title: Nonconsumptive Predator-Prey Interactions: Sensitivity of the Detritivore Sinella curviseta (Collembola: Entomobryidae) to Cues of Predation Risk From the Spider Pardosa milvina (Araneae: Lycosidae).
abstract: Predators can affect prey indirectly when prey respond to cues indicating a risk of predation by altering activity levels. Changes in prey behavior may cascade through the food web to influence ecosystem function. The response of the collembolan Sinella curviseta Brook (Collembola: Entomobryidae) to cues indicating predation risk (necromones and cues from the wolf spider Pardosa milvina (Hentz) (Araneae: Lycosidae)) was tested. Additionally, necromones and predator cues were paired in a conditioning experiment to determine whether the collembolan could form learned associations. Although collembolans did not alter activity levels in response to predator cues, numerous aspects of behavior differed in the presence of necromones. There was no detectable conditioned response to predator cues after pairing with necromones. These results provide insight into how collembolans perceive and respond to predation threats that vary in information content. Previously detected indirect impacts of predator cues on ecosystem function are likely due to changes in prey other than activity level.
authors: Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 4054 and Department of Biology, Miami University, 700 E High St., Oxford, OH 45056. Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546. michaelsitvarin@uky.edu.
authors: Michael I
authors: MI
authors: Sitvarin
authors: Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 4054 and Department of Biology, Miami University, 700 E High St., Oxford, OH 45056.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Romanchek
authors: Department of Biology, Miami University, 1601 University Blvd., Hamilton, OH 45011.
authors: Ann L
authors: AL
authors: Rypstra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000502:physiology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D003463:Cues; D020387:Food Chain; D060434:Herbivory; D055696:Olfactory Perception; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D013112:Spiders / Q000502:physiology
keywords: activity; antipredator behavior; conditioning; necromone