title: Olfactorily mediated attack suppression in the southern grasshopper mouse toward an unpalatable prey.
abstract: Predatory behavior toward an unpalatable sympatric prey was examined in the southern grasshopper mouse, Onychomy torridus (Coues). Mice preferred the palatable grasshopper Brachystola magna over the unpalatable secretion-producing grasshopper Taeniopoda eques. Consumption of T. eques decreased 35% while consumption of B. magna remained stable during three nights of testing. Olfactorily mediated attack suppression was demonstrated when O. torridus rejected palatable B. magna which had been coated with 5 ul of T. eques defense secretion. These results show that O. torridus discriminates and is capable of rejecting prey at any point in the prey capture sequence. These are adaptive attributes for a predator like O. torridus, which commonly attacks well-defended or dangerous prey.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, Greece.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Whitman
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, Greece.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecosystem Studies, The New York Botanical Garden, Mary Flager Cary Arboretum, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Jones