BACKGROUND Global warming has been frequently demonstrated to increase growth rate in larval amphibians that have considerable phenotypic plasticity; this may lead to an increase in larval survival because large larvae are less likely to be captured by gape-limited predators. This study is to test whether warming could improve tadpole growth and thereby enhance the tadpole survival in plateau f...

Internet predators are finding new ways to prey on the vulnerabilities of youth in chat rooms and lure them into sexual activities. This study will examine three chat room transcripts between adult predators and adult volunteers of the group "Perverted Justice" posing as youth. These conversations will be analyzed to interpret the underlying meanings behind the words and actions of the predator...

—In the presence of predators, anuran tadpoles often exhibit behavioral plasticity, which in turn reduces predation risk. We evaluated indirect effects of odonate larva predation on activity of Bufo arenarum tadpoles. We reared intact and tail-damaged larvae in three different predator treatments: (1) caged predators fed tadpoles; (2) caged predators that were starved; and (3) no predators. Bot...

The introduction, establishment and spread of alien species is a major threat to biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services for human wellbeing. In order to reduce further loss of biodiversity and maintain productive and sustainable ecosystems, understanding the ecological mechanisms underlying species invasions and avoiding potentially harmful effects on native communities is urgentl...

Predators are known to have both consumptive and non-consumptive effects (NCEs) on their prey that can cascade to affect lower trophic levels. Non-consumptive interactions often drive these effects, though the majority of studies have been conducted in aquatic- or herbivory-based systems. Here, we use a laboratory study to examine how linkages between an above-ground predator and a detritivore ...

We consider a predator-prey population model with prey gathering together for defense purposes. A transmissible unrecoverable disease affects the prey. We characterize the system behavior, establishing that ultimately either only the susceptible prey survive, or the disease becomes endemic, but the predators are wiped out. Another alternative is that the disease is eradicated, with sound prey a...

Colour pattern polymorphism in animals can influence and be influenced by interactions between predators and prey. However, few studies have examined whether polymorphism is adaptive, and there is no evidence that the co-occurrence of two or more natural prey colour variants can increase survival of populations. Here we show that visual predators that exploit polymorphic prey suffer from reduce...

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.01.013 0003-3472/© 2018 The Association for the Study of A Hypotheses on the discrimination and recognition of predators by prey are divided as to whether the prey species' ability to recognize and avoid predators is proportionate to the duration of evolutionary exposure to specific predators or is a result of more generalized discrimination processes. Mor...

Insect natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) provide important ecosystem services by suppressing populations of insect pests in many agricultural crops. However, the role of natural enemies against cereal aphids in Michigan winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is largely unknown. The objectives of this research were to characterize the natural enemy community in wheat fields and evaluate t...

Whereas prey are known to avoid habitats with their predators, it is less well established whether they are triggered to emigrate to new habitats when exposed to predators in their current habitat. We studied plant-to-plant dispersal of adult whiteflies in response to the presence of predatory mites on the plant on which the whiteflies were released. These predators attack whitefly eggs and cra...