Search results for " Behaviour"

Enemy recognition is linked to soldier size in a polymorphic stingless bee

2017

Many ant and termite colonies are defended by soldiers with powerful mandibles or chemical weaponry. Recently, it was reported that several stingless bee species also have soldiers for colony defence. These soldiers are larger than foragers, but otherwise lack obvious morphological adaptations for defence. Thus, how these soldiers improve colony fitness is not well understood. Robbing is common in stingless bees and we hypothesized that increased body size improves the ability to recognize intruders based on chemosensory cues. We studied the Neotropical species Tetragonisca angustula and found that large soldiers were better than small soldiers at recognizing potential intruders. Larger so…

Need for speed : short lifespan selects for increased learning ability

2019

AbstractIt is generally assumed that an investment into cognitive abilities and their associated cost is particularly beneficial for long-lived species, as a prolonged lifespan allows to recoup the initial investment. However, ephemeral organisms possess astonishing cognitive abilities too. Invertebrates, for example, are capable of simple associative learning, reversal learning, and planning. How can this discrepancy between theory and evidence be explained? Using a simulation, we show that short lives can actually select for an increase in learning abilities. The rationale behind this is that when learning is needed to exploit otherwise inaccessible resources, one needs to learn fast in o…

Is it interspecific information use or aggression between putative competitors that steers the selection of nest-site characteristics? A reply to Sla…

2018

Experience and dominance in fish pairs jointly shape parasite avoidance behaviour

2018

There is increasing evidence that the composition of a social group influences the fitness of its members. For example, group member identities can determine the exposure risk to contact-transmitted parasites and consequently impact the health of all group members. Here, we propose that group composition may also affect host exposure to parasite propagules prevailing in the environment via collective parasite avoidance behaviours. We explored the spatial avoidance of a trematode parasite, Diplostomum pseudospathaceum, using the simplest form of host groups, pairs of sea trout, Salmo trutta trutta. These pairs showed either (1) between-group heterogeneity in their experience with the parasit…

Olfactory response of two aphid parasitoids, Lysiphlebus testaceipes and Aphidius colemani, to aphid-infested plants from a distance

2004

The role of volatile stimuli in the host-searching behaviour of the two parasitoid species Lysiphlebus testaceipes Cresson and Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was studied in relation to the host Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae) on cucumber plants, Cucumis sativa L. (Cucurbitaceae). Experiments were carried out in the laboratory in a wind tunnel, exposing individual parasitoids to signals from three sources simultaneously: (1) a complex of cucumber plants, Cucumis sativa , and A. gossypii ; (2) uninfested cucumber plants; and (3) dummy cardboard plants. The flight response of the female parasitoids was considered oriented when they landed on plants and non-ori…

Geographical variation in egg mass and egg content in a passerine bird

2011

Reproductive, phenotypic and life-history traits in many animal and plant taxa show geographic variation, indicating spatial variation in selection regimes. Maternal deposition to avian eggs, such as hormones, antibodies and antioxidants, critically affect development of the offspring, with long-lasting effects on the phenotype and fitness. Little is however known about large-scale geographical patterns of variation in maternal deposition to eggs. We studied geographical variation in egg components of a passerine bird, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), by collecting samples from 16 populations and measuring egg and yolk mass, albumen lysozyme activity, yolk immunoglobulins, yolk and…

The Bias of combining variables on fish's aggressive behavior studies.

2019

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T16:27:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-07-01 Quantifying animal aggressive behavior by behavioral units, either displays or attacks, is a common practice in animal behavior studies. However, this practice can generate a bias in data analysis, especially when the variables have different temporal patterns. This study aims to use Bayesian Hierarchical Linear Models (B-HLMs) to analyze the feasibility of pooling the aggressive behavior variables of four cichlids species. Additionally, this paper discusses the feasibility of combining variables by examining the usage of different sample sizes and family distributions to aggressive …

Anti-brood Parasite Defences: The Role of Individual and Social Learning

2017

In this chapter, we consider the ways in which learning is involved in the anti-brood parasitism defences that hosts deploy across the nesting cycle. Brood parasitism varies in space and through time, and hosts have accordingly evolved plastic defences that can be tuned to local conditions. Hosts can achieve their defence plasticity by individual and social learning, as well as by experience-independent mechanisms. While these mechanisms can profoundly affect the coevolutionary dynamics between hosts and their brood parasites, our understanding of how they feature across the host nesting cycle is far from complete. Hosts can actively defend themselves against brood parasitism via a variety …

Consumer perspectives on coastal fisheries and product labelling in France and Italy

2022

Abstract The term ‘coastal fisheries’ designates a form of fishing which is under heavy pressure due to competition by large-scale high sea fishing. Setting up markets for seafood from coastal fisheries might offer possibilities of product differentiation when appreciated by consumers. The aim of this research is to analyse the potential of marketing seafood from coastal fisheries by investigating consumers’ perception of coastal fisheries and their attitudes towards a label for coastal fishery products in France and Italy. This research combined qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative methods (online survey) in two different steps. ‘Coastal fisheries’ were mainly perceived positively, …

Consumer behaviour change through education for sustainable development: case of Latvia

2018

More sustainability and sustainable development are major challenges faced by society today. Consumer's choices and the use of products and services have important impacts on the environment; consequently, consumer behaviour is crucial. Education and pedagogics help select real sustainable living attitudes of students, their families and friends. This case study describes the mid-term results of a teaching assignment and survey in three Latvian higher education organisations which involve system thinking and students' action on consumer choices of household chemicals. The multilayer results provide insight into the consumption of these chemicals and show that one year after the assignment, …