Climbing high to avoid thieves

Animals that steal food from other animals are called kleptoparasites. This behavior is especially common in birds, and tends to become more frequent in areas with a high concentration of hosts capable of providing abundant, high-quality food. In addition, female wasps carrying prey on the ground ar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in ecology and the environment 2020-06, Vol.18 (5), p.297-297
Main Authors: Souza, Carlos Alberto dos S, Queiroz, Jarbas M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Airspeed
Animals
Birds
Body mass
Copulation
Females
Flight
Food
Food quality
Nests
Prey
Shrubs
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Summary:Animals that steal food from other animals are called kleptoparasites. This behavior is especially common in birds, and tends to become more frequent in areas with a high concentration of hosts capable of providing abundant, high-quality food. In addition, female wasps carrying prey on the ground are often approached by males for copulation, creating the opportunity for kleptoparasite attacks. Although females are able to capture and carry prey weighing more than twice their own body mass, it is not uncommon for some females to climb shrubs or trees and launch themselves into flight to reach their nests instead of dragging prey along the ground. Here, Souza and Queiroz argue that climbers would reduce prey exposure time against kleptoparasite attacks by gaining downward flight speed and reducing the occurrence of untimely mating on the ground.
ISSN:1540-9295
1540-9309
DOI:10.1002/fee.2211