Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus grows in one of two ways: either (i) predatorily [in a host-dependent (HD) manner], when it invades the periplasm of another Gram-negative bacterium, exporting into the prey co-ordinated waves of soluble enzymes using the prey cell contents for growth; or (ii) in a host-independent (HI) manner, when it grows (slowly) axenically in rich media. Periplasmic invasion pote...

Background Sublethal parasite infections may cause mortality indirectly by exposing the host to predation. The best known example of this among birds is red grouse in which caecal nematode infection causes increased risk of predation and can even affect population dynamics [1]. Intestinal helminth parasites are common in forest grouse, capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, black grouse Tetrao tetrix a...

Epidemiology and ecology are traditionally treated as independent research areas, but there are many commonalities between these two fields. It is frequently observed in nature that the former has an encroachment into the later and changes the system dynamics significantly. In population ecology, in particular, the predator-prey interaction in presence of parasites can produce more complex dyna...

We compared the helminth communities of 5 owl species from Calabria (Italy) and evaluated the effect of phylogenetic and ecological factors on community structure. Two host taxonomic scales were considered, i.e., owl species, and owls vs. birds of prey. The latter scale was dealt with by comparing the data here obtained with that of birds of prey from the same locality and with those published ...

The whiteflies Bemisia tabaci Gennadius and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) are two of the main pests in tomato crops. Their biological control in Mediterranean IPM systems is based on the predators Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur) and Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae), as well as on the parasitoids Eretmocerus mundus (Mercet) and Encarsia pergandiella H...

In noisy, dynamic environments, organisms must distinguish genuine change (e.g., the movement of prey) from noise (e.g., the rustling of leaves). Expectations should be updated only when the organism believes genuine change has occurred. Although individual variables can be highly unreliable, organisms can take advantage of the fact that changes tend to be correlated (e.g., movement of prey wil...

Phytotelmata, the water-filled habitats in pitcher plants, bromeliad tanks, and tree-holes, host multitrophic food webs that are model experimental systems for studying food-web structure dynamics. However, plant usually is considered simply as an inert container, not interacting part of web. We used a manipulative field experiment with response-surface design to determine effects nutrient enri...

Aphids are one of the most serious pests of crops worldwide, causing major yield and economic losses. To control aphids, natural enemies could be an option but their efficacy is sometimes limited by their dispersal in natural environment. Here we report the first isolation of a bacterium from the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum honeydew, Staphylococcus sciuri, which acts as a kairomone enhancing ...

BACKGROUND Obligate bacterial symbionts alter the diets of host animals in numerous ways, but the ecological roles of facultative bacterial residents that colonize insect guts remain unclear. Carabid beetles are a common group of beneficial insects appreciated for their ability to consume insect prey and seeds, but the contributions of microbes to diet diversification in this and similar groups...

There are few regulations for the release of parasitoids and predators, compared to herbivorous arthropods and pathogens, used as classical biological control agents in the United States The types of tests conducted prior to release of the predator or parasitoid into the environment are often up to the individual wishing to introduce the new agent. Ethical researchers understand the importance ...