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Behaviour of avian predators to seed bugs (Lygaeoidea): effectiveness of chemical defence
Chalušová, Kateřina ; Exnerová, Alice (advisor) ; Sedláček, Ondřej (referee)
By warning signalling prey advertises its unpalatability to the predators. Typical examples are true bugs (Heteroptera) combining optical and chemical signals. The aim of this study was to find out the effectiveness of chemical defence against wild-caught adults of great tits (Parus major) and blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) and towards hand-reared juveniles of great tits. The tested prey were adults and larvae of two invasive species of genus Oxycarenus (Heteroptera: Oxycarenidae) (aposematic O. lavaterae, non-aposematic O. hyalinipennis), adults of Horvathiolus superbus (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) and crickets (Gryllus assimilis) as a control prey. We were focusing on the influence of seed bugs to the initial reaction, the learning process and to the displays of discomfort behaviour in tits. Reactions affected by the tit species, age and sex were compared in adults. Juveniles were divided into two independent experimental groups, one group was offered adults of genus Oxycarenus, the second was offered sunflower (Helianthus sp.) or Digitalis sp. seed fed adults of H. superbus. The first bug offered did not elicit an initial aversive reaction in tits, but birds reacted aversively to the bugs after having further handling experience. All juveniles, contrary to the adult tits, attacked at least one bug...
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Chemical aposematism: reactions of predators towards chemical warning signals of prey
Chalušová, Kateřina ; Exnerová, Alice (advisor) ; Kotyková Varadínová, Zuzana (referee)
An aposematism is a type of defence mechanism, by which a prey demonstrates towards predator that it is unpalatable and toxic. The reactions of predators towards chemical warning signals of prey differ due to the quantity and a combination of signals showed by prey, the predator species and its primary orientation. Most of works tested reactions of birds towards gustatory and olfactory stimuli, often in combination with signals from other modalities. Although the birds are predators which orientate primarily visually, olfaction, gustation and chemesthesis significantly helped them with determining unpalatable food. Among other tested predators were fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and invertebrates and their reactions towards the same chemicals of prey are noted for comparison. The main chemicals used in the experiments regarding birds were denatonium benzoate (Bitrex), quinin and pyrazines. Predators often showed an aversive behaviour, neophobic reactions, accelerated learning and more effective memorizing of the unpalatable prey if it was presented together with chemical signals. Some of the predators were able to control their toxin intake relative to the amount of toxin ingested or to discriminate between palatable and unpalatable food according to the chemical concentration in it. Key...
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