The Consequences of Predation Risk on the Male Territorial Behavior in a Solitary Bee

Territorial males may adopt a mating tactic that yields greater reproductive success but that at the same time increases the risk of predation. Plasticity in reproductive behavior can reflect a balance between sexual selection and natural selection. In this study, we sought to verify the effect of p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Ethology Vol. 122; no. 8; pp. 632 - 639
Main Authors:	Oliveira, Reisla, R. Pereira, Christiane, A. F. D. Pimentel, Ana Laura, Schlindwein, Clemens
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Hamburg Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-08-2016
Subjects:	alternative mating tactics Animal behavior Apidae Araneae Bees Brazil pollinators Predation Ptilothrix fructifera solitary bees territoriality
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Territorial males may adopt a mating tactic that yields greater reproductive success but that at the same time increases the risk of predation. Plasticity in reproductive behavior can reflect a balance between sexual selection and natural selection. In this study, we sought to verify the effect of predation risk on territorial behavior of males of the solitary bee Ptilothrix fructifera (Apidae). Males of the species employ alternative mating tactics and can be territorial in defense of larval food sources. By manipulating predator models in the field, we tested whether (1) males avoid perch flowers containing predator models; (2) males alternate between mating tactics when their territory is associated with a predation risk; and (3) female foraging on flowers in a territory is altered in the presence of a predator model. We measured the responses of males and females in flowers containing and not containing a model of a spider or a stuffed bird. The results show that territorial males of P. fructifera alter their territorial behavior when faced with a high risk of predation. They do not abandon their territory or change to a non‐territorial mating tactic, but instead change the use of their territory, avoiding flowers containing predator models or perching on other flowers when the previous flower presented a potential predation risk. Female P. fructifera decreases the frequency of their visits to flowers and the length of time spent there in the presence of a spider model. In short, in the face of predation risk, females and males alter their behaviors at the cost of less efficient foraging and searching for partners, respectively.
Bibliography:	CNPQ - No. 481605/2011-8 ark:/67375/WNG-5RBS4DQS-3 ArticleID:ETH12509 UFOP CAPES istex:B80A167FD82665D9E5C3943D846CA2D94CB3AFC2 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0179-1613 1439-0310
DOI:	10.1111/eth.12509