DOCSLIB.ORG

Systematics, Biology, and Behavior of Fruit-Piercing and Blood- Feeding Moths in the Subfamily Calpinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Systematics, Biology, and Behavior of Fruit-Piercing and Blood- Feeding Moths in the Subfamily Calpinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) SYSTEMATICS, BIOLOGY, AND BEHAVIOR OF FRUIT-PIERCING AND BLOOD- FEEDING MOTHS IN THE SUBFAMILY CALPINAE (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) By JENNIFER MICHELLE ZASPEL A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2008 1 © 2008 Jennifer M. Zaspel 2 To Dr. Hans Bänziger for assistance with this project and for his discovery of blood-feeding moths in the genus Calyptra. 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I thank my advisor and chair of my graduate committee, Dr. Marc A. Branham and the members of my graduate committee, Dr. Marjorie A. Hoy, Dr. Jacqueline Miller, and Dr. David Reed for their professional advice, scientific guidance, and financial support. I also thank Dr. Hans Bänziger and Michael Fibiger for many helpful discussions about Calyptra. I would like to thank Drs. A. Jeyaprakash and J. Meyer for their technical advice and laboratory training in molecular biology. Vladimiar S. Kononenko was instrumental in organizing the expeditions to far eastern Russia and for the acquisition of the specimens used in several studies in my dissertation. I would also like to thank my field guide on both expeditions in Russia, Boris Popkov, the staff of the Hunting Area, and the research scientists at Gornotayeznaya Biological Station. I also greatly appreciate the assistance of Ms. Valentina Kolesnikova from the Russian Academy of Sciences Far Eastern Branch for her assistance in obtaining permits for collecting. I also thank Susan Weller and Harald Krenn for suggestions on the comparative mouthpart survey of calpine noctuids (Chapter 2); Hans Bänziger, Roland Hilgartner, and Harry Fay kindly provided adult feeding images figured in the chapter. Drs. R. Rougerie, M. Hajibabaei, D. Janzen, W. Hallwachs, and P. Hebert assistanced in obtaining barcode sequences for some taxa used in the molecular phylogenetic study. I also acknowledge all individuals and institutions listed in Chapter 3 for their assistance in obtaining specimens for the morphological and molecular phylogenetic study. I gratefully acknowledge the Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industries, Gainesville, FL for the use of their SEM and Dr. Paul Skelly for his assistance with the imaging equipment as well as Branden Apitz for assistance with SEM and figure formatting. The following people are acknowledged for their assistance in data collection for chapter 7: M.E. Sharf and his graduate students for the use of the QT-RT PCR machine in his 4 laboratory, Paul Shirk for supplying specimens, and D.G. Boucias for the use of his spectrophotometer. Finally, I would like to thank past and present members of Branham, Hoy, McGuire Center, Reed, and Weller laboratories over the years for their support and numerous scientific discussions. This work would not have been possible without the support of my family and their encouragement throughout my graduate studies. This work was supported in part by the American Philosophical Society, Davies, Fischer, and Eckes Endowment in Biological Control to Marjorie A. Hoy at the University of Florida, Explorer’s Club, Florida Entomological Society, National Geographic Society’s Fund for Research and Exploration, National Park Service Inventories and Monitoring Program, National Science Foundation (DDIG, DEB-0807975), Systematics Research Fund, and the Vam York Scholarship Fund. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................................4 LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................................................................9 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................11 ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................13 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................15 Literature Review ...................................................................................................................15 Overview of Fruit-Piercing and Blood-Feeding Moths in Tribe Calpini........................15 Systematics of Calpini.....................................................................................................18 Proboscis morphlogy in piercing moths..........................................................................20 Blood feeding and endosymbionts in Calpini .................................................................21 Research Objectives................................................................................................................24 2 A COMPARATIVE SURVEY OF PROBOSCIS MORPHOLOGY AND ASSOCIATED STRUCTURES IN FRUIT-PIERCING AND BLOOD-FEEDING MOTHS IN THE SUBFAMILY CALPINAE (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) ...............31 Introduction.............................................................................................................................31 Materials and Methods ...........................................................................................................34 Terminology ....................................................................................................................34 Characterization of Functional Feeding Catergories.......................................................35 Specimen Preparation......................................................................................................39 Results.....................................................................................................................................41 Description of the piercing structures of the proboscis visible by light microscopy ......41 Description of the structures visible by scanning electron microscopy ..........................43 Discussion...............................................................................................................................51 3 RECONSTRUCTING THE EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHPS OF THE VAMPIRE MOTHS AND THEIR FRUIT-PIERCING RELATIVES USING MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR DATA (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE: CALPINAE: CALPINI) .........................................................................................................74 Introduction.............................................................................................................................74 Materials and Methods ...........................................................................................................76 Taxon Sampling...............................................................................................................76 Morphological Data.........................................................................................................78 Molecular Data ................................................................................................................80 6 Phylogenetic Analyses.....................................................................................................81 Evolution of Feeding Behaviors and Complementary Analyses.....................................82 Results and Discussion ...........................................................................................................83 Summary of Morphological Character Variation............................................................83 Phylogenetic Analysis of Morphological Data................................................................88 Molecular Data and Combined Analyses........................................................................89 Evolution of Feeding Behaviors and Complementary Analysis .....................................91 Conclusions.............................................................................................................................92 4 WORLD CHECKLIST OF TRIBE CALPINI (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE: CALPINAE) .........................................................................................................................125 Introduction...........................................................................................................................125 Checklist ...............................................................................................................................127 Calpini ...........................................................................................................................127 Genus and tribal placement undetermined ....................................................................140 5 ANOTHER BLOOD FEEDER? EXPERIMENTAL FEEDING OF A FRUIT- PIERCING MOTH SPECIES ON HUMAN BLOOD IN THE PRIMORYE TERRITORY OF FAR EASTERN RUSSIA (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE: CALPINAE) .........................................................................................................................141 Introduction...........................................................................................................................141 Materials and Methods .........................................................................................................142 Description of observation sites ....................................................................................142 Experimental methods...................................................................................................144 Results...................................................................................................................................145
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) in a Heterogeneous Area Between Two Biodiversity Hotspots in Minas Gerais, Brazil
    ARTICLE Butterfly fauna (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) in a heterogeneous area between two biodiversity hotspots in Minas Gerais, Brazil Déborah Soldati¹³; Fernando Amaral da Silveira¹⁴ & André Roberto Melo Silva² ¹ Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Sistemática de Insetos. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. ² Centro Universitário UNA, Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3113-5840. E-mail: [email protected] ³ ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9546-2376. E-mail: [email protected] (corresponding author). ⁴ ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2408-2656. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract. This paper investigates the butterfly fauna of the ‘Serra do Rola-Moça’ State Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil. We eval- uate i) the seasonal variation of species richness and composition; and ii) the variation in composition of the local butterfly assemblage among three sampling sites and between the dry and rainy seasons. Sampling was carried out monthly between November 2012 and October 2013, using entomological nets. After a total sampling effort of 504 net hours, 311 species were recorded. One of them is endangered in Brazil, and eight are probable new species. Furthermore, two species were new records for the region and eight considered endemic of the Cerrado domain. There was no significant difference in species richness between the dry and the rainy seasons, however the species composition varies significantly among sampling sites. Due to its special, heterogeneous environment, which is home to a rich butterfly fauna, its preservation is important for the conservation of the regional butterfly fauna.
    [Show full text]
  • Insects of Western North America 4. Survey of Selected Insect Taxa of Fort Sill, Comanche County, Oklahoma 2
    Insects of Western North America 4. Survey of Selected Insect Taxa of Fort Sill, Comanche County, Oklahoma 2. Dragonflies (Odonata), Stoneflies (Plecoptera) and selected Moths (Lepidoptera) Contributions of the C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity Colorado State University Survey of Selected Insect Taxa of Fort Sill, Comanche County, Oklahoma 2. Dragonflies (Odonata), Stoneflies (Plecoptera) and selected Moths (Lepidoptera) by Boris C. Kondratieff, Paul A. Opler, Matthew C. Garhart, and Jason P. Schmidt C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 March 15, 2004 Contributions of the C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity Colorado State University Cover illustration (top to bottom): Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) [photo ©Robert Behrstock], Stonefly (Perlesta species) [photo © David H. Funk, White- lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata) [photo © Matthew C. Garhart] ISBN 1084-8819 This publication and others in the series may be ordered from the C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 Copyrighted 2004 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY……………………………………………………………………………….…1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………..…………………………………………….…3 OBJECTIVE………………………………………………………………………………………….………5 Site Descriptions………………………………………….. METHODS AND MATERIALS…………………………………………………………………………….5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION………………………………………………………………………..…...11 Dragonflies………………………………………………………………………………….……..11
    [Show full text]
  • Predatory Behavior of Jumping Spiders
    Annual Reviews www.annualreviews.org/aronline Annu Rev. Entomol. 19%. 41:287-308 Copyrighl8 1996 by Annual Reviews Inc. All rights reserved PREDATORY BEHAVIOR OF JUMPING SPIDERS R. R. Jackson and S. D. Pollard Department of Zoology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand KEY WORDS: salticids, salticid eyes, Portia, predatory versatility, aggressive mimicry ABSTRACT Salticids, the largest family of spiders, have unique eyes, acute vision, and elaborate vision-mediated predatory behavior, which is more pronounced than in any other spider group. Diverse predatory strategies have evolved, including araneophagy,aggressive mimicry, myrmicophagy ,and prey-specific preycatch- ing behavior. Salticids are also distinctive for development of behavioral flexi- bility, including conditional predatory strategies, the use of trial-and-error to solve predatory problems, and the undertaking of detours to reach prey. Predatory behavior of araneophagic salticids has undergone local adaptation to local prey, and there is evidence of predator-prey coevolution. Trade-offs between mating and predatory strategies appear to be important in ant-mimicking and araneo- phagic species. INTRODUCTION With over 4000 described species (1 l), jumping spiders (Salticidae) compose by Fordham University on 04/13/13. For personal use only. the largest family of spiders. They are characterized as cursorial, diurnal predators with excellent eyesight. Although spider eyes usually lack the struc- tural complexity required for acute vision, salticids have unique, complex eyes with resolution abilities without known parallels in animals of comparable size Annu. Rev. Entomol. 1996.41:287-308. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org (98). Salticids are the end-product of an evolutionary process in which a small silk-producing animal with a simple nervous system acquires acute vision, resulting in a diverse array of complex predatory strategies.
    [Show full text]
  • Developmental, Cellular and Biochemical Basis of Transparency in Clearwing Butterflies Aaron F
    © 2021. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd | Journal of Experimental Biology (2021) 224, jeb237917. doi:10.1242/jeb.237917 RESEARCH ARTICLE Developmental, cellular and biochemical basis of transparency in clearwing butterflies Aaron F. Pomerantz1,2,*, Radwanul H. Siddique3,4, Elizabeth I. Cash5, Yuriko Kishi6,7, Charline Pinna8, Kasia Hammar2, Doris Gomez9, Marianne Elias8 and Nipam H. Patel1,2,6,* ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION The wings of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) are typically covered The wings of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) have inspired with thousands of flat, overlapping scales that endow the wings with studies across a variety of scientific fields, including evolutionary colorful patterns. Yet, numerous species of Lepidoptera have evolved biology, ecology and biophysics (Beldade and Brakefield, 2002; highly transparent wings, which often possess scales of altered Prum et al., 2006; Gilbert and Singer, 1975). Lepidopteran wings morphology and reduced size, and the presence of membrane are generally covered with rows of flat, partially overlapping surface nanostructures that dramatically reduce reflection. Optical scales that endow the wings with colorful patterns. Adult scales are properties and anti-reflective nanostructures have been characterized chitin-covered projections that serve as the unit of color for the wing. for several ‘clearwing’ Lepidoptera, but the developmental processes Each scale can generate color through pigmentation via molecules underlying wing transparency are unknown. Here, we applied that selectively absorb certain wavelengths of light, structural confocal and electron microscopy to create a developmental time coloration, which results from light interacting with the physical series in the glasswing butterfly, Greta oto, comparing transparent nanoarchitecture of the scale; or a combination of both pigmentary and non-transparent wing regions.
    [Show full text]
  • Noctuoidea: Erebidae: Others
    Staude et al. / Metamorphosis 27: S165–S188 S165 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Noctuoidea: Erebidae: Others Reference/ Lepidoptera Host plant Locality rearing no. Taxon Subfamily Family Taxon Family M1148 Anoba angulilinea Anobinae Erebidae Dalbergia Fabaceae Tshukudu Game melanoxylon Reserve, Hoedspruit M998 Anoba atripuncta Anobinae Erebidae Ormocarpum Fabaceae Tshukudu Game trichocarpum Reserve, Hoedspruit Gv71 Baniana arvorum Anobinae Erebidae Elephantorrhiza Fabaceae Steenkoppies, farm, elephantina Magaliesburg 14HSS52 Baniana arvorum Anobinae Erebidae Elephantorrhiza Fabaceae Steenkoppies, farm, elephantina Magaliesburg 13HSS84 Plecoptera arctinotata Anobinae Erebidae Senegalia caffra Fabaceae Steenkoppies, farm, Magaliesburg M1020a Plecoptera flaviceps Anobinae Erebidae Dalbergia Fabaceae Casketts, farm, melanoxylon Hoedspruit M317 Bareia incidens Calpinae Erebidae Ficus lutea Moraceae Casketts, farm, (unplaced as to Hoedspruit tribe) 14HSS87 Egnasia vicaria Calpinae Erebidae Afrocanthium Rubiaceae Dlinsa Forest, (unplaced as to mundianum Eshowe tribe) 12HSS163 Exophyla multistriata Calpinae Erebidae Celtis africana Cannabaceae Golden Valley, (unplaced as to Magaliesburg tribe) M416 Exophyla multistriata Calpinae Erebidae Trema orientalis Cannabaceae Sekororo, Tzaneen (unplaced as to (Fed on Celtis tribe) africana) M743 Lacera alope Calpinae Erebidae Pterolobium Fabaceae Moholoholo Rehab (unplaced as to stellatum Centre, Hoedspruit tribe)
    [Show full text]
  • Altered Functional Properties of the Codling Moth Orco Mutagenized in the Intracellular Loop‑3 Yuriy V
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Altered functional properties of the codling moth Orco mutagenized in the intracellular loop‑3 Yuriy V. Bobkov1, William B. Walker III2 & Alberto Maria Cattaneo1,2* Amino acid substitutions within the conserved polypeptide sequence of the insect olfactory receptor co‑receptor (Orco) have been demonstrated to infuence its pharmacological properties. By sequence analysis and phylogenetic investigation, in the Lepidopteran subgroup Ditrysia we identifed a fxed substitution in the intracellular loop‑3 (ICL‑3) of a conserved histidine to glutamine. By means of HEK293 cells as a heterologous system, we functionally expressed Orco from the Ditrysian model Cydia pomonella (CpomOrco) and compared its functional properties with a site‑directed mutagenized version where this ICL‑3‑glutamine was reverted to histidine (CpomOrcoQ417H). The mutagenized CpomOrcoQ417H displayed decreased responsiveness to VUAA1 and reduced response efcacy to an odorant agonist was observed, when co‑transfected with the respective OR subunit. Evidence of reduced responsiveness and sensitivity to ligands for the mutagenized Orco suggest the fxed glutamine substitution to be optimized for functionality of the cation channel within Ditrysia. In addition, contrary to the wild type, the mutagenized CpomOrcoQ417H preserved characteristics of VUAA‑binding when physiologic conditions turned to acidic. Taken together, our fndings provide further evidence of the importance of ICL‑3 in forming basic functional properties of insect Orco‑ and Orco/OR‑channels, and suggest involvement of ICL‑3 in the potential functional adaptation of Ditrysian Orcos to acidifed extra‑/intracellular environment. Te odorant receptor co-receptor, Orco, is a unique transmembrane protein, expressed in most of the olfac- tory sensory neurons (OSNs) of insect antennae1–3 and is highly conserved in sequence and function across all insects4,5.
    [Show full text]
  • Contributions Toward a Lepidoptera (Psychidae, Yponomeutidae, Sesiidae, Cossidae, Zygaenoidea, Thyrididae, Drepanoidea, Geometro
    Contributions Toward a Lepidoptera (Psychidae, Yponomeutidae, Sesiidae, Cossidae, Zygaenoidea, Thyrididae, Drepanoidea, Geometroidea, Mimalonoidea, Bombycoidea, Sphingoidea, & Noctuoidea) Biodiversity Inventory of the University of Florida Natural Area Teaching Lab Hugo L. Kons Jr. Last Update: June 2001 Abstract A systematic check list of 489 species of Lepidoptera collected in the University of Florida Natural Area Teaching Lab is presented, including 464 species in the superfamilies Drepanoidea, Geometroidea, Mimalonoidea, Bombycoidea, Sphingoidea, and Noctuoidea. Taxa recorded in Psychidae, Yponomeutidae, Sesiidae, Cossidae, Zygaenoidea, and Thyrididae are also included. Moth taxa were collected at ultraviolet lights, bait, introduced Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), and by netting specimens. A list of taxa recorded feeding on P. notatum is presented. Introduction The University of Florida Natural Area Teaching Laboratory (NATL) contains 40 acres of natural habitats maintained for scientific research, conservation, and teaching purposes. Habitat types present include hammock, upland pine, disturbed open field, cat tail marsh, and shallow pond. An active management plan has been developed for this area, including prescribed burning to restore the upland pine community and establishment of plots to study succession (http://csssrvr.entnem.ufl.edu/~walker/natl.htm). The site is a popular collecting locality for student and scientific collections. The author has done extensive collecting and field work at NATL, and two previous reports have resulted from this work, including: a biodiversity inventory of the butterflies (Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea & Papilionoidea) of NATL (Kons 1999), and an ecological study of Hermeuptychia hermes (F.) and Megisto cymela (Cram.) in NATL habitats (Kons 1998). Other workers have posted NATL check lists for Ichneumonidae, Sphecidae, Tettigoniidae, and Gryllidae (http://csssrvr.entnem.ufl.edu/~walker/insect.htm).
    [Show full text]
  • MOTHS and BUTTERFLIES LEPIDOPTERA DISTRIBUTION DATA SOURCES (LEPIDOPTERA) * Detailed Distributional Information Has Been J.D
    MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES LEPIDOPTERA DISTRIBUTION DATA SOURCES (LEPIDOPTERA) * Detailed distributional information has been J.D. Lafontaine published for only a few groups of Lepidoptera in western Biological Resources Program, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. Scott (1986) gives good distribution maps for Canada butterflies in North America but these are generalized shade Central Experimental Farm Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6 maps that give no detail within the Montane Cordillera Ecozone. A series of memoirs on the Inchworms (family and Geometridae) of Canada by McGuffin (1967, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1987) and Bolte (1990) cover about 3/4 of the Canadian J.T. Troubridge fauna and include dot maps for most species. A long term project on the “Forest Lepidoptera of Canada” resulted in a Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre (Agassiz) four volume series on Lepidoptera that feed on trees in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Canada and these also give dot maps for most species Box 1000, Agassiz, B.C. V0M 1A0 (McGugan, 1958; Prentice, 1962, 1963, 1965). Dot maps for three groups of Cutworm Moths (Family Noctuidae): the subfamily Plusiinae (Lafontaine and Poole, 1991), the subfamilies Cuculliinae and Psaphidinae (Poole, 1995), and ABSTRACT the tribe Noctuini (subfamily Noctuinae) (Lafontaine, 1998) have also been published. Most fascicles in The Moths of The Montane Cordillera Ecozone of British Columbia America North of Mexico series (e.g. Ferguson, 1971-72, and southwestern Alberta supports a diverse fauna with over 1978; Franclemont, 1973; Hodges, 1971, 1986; Lafontaine, 2,000 species of butterflies and moths (Order Lepidoptera) 1987; Munroe, 1972-74, 1976; Neunzig, 1986, 1990, 1997) recorded to date.
    [Show full text]
  • Developmental, Cellular, and Biochemical
    Developmental, cellular, and biochemical basis of transparency in the glasswing butterfly Greta oto Aaron Pomerantz, Radwanul Siddique, Elizabeth Cash, Yuriko Kishi, Charline Pinna, Kasia Hammar, Doris Gomez, Marianne Elias, Nipam Patel To cite this version: Aaron Pomerantz, Radwanul Siddique, Elizabeth Cash, Yuriko Kishi, Charline Pinna, et al.. Devel- opmental, cellular, and biochemical basis of transparency in the glasswing butterfly Greta oto. 2020. hal-03012452 HAL Id: hal-03012452 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03012452 Preprint submitted on 18 Nov 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.02.183590; this version posted July 2, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. 1 Title 2 Developmental, cellular, and biochemical basis of transparency in the glasswing butterfly 3 Greta oto 4 5 Authors 6 Aaron F. Pomerantz1,2*, Radwanul H. Siddique3,4, Elizabeth I. Cash5, Yuriko Kishi6,7, 7 Charline Pinna8, Kasia Hammar2, Doris Gomez9, Marianne Elias8, Nipam H.
    [Show full text]
  • Hunting Prey with Different Escape Potentials— Alternative Predatory Tactics in a Dune Dwelling Salticid
    2007 (2008). The Journal of Arachnology 35:499–508 HUNTING PREY WITH DIFFERENT ESCAPE POTENTIALS— ALTERNATIVE PREDATORY TACTICS IN A DUNE DWELLING SALTICID Maciej Bartos: University of Lodz, Department of Teacher Training and Studies of Biological Diversity, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Lodz, Poland. E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT. Generalist predators hunt a wide range of prey that possess various characteristics affecting the predators’ hunting success (e.g., size, ability to detect the threat and defend against it, potential for escape). Therefore, it can be expected that the predator should flexibly react to different prey characteristics, hunting them in prey-specific ways. For a stalking predator a crucial prey feature is its ability to escape. In this study, the alternative prey-catching tactics of a dune-dwelling salticid Yllenus arenarius Menge 1868 were analyzed. Four naturally eaten prey taxa, two with a high ability to escape (Homoptera, Orthoptera) and two with a low ability to escape (Thysanoptera, larvae of Lepidoptera), were used. Numerous differences found between the tactics indicate that Y. arenarius can not only distinguish between different types of prey, but can also employ specific tactics to catch them. The tactics belong to a conditional strategy and are manifested in alternative: a) direction of approach, b) speed of approach, and c) other prey specific behaviors. Keywords: Predatory behavior, conditional strategy, spider, Araneae, Salticidae, Yllenus There are numerous examples of alternative 1992; Edwards & Jackson 1993, 1994; Bear & phenotypes expressed through animal morphol- Hasson 1997). ogy, life history, and behavior. They are most Conditional strategies are present in both commonly reported in the field of reproductive alternative mating tactics and predatory behav- biology (reviewed in Gross 1996) and studies of ior of jumping spiders (Jackson 1992; Edwards resource-based polymorphisms (reviewed in & Jackson 1993, 1994; Bear & Hasson 1997).
    [Show full text]
  • Australasian Arachnology 76 Features a Comprehensive Update on the Taxonomy Change of Address and Systematics of Jumping Spiders of Australia by Marek Zabka
    AAususttrraalaassiianan AArracachhnnoollogyogy Price$3 Number7376 ISSN0811-3696 January200607 Newsletterof NewsletteroftheAustralasianArachnologicalSociety Australasian Arachnology No. 76 Page 2 THE AUSTRALASIAN ARTICLES ARACHNOLOGICAL The newsletter depends on your SOCIETY contributions! We encourage articles on a We aim to promote interest in the range of topics including current research ecology, behaviour and taxonomy of activities, student projects, upcoming arachnids of the Australasian region. events or behavioural observations. MEMBERSHIP Please send articles to the editor: Membership is open to amateurs, Volker Framenau students and professionals and is managed Department of Terrestrial Invertebrates by our administrator: Western Australian Museum Locked Bag 49 Richard J. Faulder Welshpool, W.A. 6986, Australia. Agricultural Institute [email protected] Yanco, New South Wales 2703. Australia Format: i) typed or legibly printed on A4 [email protected] paper or ii) as text or MS Word file on CD, Membership fees in Australian dollars 3½ floppy disk, or via email. (per 4 issues): LIBRARY *discount personal institutional Australia $8 $10 $12 The AAS has a large number of NZ / Asia $10 $12 $14 reference books, scientific journals and elsewhere $12 $14 $16 papers available for loan or as photocopies, for those members who do There is no agency discount. not have access to a scientific library. All postage is by airmail. Professional members are encouraged to *Discount rates apply to unemployed, pensioners and students (please provide proof of status). send in their arachnological reprints. Cheques are payable in Australian Contact our librarian: dollars to “Australasian Arachnological Society”. Any number of issues can be paid Jean-Claude Herremans PO Box 291 for in advance.
    [Show full text]
  • CHECKLIST of WISCONSIN MOTHS (Superfamilies Mimallonoidea, Drepanoidea, Lasiocampoidea, Bombycoidea, Geometroidea, and Noctuoidea)
    WISCONSIN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY SPECIAL PUBLICATION No. 6 JUNE 2018 CHECKLIST OF WISCONSIN MOTHS (Superfamilies Mimallonoidea, Drepanoidea, Lasiocampoidea, Bombycoidea, Geometroidea, and Noctuoidea) Leslie A. Ferge,1 George J. Balogh2 and Kyle E. Johnson3 ABSTRACT A total of 1284 species representing the thirteen families comprising the present checklist have been documented in Wisconsin, including 293 species of Geometridae, 252 species of Erebidae and 584 species of Noctuidae. Distributions are summarized using the six major natural divisions of Wisconsin; adult flight periods and statuses within the state are also reported. Examples of Wisconsin’s diverse native habitat types in each of the natural divisions have been systematically inventoried, and species associated with specialized habitats such as peatland, prairie, barrens and dunes are listed. INTRODUCTION This list is an updated version of the Wisconsin moth checklist by Ferge & Balogh (2000). A considerable amount of new information from has been accumulated in the 18 years since that initial publication. Over sixty species have been added, bringing the total to 1284 in the thirteen families comprising this checklist. These families are estimated to comprise approximately one-half of the state’s total moth fauna. Historical records of Wisconsin moths are relatively meager. Checklists including Wisconsin moths were compiled by Hoy (1883), Rauterberg (1900), Fernekes (1906) and Muttkowski (1907). Hoy's list was restricted to Racine County, the others to Milwaukee County. Records from these publications are of historical interest, but unfortunately few verifiable voucher specimens exist. Unverifiable identifications and minimal label data associated with older museum specimens limit the usefulness of this information. Covell (1970) compiled records of 222 Geometridae species, based on his examination of specimens representing at least 30 counties.
    [Show full text]