Ethology最新文献

An Easy Method to Sample Headspace Pheromones in the Field 一种简便的野外顶空信息素取样方法

IF 1.4 4区生物学

Ethology Pub Date : 2026-04-09 Epub Date: 2026-01-23 DOI: 10.1111/eth.70057

Zoe Dössel, Katharina Weiss, Jutta M. Schneider

{"title":"An Easy Method to Sample Headspace Pheromones in the Field","authors":"Zoe Dössel, Katharina Weiss, Jutta M. Schneider","doi":"10.1111/eth.70057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.70057","url":null,"abstract":"Signal evolution is complex as it is subject to multiple, often antagonistic selection pressures and the result is expected to be a compromise between getting the signal to the desired recipient at minimal costs and avoiding or at least minimising reception by an unwanted audience. In comparison to other modalities, we know very little about chemical signals, even though they are particularly widespread across many taxa, including spiders. Spiders use volatile chemicals to attract prey and mating partners but are predominantly studied in the laboratory. This leaves a gap in our knowledge concerning the natural context and environment for signalling in this large arthropod group. The chemical nature of the sex-pheromone is known for 12 spider species, including the wasp-spider Argiope bruennichi. Recent laboratory experiments with this species have shown that pheromone production is condition dependent and that females invest strategically into signalling. One consistent result from the lab was that freshly matured females do not emit pheromones for at least 3 days. However, in the field many freshly matured females have one or more guarding males in their webs, putting our laboratory results into question. To solve this incongruity, a method for sampling under field conditions was required. Here we present a simple method that we developed to sample pheromone emission of an orb-web spider in the field.","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":"132 5","pages":"365-371"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.70057","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147683906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Visual Cues Can Alter the Behavioural Responses of Dragonfly Larvae to Chemical Alarm Cues 视觉线索可以改变蜻蜓幼虫对化学警报线索的行为反应

IF 1.4 4区生物学

Ethology Pub Date : 2026-04-09 Epub Date: 2026-02-06 DOI: 10.1111/eth.70060

Zoltán Tóth, Gabriella Kőmüves, Benjamin László Lőczi, Magdolna Olívia Szelényi

{"title":"Visual Cues Can Alter the Behavioural Responses of Dragonfly Larvae to Chemical Alarm Cues","authors":"Zoltán Tóth, Gabriella Kőmüves, Benjamin László Lőczi, Magdolna Olívia Szelényi","doi":"10.1111/eth.70060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.70060","url":null,"abstract":"Chemical alarm cues are widely used across ecosystems to detect predators and reduce predation risk, but in cannibalistic species, these cues may also convey information about conspecific diet. However, the sensory mechanisms that governs the trade-off between antipredator and predatory behavioural strategies are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated how visual and chemical alarm cues influence the spread of risk-related information in Aeshna cyanea larvae, a widespread odonate with frequent cannibalistic interactions among early instars. Using a controlled experimental design, we aimed to isolate the effects of chemical and visual stimuli on antipredator behaviour and assess whether such information can be socially transmitted among spatially proximate conspecifics. We found that exposure to chemical cues from injured conspecifics significantly reduced locomotor activity in most demonstrators, i.e., individuals directly exposed to the alarm cues. However, this effect was modulated by the visual detection of conspecifics: observer 1 individuals showed no activity change when visual cues on nearby demonstrators were present, but increased activity when chemical cues were presented alone. Moreover, visual contact between demonstrators and observer 1 larvae consistently reduced inter-individual distance, regardless of the presence of chemical cues. In contrast, observer 2 individuals, who only received visual cues from observer 1 larvae, showed no behavioural change. These results indicate that while A. cyanea larvae do not copy the antipredator behaviour of conspecifics, visual cues modulate responses to chemical information, supporting a role for context-dependent cue integration in decision-making in a non-grouping, cannibalistic species.","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":"132 5","pages":"349-358"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.70060","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147683361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Discriminative Reactions to Behaviour and Social Attributes of Non-Mother Individuals in Wild Infant Japanese Macaques on Yakushima (Macaca fuscata yakui) 屋久岛野生日本猕猴幼猴对非母个体的行为和社会属性的辨别反应

IF 1.4 4区生物学

Ethology Pub Date : 2026-04-09 Epub Date: 2026-03-10 DOI: 10.1111/eth.70056

Boyun Lee, Takeshi Furuichi

{"title":"Discriminative Reactions to Behaviour and Social Attributes of Non-Mother Individuals in Wild Infant Japanese Macaques on Yakushima (Macaca fuscata yakui)","authors":"Boyun Lee, Takeshi Furuichi","doi":"10.1111/eth.70056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.70056","url":null,"abstract":"Mammalian infants exhibit context-dependent behavioural reactions in social interactions. Despite extensive research on these discriminative reactions, studies have lacked diversity in infant behaviours and have reported inconsistent findings. To address these gaps, we investigated how non-human primate infants respond to non-mother individuals, predicting fewer positive and more negative reactions to rough behaviours, and fewer negative reactions toward familiar individuals, such as close kin and maternal frequent grooming partners, as well as toward those ranked higher than their mothers. We tested these predictions using all-occurrence sampling of infant handling, recording infant reactions during the first 16 weeks of life in wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui). We found that infants exhibited fewer positive and more negative reactions, except for leaving reactions, toward rough handling. They exhibited more frequent crying when handled by close kin; showed more positive reactions and fewer leaving and crying reactions toward individuals who frequently groomed with their mothers; and displayed more twitching and crying reactions when roughly handled by individuals ranked higher than their mothers. Younger infants exhibited more twitching, and female infants displayed more crying. Higher scores of maternal rejectiveness were linked to fewer leaving reactions in infants. These findings indicate that non-human primates acquire behavioural flexibility early in development through active engagement in social contexts. Such behavioural development may contribute to ensuring safety, promoting social bonding, conserving energy during social interactions and maintaining maternal relationships.","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":"132 5","pages":"317-328"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.70056","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147683560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

IF 1.4 4区生物学

Ethology Pub Date : 2026-04-09 Epub Date: 2026-01-17 DOI: 10.1111/eth.70055

Maria C. A. Melillo, Stefânia P. R. Ventura, Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira, Paulo Enrique C. Peixoto

{"title":"When Similar Individuals Don't Attract: Absence of Assortative Mating by Coloration in a Damselfly With Honest Signaling","authors":"Maria C. A. Melillo, Stefânia P. R. Ventura, Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira, Paulo Enrique C. Peixoto","doi":"10.1111/eth.70055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.70055","url":null,"abstract":"Ornaments are conspicuous traits used in intraspecific signaling, occurring in one or both sexes. In species with mutual ornamentation, male traits have traditionally received more attention, whereas female traits have frequently been assumed to evolve as byproducts of male ornamentation. However, other less explored processes, such as mutual mate choice, may explain ornamentation in both sexes. According to this hypothesis, when males and females prefer the same trait, selection reinforces it over generations, promoting ornament development in both sexes, especially when the trait signals individual quality. However, mate choosiness may vary according to the time available for the reproductive process to take place: the shorter the time, the lower the choosiness. We tested these patterns in a damselfly species (Acanthagrion lancea), in which both sexes possess blue ornamentation, and investigated two hypotheses: (i) blue coloration results from mutual mate choice, in which coloration signals quality; (ii) mate selectivity decreases over the course of the day, as time available for reproduction decreases. To investigate these hypotheses, we analyzed whether the color of male–female couples correlated, considering their visual spectrum, and whether this correlation decreased throughout the day, indicating less mate selectivity. We used lipid weight and dry body mass as indicators of quality. Coloration was positively correlated with individual dry mass. Surprisingly, a new red coloration, not visible in the human spectrum, was identified. However, there was no relationship between the colorations of couples, regardless of the time of day. These results suggest that, although coloration signals quality, it is not used in mutual mate choice, independent of the available time for reproduction.","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":"132 5","pages":"305-316"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.70055","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147683746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Colour Polymorphism in Coconut Crabs Is Under Relaxed Selection From Conspecifics? 椰子蟹的颜色多态性是在同种生物的宽松选择下发生的？

IF 1.4 4区生物学

Ethology Pub Date : 2026-04-09 Epub Date: 2026-03-12 DOI: 10.1111/eth.70062

Tim Caro

引用次数: 0

Human Disturbance but Not Predation Risk Is Associated With Increased Vigilance in Roe Deer 人类干扰而非捕食风险与狍警惕性增加有关

IF 1.4 4区生物学

Ethology Pub Date : 2026-04-09 Epub Date: 2026-02-10 DOI: 10.1111/eth.70059

Elisa Torretta, Eleonora Frigerio, Giulia Ruffoni, Erika Bergantin, Achaz von Hardenberg

{"title":"Human Disturbance but Not Predation Risk Is Associated With Increased Vigilance in Roe Deer","authors":"Elisa Torretta, Eleonora Frigerio, Giulia Ruffoni, Erika Bergantin, Achaz von Hardenberg","doi":"10.1111/eth.70059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.70059","url":null,"abstract":"The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is a primary prey species for large carnivores and an important game species for hunters. Consequently, this species exhibits distinct responses to minimise exposure to both humans and predators. While human activity follows predictable patterns, eliciting consistent roe deer responses, wolf (Canis lupus) predation is less predictable, potentially leading to different risk-mitigation strategies. Over a two-year study (December 2020–November 2022), we collected roe deer behavioural data using camera traps and direct observations across seven study areas in north-western Italy. These areas varied in wolf presence, landscape composition and species management practices. We analysed activity budgets with a focus on vigilance. Our results indicate that vigilance behaviour varied significantly across landscapes, being lower in natural compared to modified habitats, suggesting that habitat composition strongly influences roe deer risk perception. Furthermore, vigilance decreased with increasing group size, supporting the group-size effect hypothesis in reducing individual alertness. Interestingly, roe deer vigilance behaviour was not significantly influenced by stable wolf presence, suggesting that they may prioritise spatial avoidance over increased vigilance as an antipredator strategy. Overall, our results highlight the complex interplay between human disturbance and predation risk, underscoring the importance of behavioural flexibility in roe deer survival strategies in human-modified landscapes.","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":"132 5","pages":"336-348"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.70059","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147683643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Do Toxin-Sequestering Snakes Recognize Their Own Nuchal Gland Toxin Reserve? Insights From Rhabdophis subminiatus 毒素隔离蛇能识别自己的颈腺毒素储备吗？来自亚迷你横纹肌的见解

IF 1.4 4区生物学

Ethology Pub Date : 2026-04-09 Epub Date: 2026-01-28 DOI: 10.1111/eth.70058

Tomonori Kodama, Cindy Patricia, Asrael Racho, Yasmin Arifia, Syahfitri Anita

{"title":"Do Toxin-Sequestering Snakes Recognize Their Own Nuchal Gland Toxin Reserve? Insights From Rhabdophis subminiatus","authors":"Tomonori Kodama, Cindy Patricia, Asrael Racho, Yasmin Arifia, Syahfitri Anita","doi":"10.1111/eth.70058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.70058","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 Many animals with chemical defenses adjust their behavior depending on their toxin reserves. However, little is known about whether toxin-sequestering animals can directly monitor the amount of stored toxins. We investigated this question in the rednecked keelback (Rhabdophis subminiatus), which stores bufadienolides sequestered from toads in specialized integumentary organs called nuchal glands. We experimentally compared defensive behaviors before and after depletion of gland contents through mechanical extraction. Toxin depletion was confirmed by a significant reduction in both the mass and coloration of the extracted fluid. Across 23 individual snakes, no significant differences were observed in the frequency of defensive behaviors, including nuchal gland–related displays, between the full-toxin and toxin-depleted conditions. These results suggest that R. subminiatus does not directly recognize the current toxin reserve in its nuchal glands. Instead, toxin recognition in this genus may occur indirectly through factors related to feeding experience on toxin sources. Our findings provide new insight into the mechanisms and evolution of chemical defense regulation in toxin-sequestering snakes.\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":"132 5","pages":"329-335"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147684101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Recognition of Individual Conspecifics: Evidence From a 3-Chambered Test With Ghost Crab (Ocypode quadrata) 个体同种特征的识别：来自鬼蟹三室实验的证据

IF 1.4 4区生物学

Ethology Pub Date : 2026-03-08 Epub Date: 2025-12-24 DOI: 10.1111/eth.70047

Trent Robinson

{"title":"Recognition of Individual Conspecifics: Evidence From a 3-Chambered Test With Ghost Crab (Ocypode quadrata)","authors":"Trent Robinson","doi":"10.1111/eth.70047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.70047","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 The ability to recognize conspecifics can benefit the fitness of species members through a number of avenues. But, for this trait to emerge through natural selection, their ecological context needs to be structured to exert the appropriate selection pressure. Ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) occupy an environment where encounters with conspecifics are common, and it's also possible that they consistently experience the same individuals over multiple occasions. Individual recognition, then, may be present within this species as an evolutionary byproduct of these circumstances. To investigate this potential, the current research exposed crabs to a sociability and individual recognition test, each lasted 30 min. In the former, animals explored a rectangular arena segmented into three equal compartments. Importantly, a conspecific (Stranger 1) was situated in 1 of the radial compartments, while the others remained empty. In the latter test, a second conspecific (i.e., Stranger 2) was added to the remaining radial segment and animals again traversed the apparatus. These tests offered only visual information about conspecifics and results showed that crabs spent roughly equal time in all compartments during the sociability test. However, when both conspecifics were present, crabs spent significantly more time in the compartment housing Stranger 1. Also, crabs displayed more aggression to Stranger 2, compared to 1. Thus, ghost crabs may distinguish novel conspecifics from those with whom they have had prior experience. Several cognitive mechanisms are elaborated to help interpret these findings. In the end, though, individual recognition is a complex process that appears present within this species, although future research is needed to further this notion.\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":"132 4","pages":"237-247"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147568641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Exposure to the Oestrogenic Pollutant 17α-Ethinyl Estradiol (EE2) Does Not Alter the Behaviour of a Coastal Marine Fish, Cristiceps australis 暴露于雌激素污染物17α-乙基雌二醇（EE2）不会改变沿海海鱼的行为

IF 1.4 4区生物学

Ethology Pub Date : 2026-03-08 Epub Date: 2026-01-19 DOI: 10.1111/eth.70054

Shiho Ozeki, Rhiannon V. Eastment, Jack L. Manera, Raiko Rafeeq, Anne Peters, Jake M. Martin, Bob B. M. Wong

{"title":"Exposure to the Oestrogenic Pollutant 17α-Ethinyl Estradiol (EE2) Does Not Alter the Behaviour of a Coastal Marine Fish, Cristiceps australis","authors":"Shiho Ozeki, Rhiannon V. Eastment, Jack L. Manera, Raiko Rafeeq, Anne Peters, Jake M. Martin, Bob B. M. Wong","doi":"10.1111/eth.70054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.70054","url":null,"abstract":"Escalating production and consumption of medications globally has led to a sharp rise in environmental contamination with pharmaceuticals—including 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), a synthetic oestrogen used in the contraceptive pill. EE2 is now commonly detected in various ecosystems and poses risks to wildlife. Although its effects on behavioural traits are well-documented, available data are restricted to a handful of model organisms. Therefore, the generality of such effects has not been widely considered, particularly for marine fishes. Accordingly, we investigated the effects of environmentally relevant EE2 concentrations on boldness and anxiety in a marine fish, the southern crested weedfish (Cristiceps australis). Weedfishes inhabit shallow coastal waters, which are often contaminated with EE2, and rely on vegetation for predator avoidance. Therefore, investigating the impact of EE2 on their refuging behaviour is critical to understanding threats to their survival. Fish were exposed for 14 days to one of three treatments: control (no added EE2), low-dose EE2 (33 ng/L), or high-dose EE2 (70 ng/L). Following exposure, a standard refuge-use assay was used to assess boldness and anxiety. On the basis of observations in model species, we hypothesised that EE2 exposure would alter boldness and anxiety. Contrary to our predictions, EE2 exposure had no effect on behaviour. These findings contrast with behavioural effects reported at similar concentrations in freshwater fishes, possibly because of species-specific physiological differences or marine environmental factors that influence the drug's uptake. Possible interspecies variability underscores the need to investigate a broader range of taxa beyond traditional ecotoxicology models to better understand EE2's ecological impact.","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":"132 4","pages":"295-304"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.70054","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147567049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Ordering Matters: Combinatorial Song Structure Governs Male Responses in a Cicada Species 排序问题：蝉的组合鸣声结构支配雄性的反应

IF 1.4 4区生物学

Ethology Pub Date : 2026-03-08 Epub Date: 2026-01-14 DOI: 10.1111/eth.70051

Takeru Kodama, Haruki Tatsuta

引用次数: 0