Predators have documented post-encounter (density-mediated) effects on prey but their pre-encounter impacts, including behavioural alterations, can be substantial as well. While it is increasingly evident that this "ecology of fear" is important to understand for natural enemy-victim relationships, fear responses of hosts to the threat of infection by a parasite are relatively unknown. We exami...

The sheep bot fly (Oestrus ovis L.) causes a severe cavitary myiasis in practically all sheep and goat producing areas of the world. It is currently considered as a very well-adapted parasitic organism which is hard to fight or to eradicate [25]. Oestrosis impairs the wellbeing and performance of the hosts, affecting growth, wool and milk production [22]. As happens with other cold-blooded orga...

Tadpoles of the anuran species Rana pirica can undergo predator-specific morphological responses. Exposure to a predation threat by larvae of the salamander Hynobius retardatus results in formation of a bulgy body (bulgy morph) with a higher tail. The tadpoles revert to a normal phenotype upon removal of the larval salamander threat. Although predator-induced phenotypic plasticity is of major i...

Changes in olfactory-mediated behaviour caused by elevated CO(2) levels in the ocean could affect recruitment to reef fish populations because larval fish become more vulnerable to predation. However, it is currently unclear how elevated CO(2) will impact the other key part of the predator-prey interaction--the predators. We investigated the effects of elevated CO(2) and reduced pH on olfactory...

Parasite modification of host behavior is common, and the literature is dominated by demonstrations of enhanced predation on parasitized prey resulting in transmission of parasites to their next host. We present a case in which predation on parasitized prey is reduced. Despite theoretical modeling suggesting that this phenomenon should be common, it has been reported in only a few host-parasite...

The abundance, spatio-temporal distribution, and feeding of larvae were compared from two reproductively isolated dwarf and normal ecotypes of whitefish (Coregonus sp.) to test the hypothesis that larval ecotypes should reduce competition by using different resources. Contrary to a priori expectations, trophic niche partitioning between larval populations was much less pronounced than previousl...

Aposematic coloration, or warning coloration, is a visual signal that acts to minimize contact between predator and unprofitable prey. The conditions favoring the evolution of aposematic coloration remain largely unidentified. Recent work suggests that diet specialization and resultant toxicity may play a role in facilitating the evolution and persistence of warning coloration. Using a phylogen...

Clitostethus arcuatus (Rossi) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is considered as one of the most important natural biological control agents of the ash whitefly, Siphoninus phillyreae (Haliday) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Iran. In the current survey, the development, survival, longevity, fecundity, feeding behaviour, and population dynamics of the predator under laboratory and field conditions were s...

Variation in the phenotype or "quality" of dispersing individuals can shape colonization success and thus local dynamics and patterns of connectivity in a metapopulation. In marine reef systems, larval dispersal typically connects fragmented populations, and larval quality may be shaped by developmental history at the natal reef (e.g., parental effects) and/or by conditions in the pelagic envir...

Competition and predation alter individual traits of organisms, and these effects can scale-up to have consequences on community structure and dynamics. The relative importance of competition and predation will depend largely on the local assemblage of species, the type of predators, or the degree of niche segregation. We experimentally investigated the interplay of competition and predation on...