Food Webs最新文献

{"title":"Is the older the better? Host plant ontogeny and resource availability drives gall-inducing insect diversity and network topology","authors":"Henrique Venâncio ,&nbsp;Walter Santos de Araújo ,&nbsp;Guilherme Ramos Demetrio ,&nbsp;Wanessa Rejane de Almeida ,&nbsp;Antonio Bruno Silva Farias ,&nbsp;Aline Gonçalves ,&nbsp;Jean Carlos Santos","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00428","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00428","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant ontogeny modifies resource availability to herbivore communities, with drastic effects on gall-inducing insects preference during the host's development. In this study, we investigated the effects of plant ontogeny on the richness, abundance and interaction networks of gall communities. We used saplings, juveniles and mature individuals of the host plant <em>Bauhinia brevipes</em> Vogel (Fabaceae) and their associated galls as study models. Our results showed that gall-inducing insect richness was highest in mature plants, while abundance was higher in both sapling and mature plants. Moreover, gall community composition differed among the three developmental stages. These diversity parameters were positively associated with the number of leaves of the plants. The prevalence of gall-inducing insects on mature plants was also reflected in the network topology: galls were more linked, and significantly specialized, nested, and presented modules in mature plants. The interaction strength of one gall-inducing species increased in mature plants, while three gall-inducing insects increased with the number of leaves independently of the ontogenetic stage of plants, therefore refuting an ontogenetic succession in the system. We suggest that resource quantity and quality variation of host ontogeny act together to drive gall diversity and the network topology. Our study is one of the few to investigate the diversity of gall-inducing insect communities on host ontogeny, and pioneer to evaluate this effect on interaction networks. Overall, this study advances in the understanding of plant ontogeny in the interaction of gall-host systems, which may contribute to ecological aspects, including conservative efforts of gall-inducing insects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article e00428"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145520000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing muskrat predation on a freshwater mussel assemblage in a southeastern United States river","authors":"Brileigh V. Hicks ,&nbsp;Augustin C. Engman ,&nbsp;Jeronimo G. Da Silva Neto ,&nbsp;Caitlin S. Carey ,&nbsp;Julianna J. Jett ,&nbsp;Gerald R. Dinkins","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00407","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00407","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many freshwater mussel species are experiencing significant declines across the United States, particularly in the Southeast where most of the diversity in this animal group occurs. In this study, we evaluated the impact of muskrat (<em>Ondatra zibethicus</em>) predation on the mussel assemblage at Kyles Ford, a well-studied reach of the Clinch River, Tennessee. We compared quantitative estimates of abundance and size structure of live populations with shells that accumulated in muskrat middens between September and December 2023. We used a sampling approach that censused all shells deposited by muskrats at this site during the study and allowed us to quantify predation rates and size-and species-selectivity of muskrat predation. In total, we documented the predation of 2370 individual mussels of 26 species, including 14 federally listed species and one candidate species. The mean predation rate was 20 mussels per day, and muskrats exhibited preference for larger individuals. The Chesson's index confirmed significant species selectivity coinciding with endangered species and size-selectivity was observed in four species. These findings underscore the need for further research into the seasonal and environmental variability of muskrat predation and its long-term effects on mussel populations. Additionally, our results suggest that muskrat middens may serve as a valuable tool for monitoring mussel species occurrences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00407"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144364471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First record of nectar feeding by the exotic lizard Lepidodactylus lugubris (Duméril & Bibron, 1836) in urban environments in Brazil with notes on unusual feeding behaviors","authors":"Giovanni Sampaio Palheta ,&nbsp;Sílvia Regina Carneiro de Pinho ,&nbsp;Annelise Batista D'Angiolella","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00415","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00415","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interactions between reptiles and plants are less studied than those involving other vertebrate groups, especially in urban environments, which may limit our understanding of the ecological roles of reptiles such as lizards. In this study, we report for the first time a nectarivorous interaction between <em>Lepidodactylus lugubris</em>, a parthenogenetic lizard of the family Gekkonidae, and a plant species in an urban environment in Brazil. We also summarize the existing literature on visually documented nectarivorous behavior for this species in urban environments. The animal was observed feeding on flower nectar during the day in a building. This behavior demonstrates the species' dietary plasticity and highlights that important ecological interactions can occur even in urban environments. In a broad sense, the relationship between lizards and plants has been underestimated, but recent studies indicate that some species may act as occasional pollinators, contributing to the maintenance of local flora. The presence of this gecko in urban areas also underscores the need to better understand the ecological functions performed by reptiles and their resilience in modified habitats. New records and studies on this interaction may help elucidate the ecology of <em>L. lugubris</em> and its potential role in pollination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00415"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144772542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predation and prey preference of the land snail Gulella bicolor - implication for land snail regulation","authors":"Gargi Nandy,&nbsp;Gautam Aditya","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00409","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00409","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The predation and the prey preference of the land snail <em>Gulella bicolor</em> (Hutton, 1834) (Gastropda: Streptaxidae) against coexisting land snails, <em>Allopeas gracile</em> (Hutton, 1834 (Gastropoda: Achatinidae), <em>Succinea daucina</em> (L. Pfeiffer, 1854) (Gastropoda: Succineidae) and <em>Glessula gemma</em> (Reeve, 1850) (Gastropoda: Achatinidae) were evaluated. The prey size class, prey density and predator density were considered as the explanatory variable to evaluate the predation pattern and the prey selectivity of <em>G. bicolor.</em> For snail species <em>A. gracile</em> and <em>S. daucina</em>, the predation pattern varied significantly as a function of prey size classes, prey density and predator density but not for <em>G. gemma</em>. The prey selectivity suggested that for selected size classes, the preference was inclined towards <em>A. gracile</em>, when <em>G. gemma</em> or <em>S. daucina</em> were present as alternative prey. However, when <em>S. daucina</em> and <em>G. gemma</em> were present together, the significant preference was observed. As a consequence, the potential apparent competition web (PAC) of the interactions of the predatory snail <em>G. bicolour</em> and the prey snails, <em>A. gracile, G. gemma</em> and <em>S. daucina</em> was calculated. Although, the predatory snail <em>G. bicolour</em> can be promoted as a biocontrol agent, the successful regulation may vary with the size and density of the prey snails and the extent of the PAC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00409"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144491195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trophic ecology of Caribbean polychaetes: responses to environmental changes driven by massive Sargassum arrivals","authors":"Isabella Pérez-Posada ,&nbsp;Nancy Cabanillas-Terán ,&nbsp;Luis F. Carrera-Parra ,&nbsp;Diego J. Lizcano ,&nbsp;Alberto Sánchez","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00411","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00411","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Sargassum</em> decomposition promotes ecosystem eutrophication and triggers trophic shifts in benthic organisms, including polychaetes. In this study we evaluated the trophic dynamics of polychaetes <em>Eurythoe complanata</em>, <em>Lysidice caribensis</em>, and <em>Nicidion cariboea</em> in response to the massive arrivals of pelagic <em>Sargassum</em> using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N). The study was conducted across nine sites in the southern Mexican Caribbean during onset and ending periods of massive <em>Sargassum</em> arrivals in 2021. Results revealed significant variations in δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values among sites in onset and ending periods, indicating shifts in carbon and nitrogen sources and possible changes in feeding behavior. <em>Lysidice caribensis</em> exhibited the highest trophic plasticity, with trophic position (TP) values ranging from 1.6 to 3, adapting to different trophic guilds depending on resource availability and site characteristics. In contrast, <em>E. complanata</em>, traditionally considered a higher consumer, exhibited a consistently low trophic position (1.3-2.6), suggesting a dietary shift towards algae and detritus under <em>Sargassum</em>-influenced conditions. <em>Nicidion cariboea</em> also displayed lower trophic position and narrower isotopic niches, particularly in sites impacted by <em>Sargassum</em> leachates (1.8 to 3). Standard ellipse area ranged from 0.07 to 5.91 across species, sites and periods, with <em>L. caribensis</em> showing the broadest values in sites with <em>Sargassum</em> influence during ending period. Periodical fluctuations also influenced niche overlap, with greater overlap observed during the ending period, suggesting increased interspecific competition under resource-limited conditions. These findings highlight the adaptive strategies of polychaetes to environmental disturbances and their potential role in a changing reef environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00411"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New ecological interaction: Herbivory of Japanese knotweed by White-tailed Deer","authors":"Lucas J. Kirby,&nbsp;Alexia M. Turner,&nbsp;Patrick Malinowski","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00417","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00417","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Japanese knotweed (<em>Reynoutria japonica Houtt</em>) is a successful invasive species for a multitude of reasons that include: anthropogenic cultivation, vegetative reproduction, allelopathy, and competitive exclusion, as well as enemy release from native herbivores. An adequate biological control agent has been sought to help control its dominance and spread, though the most recent control agents have failed to establish and control the plant in field studies. This paper represents hope that <em>R. japonica</em> can be controlled or have its dominance reduced on the landscape by a dominant North American herbivore, the white-tailed deer. Our study confirmed that a population of white-tailed deer in Central New Jersey are intentionally and significantly consuming <em>R. japonica</em> to a level that alters the growth of the plant. Our results support the findings of other studies in that <em>R. japonica</em> reduces species richness within the plant community and reduces the area covered by other plants. We did not find a relationship between the amount of plant damage (leaves lost) to canopy coverage of <em>R. japonica</em>, likely because the plants growth form still produces shade by becoming stout with more branching rather than tall and overhanging. The herbivory of <em>R. japonica</em> by this population of white-tailed deer likely stems from an unusually high population density of deer in this suburban area that drove them to seek alternative food resources. This study is another example of the ability of native herbivores to eventually form new relationships with invasive plants, and it provides hope for the biological control of <em>R. japonica</em> by native species in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00417"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144890313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Scavenging of a brown bear (Ursus arctos) on a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)","authors":"Erdem Danyer ,&nbsp;Uğur Özsandıkçı ,&nbsp;Anil Soyumert","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00408","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00408","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cetacean carcasses stranded on coastlines can provide food resources for terrestrial predators. On 05 July 2024, a video shared on the media showed a bottlenose dolphin (<em>Tursiops truncatus</em>) carcass being carried by a brown bear (<em>Ursus arctos</em>) over the coastal rocks towards to the forest in Sinop, in the Black Sea region of Türkiye. This study is the first report of scavenging of a brown bear on a bottlenose dolphin with notes on its implications from a one health perspective. Our report suggests that the bottlenose dolphin carcass may provide an uncommon but potential food resource for brown bears along the Black Sea coastline.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00408"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ophiophagy in Bothrops mattogrossensis: Predation on Helicops angulatus and potential for reciprocal interactions among Neotropical snakes","authors":"Cord B. Eversole ,&nbsp;Luis R. Rivas ,&nbsp;Randy L. Powell","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00412","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00412","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We report <em>Helicops angulatus</em> as prey of <em>Bothrops mattogrossensis</em> in the Bolivian lowlands, a novel dietary record with implications for understanding trophic interactions among Neotropical snakes. While <em>B. mattogrossensis</em> is a known generalist predator, specific dietary records, particularly of ophiophagy, remain rare. Given the shared habitat preferences, similar body sizes, and overlapping activity periods of these two species, this interaction highlights the potential for bidirectional or reciprocal predation. Such interactions may be more common than previously recognized, yet remain undocumented due to limited field data. We discuss the ecological significance of this finding in the context of predator-prey dynamics and propose further investigation into reciprocal predation in Neotropical snake assemblages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00412"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144721212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predation of the slender opossum Marmosops caucae (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) on the venomous spider Phoneutria fera (Araneae: Ctenidae) in Amazonian Ecuador, with a dietary overview for the genus Marmosops","authors":"Ariel Guerrero-Campoverde ,&nbsp;Elias Viteri-Basso ,&nbsp;Pedro Peñaherrera-R. ,&nbsp;Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00418","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00418","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Small marsupials of the genus <em>Marmosops</em> are widely regarded as omnivore-insectivores, but quantitative information on their diets is fragmentary. Here, we report the first verified predation event of the highly venomous wandering spider <em>Phoneutria fera</em> by <em>Marmosops caucae</em> during a nocturnal survey in Amazonian Ecuador, and provide the most comprehensive synthesis to date of prey use within the genus, based on a literature review and participatory science observations. The synthesis yielded nine primary studies and three iNaturalist records offering diet data for six <em>Marmosops</em> species. Collectively, these records encompass 15 invertebrate orders and five vertebrate classes; Coleoptera and Hymenoptera dominate, whereas large arachnids occur only sporadically. The breadth and composition of prey spectra are best explained by local availability rather than dietary specialisation, underscoring the genus's behavioural flexibility. Our observation expands the known trophic interactions of <em>Marmosops</em> and highlights the need for experimental work on venom tolerance and potential ecological effects on spider guilds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00418"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predatory behavior of the hellgrammite larva Corydalus batesii (McLachlan, 1868) (Insecta: Megaloptera: Corydalidae) in an Amazonian stream","authors":"Eduarda Silva de Lima ,&nbsp;Iluany da Silva Costa ,&nbsp;Thaís Santos Souza ,&nbsp;Emilly Vieira Drosdosky ,&nbsp;Matheus Fernandes-Freitas ,&nbsp;Karina Dias-Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00410","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prey selection by aquatic predators is influenced by active choice, prey vulnerability and encounter rate. Megaloptera is an order of predatory aquatic insects whose larvae feed exclusively on live prey. Their larvae are found in Amazonian streams, but their biology, distribution and diet have been little studied. Here, an event of Tipulidae predation by <em>Corydalus batesii</em> (McLachlan, 1868) was recorded in a conserved stream in Medicilândia, Pará. This species had not been recorded in the state for 26 years, and this is the first time that the feeding of this larva has been evaluated. The study adds gaps in the behavior and distribution of this species, adding to knowledge about trophic interactions in Amazonian streams and also reinforcing the importance of conserving these ecosystems. The urgency for habitat conservation is highlighted by the fact that the stream evaluated was deforested and impacted weeks after collection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00410"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144322386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}