{"title":"Choosing a bigger opponent: the path to victory and greater gains for the small contestant","authors":"Luis M. Burciaga, Guillermina Alcaraz","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03447-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03447-6","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>Animals often engage in contests over limited resources. The probability of winning a contest is primarily determined by the individual's fighting ability relative to its opponent and the perceived value of the disputed resource. Individuals of the hermit crab <i>Calcinus californiensis</i> frequently fight over gastropod shells. We conducted a free-choice experiment to assess the factors that determine individuals’ choice of opponent, contest initiation, and contest resolution. We placed hermit crabs occupying two shell species into a large container and monitored agonistic interactions between crabs. We assessed the asymmetries in fighting ability based on the differences in body mass between the opponents. The shell species and fit (i.e., shell size relative to crab body size) were used as measures of the objective and subjective resource value, respectively. Motivation influenced contest initiation; the crabs occupying too-tight shells were more likely to initiate a contest than the ones in looser-fitting shells. In most cases, the attackers fought for a shell with a looser fit, even if that meant losing a tighter-fitting shell of the preferred shell species. The fighting success for attackers was positively associated with the number of bouts of rapping and the shell size improvement. However, success was negatively correlated with body size asymmetry; attackers that chose opponents larger than themselves were more likely to evict their opponent than the attackers that chose opponents that were smaller. Experimental designs that allow animals to select their own opponents, rather than assigning specific opponents, can strongly contribute to knowledge of agonistic interactions.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Significance statement</h3><p>Fighting dynamics are commonly assessed by estimating the influence of the resource-holding potential and resource value in pair-matched opponents. Here, however, we examined the influence of asymmetries in resource-holding potential and the objective and subjective value of gastropod shells on the choice of a contender and contest resolution through a free-choice opponent experiment in hermit crabs. The contest initiation was driven by the motivation to obtain a better gastropod shell species or one with a better size fit—factors which are known to improve individual fitness. Furthermore, fighting success was associated with an individual's persistence in displaying aggressive behaviors and its motivation to obtain a better resource. However, contrary to the predictions of game theoretical models, fighting success was higher when attackers chose opponents larger than themselves. Our results highlight the relevance of assessing fighting under more natural conditions by allowing animals to select their opponents.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140005796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Toshiki Nishitani, Kentarou Matsumura, Erik Postma, Manmohan Dev Sharma, David J Hosken, Takahisa Miyatake
{"title":"Experimental quantification of genetic and ontogenetic effects on fighting behavior in the broad-horned flour beetle","authors":"Toshiki Nishitani, Kentarou Matsumura, Erik Postma, Manmohan Dev Sharma, David J Hosken, Takahisa Miyatake","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03451-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03451-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Most animal behaviors show large within- and among-individual variation, and this includes competitive male behaviors. With male fighting for example, aggressiveness often correlates with dominance, and contest duration varies with age. However, few studies have directly quantified how mean aggressiveness and contest duration, the variation among individuals in both traits, and the relationship among them, vary with age. Here we address these gaps and examine the effect of male age and genotype on two key aspects of male fighting behavior - aggressiveness (here measured as latency to fight) and contest duration - and the relationship between them. We do this using isogenic lines of the broad-horned flour beetle <i>Gnatocerus cornutus</i>. We observed fighting behavior of paired males of similar body size and age. Using uni- and multivariate mixed models, we show that although there was a significant difference between younger and older males in contest duration, mean aggressiveness was not affected by male age. However, the variation in aggression and fight duration varied with age, being greater in younger and older males respectively. Additionally, although there was a positive correlation between aggressiveness and contest duration in younger males, this relationship was not found in older males. Finally, the only significant genetic effect was for aggression in younger males. Our study shows that age differentially shapes key components of male fighting behavior as well as the relationship among them, highlighting the dynamic nature and context-dependence of fighting.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"61 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139954339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"No sign of reproductive cessation in the old workers of a queenless ponerine ant","authors":"Kodai Kishino, Keiko Sakiyama, Haruna Fujioka, Yasukazu Okada","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03445-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03445-8","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>In many social hymenopterans, workers of different ages engage in different tasks; younger workers remain inside the nest as intranidal workers, while older workers go outside the nest as extranidal workers (i.e., age polyethism). Previous studies have shown that ovarian activity is diminished in old, extranidal workers, but it remains unclear whether workers’ reproductive ability persists for life or whether they exhibit post-reproductive lifespans. In this study, we investigated the age-dependence of worker reproductive ability in a monomorphic ponerine ant <i>Diacamma</i> cf. <i>indicum</i>. In <i>Diacamma</i> ants, all females in a colony have reproductive ability, but effective reproduction is limited to one or a few dominant females, and the remaining females act as sterile helpers. Using long-term laboratory rearing, we investigated whether worker reproductive ability lasts throughout a worker’s lifetime. The ages of workers were accurately tracked, and the reproductive ability of young and old workers was examined by creating several gamergate-less sub-colonies. Results showed that at least one individual in each sub-colony developed ovaries, even in the sub-colonies that solely consisted of very old workers (> 252 days old). Interestingly, in the presence of younger workers, old workers rarely showed ovarian development. Besides age, we found a positive correlation between the amount of fat (i.e., nutritional condition) and ovarian development in old workers. Our data suggest that reproductive activity of old workers is low but maintained throughout their life in <i>Diacamma</i>.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Significance statement</h3><p>Females of social animals, such as cetaceans, are known to stop reproducing before the end of their lifespan. It is suggested that the reproductive ability of ant queens does not decline and is maintained throughout their lives; however, it is unclear whether this is also true in ant workers. We maintained ant colonies for more than 500 days and then tested whether the reproductive ability of ant workers is maintained throughout their lifespan. Even in small groups composed of only very old workers (> 252 days old), at least one individual in each group always reproduced actively. Interestingly, the presence of young workers seemed to suppress the reproduction of old workers. In addition, fat content was positively associated with the individual’s reproductive potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139954581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Behavioral repertoire of Lahille’s bottlenose dolphins that interact with artisanal fishers","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03443-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03443-w","url":null,"abstract":"<span> <h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Many human cultures involve positive interactions with wildlife in the past and present. Lahille’s bottlenose dolphins (<em>Tursiops gephyreus</em>), for example, have developed tactics for coastal and estuarine foraging, which sustains a fishing practice known as “cooperative fishing” by traditional fishers in estuaries of southern Brazil. Here, we use aerial footage to describe the behavioral repertoire of the Lahille’s bottlenose dolphins and how it relates to the frequency of net casting by fishers in the Tramandaí Inlet. From nearly 8 h of footage from June 2017 to May 2018, we mainly observed dolphins foraging in the estuary inlet when fishers were present along the shoreline. Dolphins performed at least 27 clearly distinct behaviors and three types of movement patterns. A generalized additive model supported that the fishers interpret a subset of this repertoire (64%) as cues for casting their nets. The behavioral overview of the Lahille’s bottlenose dolphins presented here demonstrates not only a diverse repertoire for this population, but also its clear influence on fishers’ activities. Scientific and traditional perspectives should be integrated to better understand the ecological significance of this “cooperative fishing” for both dolphin populations and fishers that depend on them.</p> </span> <span> <h3>Significance statement</h3> <p>Interactions between different species can be very complex. It is a three-dimensional universe that comprises the behavioral and ecological characteristics of both sides, and then the dynamic they create together. In the case of the “cooperative fishing” between fishers and dolphins in southern Brazil, we still have one dimension to disclose in detail: the dolphins’ behavioral repertoire. Using aerial videos from a drone, we were able to shed light on how those dolphins behave and also how fishers coordinate their activity in response to the dolphins. We also showed that the dolphins’ behavioral repertoire is more diverse than assumed so far. Results suggest that the “cooperative fishing” seems to be based on the human’s perception of an extensive Lahille’s bottlenose dolphin behavioral repertoire during hunting. The knowledge provided here is essential to track the dynamic of this unique interaction in a given space and time.</p> </span>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"2012 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139954340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alexandra M. Martin, Christopher K. Boccia, Lindsey Swierk
{"title":"Diving behavior in semi-aquatic Anolis lizards results in heat loss with sex-specific cooling tolerance","authors":"Alexandra M. Martin, Christopher K. Boccia, Lindsey Swierk","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03448-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03448-5","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>Males and females often differ in use of antipredator behaviors, particularly when antipredator behavior comes at the cost of missed mating opportunities or territory defense. When using thermally suboptimal refugia, ectotherms are especially vulnerable to these costs, as their performance is linked to body temperature. To flee from predators, semi-aquatic <i>Anolis</i> lizards dive underwater for long periods and rebreathe from a bubble of air. We hypothesized that using aquatic refugia would result in body heat loss, that dive duration is influenced by sex, and that oxygen consumption when diving would help explain sex differences. We tested these hypotheses by measuring dive length and body temperatures in <i>A. aquaticus</i>, and by recording oxygen consumption and final oxygen partial pressure during controlled dives in several semi-aquatic <i>Anolis</i> species. Not only was there a significant thermal cost to diving, but <i>A. aquaticus</i> males and females appeared to tolerate different levels of this cost: males re-emerged from water more quickly and at higher body temperatures than did females. Body temperature decreased according to an exponential decay function, dropping up to 6 °C in 5 min. Oxygen consumption rates in semi-aquatic anoles were primarily explained by the expected allometric scaling relationship with mass and, therefore, are unlikely to lead to sex differences in physiological limits to dive times. Instead, shorter male dives may help them maintain physiological performance, mating opportunities or territory defense. Antipredator diving behavior is physiologically costly but undoubtedly beneficial to both sexes, highlighting the need for further study of sex-based antipredator optimization.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Significance statement</h3><p>To avoid predators, semi-aquatic <i>Anolis</i> lizards can dive underwater and remain there for an extended time by rebreathing a bubble of air over their heads. In this study, we reveal that diving to escape predators also comes with a cost: submersion in water reduces lizard body temperatures. Reduced body temperature can impair a lizard’s ability to move quickly and defend mates or territories, suggesting that there may be divergent diving behaviors in males and females. Our findings confirm that males do indeed spend less time underwater than females. We measured oxygen consumption during dives, and our data suggest that sex differences in diving behavior are unrelated to oxygen use. This study sheds light on the sex-specific balance of antipredator behaviors and the maintenance of optimal body temperatures, and more broadly contributes insight into adaptive responses to environmental challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"2012 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139954433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Irma Inchaurregui, Hugo F. Olivares-Rubio, Elsah Arce, Luis M. Burciaga, M. Franco
{"title":"Lead pollution impacts the dynamics and resolution of contests between the native Mexican mojarra and invasive convict cichlid","authors":"Irma Inchaurregui, Hugo F. Olivares-Rubio, Elsah Arce, Luis M. Burciaga, M. Franco","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03444-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03444-9","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>Both pollution and invasive species are threats for freshwater environments and their native ichthyofauna. The Mexican mojarra is the only cichlid fish species native to the Amacuzac River of central Mexico. Its habitat has been modified by the presence of invasive cichlid fishes, such as the convict cichlid, and by the presence of heavy metals such as lead. Since pollutants may affect invasive and native species differently, the combined effects of these two threats on native fish are not easily predictable and may be synergistic. We evaluated the effects of Pb exposure on interspecific contest dynamics and resolution between juvenile Mexican mojarras and convict cichlids. We performed ten interspecific contests between native and invasive cichlid at an environmentally relevant water concentration of Pb (38.2 µg L<sup>−1</sup>) in three phases: Pb absence, Pb exposure, and Pb depuration, as well as ten interspecific control contests without Pb. The Mexican mojarra consistently won the contests, regardless of Pb exposure, showing no differences in contest resolution between the Pb group and control group. The presence of Pb increased the number of aggressions in convict cichlids but reduced them in the Mexican mojarra, and contest duration decreased in the Pb exposure relative to the control group. However, these differences were not maintained during the Pb depuration period. Thus, we found effects of Pb on the agonistic interactions between the native Mexican mojarra and the invasive convict cichlid. Other invasive cichlid fishes and pollutants deserve attention in the context of the conservation of the Amacuzac River and its native ichthyofauna.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Significance statement</h3><p>Native cichlid Mexican mojarra have been negatively affected by the introduction of the invasive convict cichlid and by the presence of heavy metals such as lead (Pb). Here, we evaluated the effects of Pb exposure on contest dynamics and outcome between Mexican mojarras and convict cichlids. Pb did modify the contest dynamics, augmenting the aggression in the Mexican mojarra and reducing fight duration. Our results show that invasive species may be favored in contaminated environments and that native species are more sensitive to pollution, further increasing their vulnerability to biological invasions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"182 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139922461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Grooming reciprocity in Geoffroy’s spider monkeys, and the influence of the opportunity of interaction","authors":"Fabrizio Dell’Anna, Filippo Aureli, Juliane Damm, Gabriele Schino","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03449-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03449-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Reciprocity allows animals to balance the costs and benefits of cooperative interactions by switching roles over time. Reciprocity can be based on two different processes: a within-dyad process based on temporal relations between cooperative events (partner control) and an across-dyad process based on preferences for the most cooperative partners (partner choice). The relative roles of the two processes remain debated. The aim of our study was to assess how the opportunity of interaction modulates grooming reciprocity in wild Geoffroy’s spider monkeys (<i>Ateles geoffroyi</i>), a species with low grooming rates and variable opportunities for group members to interact due to a high degree of fission-fusion dynamics. We investigated the roles of the aforementioned processes in grooming reciprocity, and the factors affecting them. Receiving grooming increased the probability of immediately returning grooming to the same partner (within-dyad temporal relations between cooperative events). In contrast, we found no evidence that spider monkeys directed most of their grooming to those individuals from which they received most grooming during the entire study period (across-dyad preferences for the most cooperative partners). The probability of returning grooming to the same partner was higher for dyads that spent less time together in the same subgroup, but was unaffected by maternal kinship. Our results suggest the opportunity to interact is a potent modulator of reciprocity. In species characterized by a high degree of fission-fusion dynamics and low grooming rates, short-term reciprocation based on partner control can be favored at the expense of a longer-term process based on partner choice.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139922349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jimena Rivera-Rea, Juan Carlos González-Morales, Rodrigo Megía-Palma, Elizabeth Bastiaans, Erendira Quintana, Javier Manjarrez
{"title":"Seasonal changes in color patches and parasite load of male torquate lizards (Sceloporus torquatus)","authors":"Jimena Rivera-Rea, Juan Carlos González-Morales, Rodrigo Megía-Palma, Elizabeth Bastiaans, Erendira Quintana, Javier Manjarrez","doi":"10.1007/s00265-023-03425-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-023-03425-4","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>The parasite-mediated sexual selection hypothesis predicts that color expression in color patches of animals can honestly reflect male quality in terms of resistance to parasites. Sceloporine lizards have structural-based blue color patches that can act as intraspecific signals and may thus reflect immunocompetence. However, both color patch expression and intensity of parasitic infections in lizards can vary across seasons. In consequence, we might expect that coloration would honestly reflect immunocompetence to resist parasites only during the mating season. We sampled males of <i>Sceloporus torquatus</i> in central Mexico in spring, summer, and autumn and quantified the reflectance of two structural-based color patches (throat and venter), abundance of two categories of parasites (mites and hemoparasites), and lizards’ local inflammatory response to a mitogen (IRM) as a measure of immunocompetence. We examined whether (i) the coloration of lizards changed across seasons in the population, (ii) there is a relationship between coloration and parasite load and/or IRM, and (iii) the latter relationships remained consistent across seasons. Our study shows that color expression seasonally varied; the structural-based coloration of the two patches was significantly more intense in summer, before the mating season. Furthermore, the throat color was more intense in those males with lower parasite load and higher IRM. However, season had no effect on these relationships, suggesting that color expression in the males of <i>S. torquatus</i> can consistently reflect some components of their immunocompetence throughout the year, supporting the honesty of the structural-based coloration in this species.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Significance statement</h3><p>In this study, we aimed to investigate the seasonal variation in structural coloration of a lizard species and its potential relationship with male quality in Torquate lizards (Sceloporus torquatus). Our results revealed distinct seasonal differences in color expression, and furthermore, we found that males displaying more intense blue coloration exhibited lower parasite loads and stronger immune responses. These findings contribute to our understanding of two key aspects: (i) the potential role of structural coloration as an honest signal in organisms of this nature, and (ii) the significance of considering sampling times in organisms with structural coloration, as it can vary throughout the year.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"76 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139768684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrew C. Katsis, Diane Colombelli-Négrel, Çağlar Akçay, Lauren K. Common, Jefferson García-Loor, Sonia Kleindorfer
{"title":"Exploration behavior differs between Darwin’s finch species and predicts territory defense and hatching success","authors":"Andrew C. Katsis, Diane Colombelli-Négrel, Çağlar Akçay, Lauren K. Common, Jefferson García-Loor, Sonia Kleindorfer","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03438-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03438-7","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>Darwin’s finch species in the Galápagos Islands are famously distinguished by their morphology but less attention has been given to behavioral differences between species. In this study, we compared behavior between four Darwin’s finch species on Floreana Island: small ground finch (<i>Geospiza fuliginosa</i>), medium ground finch (<i>G. fortis</i>), small tree finch (<i>Camarhynchus parvulus</i>), and medium tree finch (<i>C. pauper</i>). After capturing birds using mist-nets, we measured three behavioral traits: (1) boldness during human handling, (2) exploration in a novel environment, and (3) aggressiveness towards their mirror image. First, we found that ground finches were bolder and more exploratory than tree finches, consistent with their distinct ecological niches on Floreana Island and with the theoretical prediction that diet generalists should be less wary of novelty. Second, we tested the ecological validity of these behavioral variables at the individual level by relating them to territory defense behavior and breeding success. We found that males that were more exploratory in the novel environment also reacted more aggressively to a simulated territory intruder and showed lower offspring hatching success during the breeding season. Hence, our findings support previous work showing behavioral differences between Darwin’s finch species and also suggest pathways by which behavioral differences among individuals might influence fitness.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Significance statement</h3><p>Closely-related species that overlap in their geographical range may differ in their morphology and/or behavior, allowing them to occupy different ecological niches. In this study, we explored behavioral differences between four Darwin’s finch species on Floreana Island in the Galápagos Archipelago. We found clear interspecies differences in behavior, with the ground finches struggling more often during handling (boldness) and visiting more sectors in a novel environment (exploration) compared to the tree finches. After birds were released, we continued to observe a subset of male finches in the wild. An individual’s exploration behavior significantly predicted both its aggressive response to a territory intruder (simulated using song playback) and offspring hatching success during the breeding season. This suggests that individual differences in exploration behavior can potentially be used as a proxy for territorial behavior in the wild and may also predict fitness outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139768563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Priscila Araújo, Fernanda Figueiredo de Araujo, Diogo Montes Vidal, Theo Mota, Clemens Schlindwein
{"title":"The role of visual and olfactory floral cues in twilight foraging by Ptiloglossa and Xylocopa bees","authors":"Priscila Araújo, Fernanda Figueiredo de Araujo, Diogo Montes Vidal, Theo Mota, Clemens Schlindwein","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03441-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03441-y","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>Bees of <i>Ptiloglossa</i> and <i>Xylocopa</i> explore the chiropterophilous flowers of <i>Pseudobombax longiflorum</i> at twilight, but how the bees find the flowers in low light is unclear. In field experiments, we investigated if visual and olfactory floral cues are used by these bees to find <i>P</i>. <i>longiflorum</i> flowers, and which behaviors are triggered by these cues. While the crepuscular <i>Ptiloglossa</i> bees were more attracted to flowers with a combination of visual and olfactory cues than to isolated cues, the diurnal <i>Xylocopa</i> bees were equally attracted to the combination of visual and olfactory cues and to flowers with visual cues alone. <i>Ptiloglossa</i> bees visit the flowers under lower light intensity than <i>Xylocopa</i> bees. This indicates that the synergy between visual-olfactory cues facilitates flower detection in crepuscular bees. However, in higher light intensities, the large size of flowers with their broad spectrum reflectance may be enough to produce a reliable visual signal for the <i>Xylocopa</i> bees. Olfactory stimuli alone trigger only floral approaches in bees, while visual ones frequently trigger approaches followed by landings on flowers. This suggests that olfactory cues guide the bees to the flowers in twilight, but the presence of a visual cue is necessary to trigger landings and collection of floral resources.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Significance statement</h3><p>Crepuscular and some large diurnal bees fly in the twilight and collect pollen and nectar from flowers with nocturnal anthesis. However, finding food in a dimly lit environment is not an easy task! In this study, we used a combination of visual and chemical approaches to describe, for the first time, how bees do it. We showed that although bees use olfactory and visual floral stimuli as cues, they have different strategies for finding flowers. Furthermore, olfactory and visual cues play different roles during bee foraging. Floral odors are responsible for guiding bees toward flowers in the dark, and the visual cues are responsible not only for guiding bees but also for triggering landings and floral resource collection.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139768675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}