Feeding preferences of larval container-dwelling mosquitoes are not well understood. Primary production is often absent in container systems and external inputs of animal and plant detritus supply the energy base of container food webs by supporting microorganism prey for mosquitoes. We quantified the feeding preferences of Aedes albopictus (Skuse), a non-native invasive mosquito, and Ochlerota...

Nectar-feeding birds generally demonstrate preference for hexose solutions at low sugar concentrations, switching to sucrose/no preference at higher concentrations. Species vary in the concentration at which the switch from hexose preference occurs; this could reflect physiological constraints that would also influence nectar selection when foraging. We recorded concentration-dependent sugar ty...

A cornerstone of ecological theory is the ecological niche. Yet little is known about how individuals come to adopt it: whether it is innate or learned. Here, we report a cross-fostering experiment in the wild where we transferred eggs of blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, to nests of great tits, Parus major, and vice versa, to quantify the consequences of being reared in a different social contex...

Application strategies for avian repellents are needed to maintain efficacious repellent concentrations throughout the period of needed crop protection. We investigated the repellency of an ultraviolet (UV) feeding cue in the absence of postingestive consequences, the combination of the UV feeding cue and an UV-absorbent, postingestive repellent (i.e., a repellent that causes negative postinges...

Behavioural innovation and morphological adaptation are intrinsically linked but their relationship is often poorly understood. In nematodes, a huge diversity of feeding morphologies and behaviours can be observed to meet their distinctive dietary and environmental demands. Pristionchus and their relatives show varied feeding activities, both consuming bacteria and also predating other nematode...

According to behavioral momentum theory, preference and relative resistance to change in concurrent-chains schedules are correlated and reflect the relative conditioned value of discriminative stimuli. In the present study, we explore the generality of this relation by manipulating the temporal context within a concurrent-chains procedure through changes in the duration of the initial links. Co...

Weanling Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) and salt-resistant (DR) rats were used to compare effects of feeding high or low NaCl diets on taste preference for, and intake of, a wide range of saline concentrations. The DS and DR were fed either 8.0 or 0.4% dietary NaCl for 4 weeks. Then, with all animals fed the 0.4% NaCl diet, their taste preferences for 0.0001 to 0.56 M saline were assessed using three...

Bilateral lesions in the Ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus (VMH) cause hyperphagia and a preference for high lipid, high carbohydrate diet. Reversible lesion by procaine microinfusion produces a decrease in serum glucose and immunoreactive insulin levels. In the present study the effect of procaine microinfusion on feeding behavior and taste preference was observed. 5 h and 24 h food intake,...