Insects
Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy.
Published: July 2021
Temporary aquatic habitats are contingent on the allochthonous inputs of plant and animal detritus, whose quality and availability can significantly affect the species developing in these habitats. Although animal detritus (i.e., invertebrate carcasses) is a high-quality food, it is an unpredictable and variable resource. On the contrary, conspecific individuals (dead or alive) are a nutritionally high-quality food source that is always available. In this context, conspecifics consumption, by cannibalism or necrophagy, can be a good strategy to overcome nutrient limitation and allow individual maintenance and development. Here, we tested this hypothesis by using the tiger mosquito . By carrying out laboratory and semi-field experiments, we first estimated the relative rate of cannibalism and necrophagy, under different larval densities. Then, we analyzed the effects of cannibalism and necrophagy on larval survival and adult yield. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found that cannibalism and necrophagy occurred under all experimental conditions, and that conspecific consumption had positive effects on individual development, as it significantly increased the rate of adult emergence and larval survival. Interestingly, about 50% of the initial cohort was consumed by conspecifics, suggesting that cannibalism and necrophagy can drive an important resources loop in temporary aquatic habitats.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8303820 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects12070657 | DOI Listing |
Ecol Evol
October 2024
Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland.
J Econ Entomol
April 2023
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695, USA.
Gel bait formulations of insecticides have been shown to be highly effective in managing German cockroach (Blattella germanica L. [Blattodea: Ectobiidae]) populations. Three potential reasons for this are high palatability of baits, the use of slow-acting insecticides, and their horizontal transfer within aggregations, a phenomenon known as 'secondary mortality'.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEcol Evol
January 2023
Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland.
We present an epidemiological model for the crayfish plague, a disease caused by an invasive oomycete , and its general susceptible freshwater crayfish host. The pathogen shows high virulence with resulting high mortality rates in freshwater crayfishes native to Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. The crayfish plague occurrence shows complicated dynamics due to the several types of possible infection routes, which include cannibalism and necrophagy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrimates
November 2021
Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
On 5 February 2021, we observed the first instance of female-committed infanticide followed by cannibalism in a long-studied (> 35 years) population of wild white-faced capuchins (Cebus imitator) in the Santa Rosa Sector of the Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The events leading up to and including the infanticide and cannibalism were observed and documented ad libitum, with segments digitally recorded, and a post-mortem necropsy performed. Here we detail our observations and evaluate the events within the framework of leading adaptive explanations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInsects
July 2021
Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy.
Temporary aquatic habitats are contingent on the allochthonous inputs of plant and animal detritus, whose quality and availability can significantly affect the species developing in these habitats. Although animal detritus (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!
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