate or complicate the displaying of cannibalistic behaviour. Knowledge about cannibalistic behaviour and the logistics of cannibalism along with environmental enhancement are prerequisites for the mitigation of cannibalism in aquaculture. Also, within the context of strain selection, it is of importance to determine whether cannibals are natural-born killers or just lottery winners. These factors are discussed, chiefly as they apply to intracohort cannibalism. In addition, guidelines are suggested for cannibalistic risk assessment, and methods for mitigation of cannibalism are discussed. [source] Larval cannibalism during the late developmental stages of a facultatively gregarious encyrtid endoparasitoidECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 6 2009ALEJANDRO TENA Abstract. 1The larvae of many gregarious parasitoid species are usually non-aggressive when they develop in or on a host, but those of Metaphycus flavus are one of the few exceptions known. Herein we describe their aggressive behaviour and the conditions under which it occurs, using observations in which larval development and physical conflict within parasitised and superparasitised hosts were mapped daily. 2Metaphycus flavus larvae often engaged in physical conflict that resulted in consumption of the losing larvae (= cannibalism ) in superparasitised hosts, whereas such conflict and consumption occurred rarely when a single brood developed in a host. 3Cannibalism among M. flavus larvae only occurred after the host resources had become scarce. Typically it occurred after the sixth day of development (fourth-instar larvae) when the larvae in a clutch had separated from their aeroscopic plate and were freed of their attachment to the host's cuticle. 4Female larvae in the initial clutch appeared more aggressive than male larvae when a second clutch was allocated 4 h after the first clutch. The probability of a larva being attacked and consumed by a brood mate increased as the number of larvae increased in the host. This partial tolerance might allow the members of the initial brood to defend themselves from offspring of a superparasitising female (= competitors ). Such post-ovipositional regulation of brood size might be interpreted as high-density intolerance among female offspring. [source] Brood conspicuousness and clutch viability in male-caring assassin bugs (Rhinocoris tristis)ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2009JAMES GILBERT Abstract 1.,Conspicuousness to mates can bring benefits to both males (increased mating success) and females (reduced search costs), but also brings costs (e.g. increased predation and parasitism). Assassin bugs, Rhinocoris tristis, lay egg clutches either on exposed stems or hidden under leaves. Males guard eggs against parasitoids. Guarding males are attractive to females who add subsequent clutches to the brood. This is an excellent opportunity to study the effects of conspicuousness on the fitness of males and females. 2.,Using viable eggs in a multi-clutch brood as a correlate of fitness, the present study examined whether laying eggs on stems affected (1) female fitness, through exposure to parasitism and cannibalism, and (2) male fitness, through attracting further females. 3.,Stem broods were more parasitised. However, males on stems accumulated more mates and more eggs, a net benefit even accounting for parasitism. The eggs gained from being on a stem were cannibalised. By contrast, higher mortality on stems suggests that females should gain by ovipositing on leaves. To the extent that egg viability represents fitness, male and female interests may therefore differ. This suggests a potential for sexual conflict that may affect other species with male care. 4.,Despite higher costs, females actually initiated more broods, and subsequently added bigger clutches to broods, on stems than under leaves. This suggests either that viable eggs do not reflect fitness, or that females laid in unfavourable locations. The key is now to address lifetime fitness, since unmeasured factors may affect offspring viability post-hatching, and to investigate who controls the location of oviposition in R. tristis. [source] Effects of competition, cannibalism and intra-guild predation on larval development of the European coccinellid Adalia bipunctata and the invasive species Harmonia axyridisECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2009REMY WARE Abstract 1.,Resource competition and intra-guild predation (IGP) are important determinants of the structure of aphidophagous guilds. The likelihood and outcome of IGP is influenced by the density of extra-guild prey and the characteristics of the species involved. 2.,The nature of intra-guild interactions between alien and indigenous coccinellids often determines the success of coccinellid invasions, as exemplified by Adalia bipunctata in Japan and Harmonia axyridis in North America and Europe. 3.,Harmonia axyridis has negatively impinged on indigenous species in its introduced range, and its recent arrival in Britain poses a threat for members of native aphidophagous guilds. IGP and inter-specific competition between H. axyridis and British coccinellids are predicted to occur. However, the results of such interactions have been little studied. 4.,Here we investigate the effects of different diets, designed to mimic possible conditions in the wild, on the survival, development, and adult size of H. axyridis and A. bipunctata. Results demonstrate a skew in the consequences of IGP between the two species: the supplementation of a limited aphid diet with non-conspecific eggs leads to a significant advantage for H. axyridis in respect of all parameters assessed, but gives no benefit to A. bipunctata. 5.,We conclude that IGP of A. bipunctata by H. axyridis will contribute to the spread and increase of H. axyridis in Britain. 6.,We further conclude that the skewed nature of IGP between A. bipunctata and H. axyridis at least in part explains the limited spread of A. bipunctata in Japan. [source] Interdemic variation of cannibalism in a wolf spider (Pardosa monticola) inhabiting different habitat typesECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Jeroen Vanden Borre Abstract., 1.,Cannibalism was investigated in the wolf spider Pardosa monticola (Clerck) using spiders collected from four populations with varying densities, inhabiting two different coastal dune habitat types. Sampled individuals were paired randomly and tested immediately for their cannibalism propensity. 2.,The occurrence of cannibalism was found to be influenced by the size (cephalothorax width) of both the smaller and the larger spider of a pair. Larger size differences enhanced cannibalism. 3.,Cannibalism rates were not significantly different in spiders from high-density compared with low-density populations. Cannibalism rates showed, however, large variability between habitat types, with higher rates in spiders from dune grasslands than from dune slacks. This is suggested to result from differences in prey availability throughout the growing season between both habitat types. 4.,Different size classes of spiders did not use different microhabitats, indicating that microhabitat segregation as a cannibalism-avoidance behaviour is absent in this species. [source] Costs of cannibalism in the presence of an iridovirus pathogen of Spodoptera frugiperdaECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Trevor Williams Abstract., 1.,The costs of cannibalism were examined in larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the presence of conspecifics infected by a lethal invertebrate iridescent virus (IIV). The hypothesis of a positive correlation between insect density and the likelihood of disease transmission by cannibalism was examined in laboratory microcosms and a field experiment. 2.,Transmission was negligible following peroral infection of early instars with purified virus suspensions or following coprophagy of virus-contaminated faeces excreted by infected insects. In contrast, 92% of the insects that predated infected conspecifics acquired the infection and died prior to adult emergence in the laboratory. Diseased larvae were more likely to be victims of cannibalism than healthy larvae. 3.,The prevalence of cannibalism was density dependent in laboratory microcosms with a low density (10 healthy insects + one infected insect) or high density (30 healthy insects + one infected insect) of insects, and field experiments performed on maize plants infested with one or four healthy insects + one infected insect. 4.,Cannibalism in the presence of virus-infected conspecifics was highly costly to S. frugiperda; in all cases, insect survival was reduced by between ,,50% (laboratory) and ,,30% (field) in the presence of the pathogen. Contrary to expectations, the prevalence of disease was not sensitive to density because cannibalism resulted in self-thinning. As infected individuals are consumed and disappear from the population, the prevalence of disease will be determined by the timescale over which transmission can be achieved, and the rate at which individuals that have acquired an infection become themselves infectious to conspecific predators. [source] Influence of chorion ingestion on the performance of Ascia monuste and its association with cannibalismECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 6 2001Helen C. H. Barros-Bellanda Summary 1. In some lepidopterans, the newly hatched caterpillars feed on chorion (animal protein) as their first food. This is also a frequent behaviour of newly hatched caterpillars of Ascia monuste. 2. According to some parameters tested (time for pupation, number of adults, male imago weight, and fifth-instar ingestion), chorion ingestion by first-instar larvae affects adult performance positively. The ingestion of ultraviolet-sterilised chorion provided the same positive effect on performance. It is thus suggested that young caterpillars may be benefiting from chorion nutritionally, and that chorion ingestion is a chain of events that leads to positive effects on insect performance. 3. Cannibalism in A. monuste was observed in newly hatched caterpillars and is related to the chorion ingestion behaviour. A condition for this to occur was the interval of time of hatching, which means that, if a group of caterpillars hatches very much before another group, once the caterpillars have ingested the chorion of their own eggs, there is a tendency for them to ingest the chorion of other eggs (including unhatched eggs) and, consequently, practice cannibalism. 4. Ascia monuste immatures are considered to be herbivorous, however it is important to know that they eat animal tissue (chorion and conspecific eggs). [source] Does morphological variation between young-of-the-year perch from two Swedish lakes depend on genetic differences?ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 2 2010M. Heynen Heynen M, Hellström G, Magnhagen C, Borcherding J. Does morphological variation between young-of-the-year perch from two Swedish lakes depend on genetic differences? Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 163,169. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract,,, Different local environmental conditions have often been found to generate phenotypic diversity. In the present study we examined morphological differences between young-of-the-year perch from two lake populations with differences in size-specific predation risk. A common garden setup was used to examine the genetic and environmental components of the morphological variation. We found differences in head and jaw length and slight differences in body depth between the wild young-of-the-year perch from Lake Ängersjön and Lake Fisksjön. The differences found between the wild fish from the two lakes were not maintained under common garden rearing. The observed morphological divergence between the wild young-of-the-year perch from Lake Ängersjön and Lake Fisksjön seems to stem mainly from a plastic response to different environmental conditions in the two lakes. It is clear that the morphological traits are not influenced by direct reaction to the size-specific risk of cannibalism, but probably stem from a combination of different environment characteristics, including resource and habitat use, and the density of other piscivores, such as pike. [source] Pike predation on hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon smolts in a northern Baltic riverECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 1 2008J. Kekäläinen Abstract,,, The effect of pike Esox lucius predation on the mortality of newly stocked Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts was investigated in the Pyhäjoki River, Finland. The number of smolts eaten by pike was assessed by estimating the size of the pike population (mark,recapture experiment) and studying the stomach contents of pike. Before recapturing the pike, approximately 39,700 smolts were stocked upstream of the 2.5-km-long (89-ha) research area. The estimated size of the >40-cm pike population was 1507 (95% CL 1012,4731) individuals (17 pike and 29.8 kg·ha,1). Pike were estimated to eat 29% of the released smolts during 1 week. The diet of the pike in the research area consisted almost entirely of smolts, whereas in the reference area with no stocked smolts, the meal sizes were significantly smaller and the importance of smolts as prey was substantially lower. Pike <40 cm had not eaten any smolts, probably indicating a size refuge for the smolts, or alternatively fear of intraspecific interactions or cannibalism of pike. [source] Vulnerability of larvae of two species of aphidophagous ladybirds, Adalia bipunctata Linnaeus and Harmonia axyridis Pallas, to cannibalism and intraguild predationENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2009Satoru SATO Abstract Vulnerability of larvae of two species of aphidophagous ladybirds, Adalia bipunctata Linnaeus and Harmonia axyridis Pallas, to cannibalism and intraguild predation was assessed in the laboratory. In the first experiment, a first instar of one of the two above species was kept with a fourth instar of the other species in a Petri dish. The number of times each first instar larva was encountered by the fourth instar larva and the fate of the first instar was determined over a period of 10 min. The fourth instar larvae captured and killed all the first instar larvae of their own species at the first encounter. However, when presented with fourth instar larvae of the other species the first instar larvae of A. bipunctata and H. axyridis were encountered 6.4 ± 1.3 (n = 10) and 19.4 ± 2.1 (n = 10), respectively. In this experiment no first instar larvae of H. axyridis, whereas all those of A. bipunctata, were killed. [source] Social Environment and Feeding State Influence Movement Decisions in a Web-building SpiderETHOLOGY, Issue 10 2009Maxence Salomon It is well recognized that feeding rate has a major influence on the amount of movement between microhabitats for many animals. However, the role of other extrinsic and intrinsic factors, and particularly how these factors may interact, is not well understood. This three-part study examines the movement decisions of a web-building spider, Latrodectus hesperus, by assessing microhabitat tenacity in established spiders and by testing how the presence of conspecific neighbours and the combined influence of individual feeding state (determined by prior feeding experience) and neighbour presence influence microhabitat residence time in unestablished spiders. The results show that naturally established spiders did not leave their microhabitats readily, emphasizing the importance of choosing a profitable location. Unestablished spiders stayed longer in microhabitats occupied by conspecifics than in unoccupied ones, and there was practically no cannibalism even though neighbours shared webs. Furthermore, feeding state and neighbour presence showed an interactive effect on microhabitat residence time. When spiders were housed alone, microhabitat residence time increased with feeding state. However, in the presence of conspecifics, spiders had a low propensity to move, regardless of feeding state. Together, these results demonstrate the combined importance of grouping dynamics and feeding state in shaping movement decisions. [source] Scent of a Woman , The Effect of Female Presence on Sexual Cannibalism in an Orb-Weaving Spider (Araneae: Araneidae)ETHOLOGY, Issue 7 2009Stefan H. Nessler Post-mating sexual cannibalism occurs as a regular element of mating behaviour in a number of spider species. Frequencies of cannibalism, however, are highly variable between and within species. In Argiope bruennichi, males apparently differ in their motivation to escape a female attack but causes for this variability are unknown. We observed that the probability of sexual cannibalism is positively correlated with male age, i.e. the number of days that passed between male maturation and copulation. The mating season in this species is short with 3,4 wk and males mostly mature days before the females, whose maturation phase is longer. Consequently, as the season progresses, the availability of virgin females increases, quickly reaches a peak and then rapidly declines. In addition, the age of still unmated males increases with the season and both of these factors can potentially affect the degree of sexual cannibalism. To separate these factors, males were collected in their penultimate stage and kept until mating either with or without contact to female pheromones. Thereby, we experimentally manipulated the male's perception of female presence. Within each treatment, we formed three male age groups: (1) 2,6 d, (2) 12,16 d and (3) 22,28 d. Our results demonstrate that the probability of cannibalism was independent of male age but was explained by the treatment of males: males exposed to virgin female pheromones were significantly more likely to be cannibalised than males that were kept without female pheromones. This suggests that males change their reproductive strategy according to perceived mating prospects. [source] PARENTS BENEFIT FROM EATING OFFSPRING: DENSITY-DEPENDENT EGG SURVIVORSHIP COMPENSATES FOR FILIAL CANNIBALISMEVOLUTION, Issue 10 2006Hope Klug Abstract Why should animals knowingly consume their own young? It is difficult to imagine many circumstances in which eating one's own young (i.e., filial cannibalism) actually increases an individual's fitness; however, filial cannibalism commonly co-occurs with parental care in fishes. The evolutionary significance of filial cannibalism remains unclear. The most commonly accepted explanation is that filial cannibalism is a mechanism by which caring males gain energy or nutrients that they reinvest into future reproduction, thereby increasing net reproductive success. There is mixed support for this hypothesis and, at best, it can only explain filial cannibalism in some species. A recent alternative hypothesis suggests that filial cannibalism improves the survivorship of remaining eggs by increasing oxygen availability, and thus increases current reproductive success. This theory has received little attention as of yet. We evaluated the hypothesis of oxygen-mediated filial cannibalism in the sand goby by examining the effect of oxygen and egg density on the occurrence of filial cannibalism, evaluating the effects of partial clutch cannibalism on the survivorship of remaining eggs, and comparing potential costs and benefits of filial cannibalism related to the net number of eggs surviving. Indeed, we found that oxygen level and egg density affected the occurrence of cannibalism and that simulated partial clutch cannibalism improved survivorship of the remaining eggs. Additionally, because increased egg survivorship, stemming from partial egg removal, compensated for the cost of cannibalism (i.e., number of eggs removed) at a range of cannibalism levels, filial cannibalism potentially results in no net losses in reproductive success. However, oxygen did not affect egg survivorship. Thus, we suggest a more general hypothesis of filial cannibalism mediated by density-dependent egg survivorship. [source] PERSPECTIVE: MATERNAL KIN GROUPS AND THE ORIGINS OF ASYMMETRIC GENETIC SYSTEMS,GENOMIC IMPRINTING, HAPLODIPLOIDY, AND PARTHENOGENESISEVOLUTION, Issue 4 2006Benjamin B. Normark Abstract The genetic systems of animals and plants are typically eumendelian. That is, an equal complement of autosomes is inherited from each of two parents, and at each locus, each parent's allele is equally likely to be expressed and equally likely to be transmitted. Genetic systems that violate any of these eumendelian symmetries are termed asymmetric and include parent-specific gene expression (PSGE), haplodiploidy, thelytoky, and related systems. Asymmetric genetic systems typically arise in lineages with close associations between kin (gregarious siblings, brooding, or viviparity). To date, different explanatory frameworks have been proposed to account for each of the different asymmetric genetic systems. Haig's kinship theory of genomic imprinting argues that PSGE arises when kinship asymmetries between interacting kin create conflicts between maternally and paternally derived alleles. Greater maternal than paternal relatedness within groups selects for more "abstemious" expression of maternally derived alleles and more "greedy" expression of paternally derived alleles. Here, I argue that this process may also underlie origins of haplodiploidy and many origins of thelytoky. The tendency for paternal alleles to be more "greedy" in maternal kin groups means that maternal-paternal conflict is not a zero-sum game: the maternal optimum will more closely correspond to the optimum for family groups and demes and for associated entities such as symbionts. Often in these circumstances, partial or complete suppression of paternal gene expression will evolve (haplodiploidy, thelytoky), or other features of the life cycle will evolve to minimize the conflict (monogamy, inbreeding). Maternally transmitted cytoplasmic elements and maternally imprinted nuclear alleles have a shared interest in minimizing agonistic interactions between female siblings and may cooperate to exclude the paternal genome. Eusociality is the most dramatic expression of the conflict-reducing effects of haplodiploidy, but its original and more widespread function may be suppression of intrafamilial cannibalism. In rare circumstances in which paternal gene products gain access to maternal physiology via a placenta, PSGE with greedy paternal gene expression can persist (e.g., in mammals). [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||