Do predator energy demands or previous exposure influence protection by aposematic coloration of prey？

作     者：Petr VESELY Barbora ERNESTOVA OIdrich NEDVED Roman FUCHS 

作者机构：Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Branisovska 1760 37005 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic 

出 版 物：《Current Zoology》 (动物学报（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2017年第63卷第3期

页      面：259-267页

核心收录：

学科分类：0710[理学-生物学] 080703[工学-动力机械及工程] 07[理学] 0905[农学-畜牧学] 08[工学] 0906[农学-兽医学] 0807[工学-动力工程及工程热物理] 070104[理学-应用数学] 0701[理学-数学] 

基　　金：the University of South Bohemia the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic for financial support 

主　　题：化学保护 捕食者 警戒色 能源需求 猎物 异色瓢虫 曝光 树麻雀 

摘      要：Growing evidence exists that aposematic and toxic prey may be included in a predator s diet when the predator experiences physiological stress. The tree sparrow is known to have a significant portion of aposematic and toxic ladybirds in its natural diet. Here, we present experiments testing the attack and eating rate of the tree sparrow toward the invasive aposematic harlequin ladybird . We wondered whether the sparrow s ability to prey on native ladybirds predisposes them to also prey on harlequin ladybirds. We compared the attack and eating rates of tree sparrows of particular age and/or experience classes to test for any changes during ontogeny (hand-reared × young wild-caught ×adult wild-caught) and with differing perceived levels of physiological stress (summer adult × winter adult). Winter adult tree sparrows commonly attacked and ate the offered ladybirds with no evidence of disgust or metabolic difficulties after ingestion. Naïve and wild immature tree sparrows attacked the ladybirds but hesitated to eat them. Adult tree sparrows caught in the summer avoided attacking the ladybirds. These results suggest that tree sparrows are able to cope with chemicals ingested along with the ladybirds. This pre-adaptation enables them to include ladybirds in their diet; though they commonly do this only in times of shortage in insect availability (winter). Young sparrows showed avoidance toward the chemical protection of the ladybirds.