一类捕食者具有阶段结构的捕食系统的全局稳定性分析

本文建立了一类捕食者具有阶段结构的捕食系统,计算得到了不存在食饵种群时捕食者种群模型和食饵种群存在时捕食系统的平衡点,并证明了平衡点的存在性.分析和比较了两个模型平衡点的全局稳定性,最终确定了决定模型全局稳定性的捕食者种群基本再生数、食饵灭绝与否的捕食率阈值以及捕食存在时食饵种群的净增长率.     

带有年龄结构的捕食者-食饵模型研究

研究带有年龄结构的捕食者-食饵模型的渐近行为.本文所研究的模型假定捕食者从幼年阶段到成年阶段的转变率依赖于幼年种群的密度,还假定幼年捕食者捕食食饵.本文最终给出了有年龄结构的捕食者-食饵模型的捕食者持久和灭绝的若干条件.     

在脉冲污染环境中具有阶段结构的捕食食饵Gompertz模型的动力学性质

研究了在脉冲污染环境中,捕食者具有阶段结构的捕食食饵Gompertz模型的动力学性质,获得了捕食者灭绝周期解全局吸引和系统持续生存的条件.     

食饵染病的非自治生态-流行病模型的分析

研究了一类疾病仅在食饵中传播的非自治捕食者-食饵模型.文中假定捕食者受密度制约影响,在捕食时具有甄别能力而只捕食健康的食饵,且具有HollingⅢ类功效函数;对于食饵,将其分为食饵易感者和食饵染病者两类,模型假定疾病发生率为非线性的,且考虑到了环境对食饵种群的容纳量.文中运用Barbalat引理、比较原理等稳定性理论的相关方法,找到了系统的正向不变集,证明了模型解的最终有界性;通过理论分析,分别得到了两种群持续生存、周期解的存在性以及周期解全局渐进稳定的相关条件;最后,通过MATLAB数值模拟,验证了有关结论.     

一类稀疏效应下食饵—捕食系统极限环的存在唯一性

本文研究如下一类具有稀疏效应的食饵－捕食模型dx/dt=bx^2(k-x)-bxy,dy/dt=-cy (βx-γy）y。应用常微分方程定性理论,对该系统的平衡点进行分析,得到了该系统极限环存在唯一的充分条件,并给出了生态解释。     

具有合作捕食行为的一类随机捕食者-食饵模型的敏感性分析

考虑到食饵和捕食者密度对捕食效率的影响,建立了一类具有白噪声干扰和捕食种群具有合作捕食行为的捕食者-食饵模型,其中功能性反应函数关于食饵和捕食者的密度均是单增函数.选取合适的生物学参数值,其相应的确定性模型会出现两种类型的双稳现象,即共存平衡点和边界平衡点同时稳定,极限环和边界平衡点同时稳定.通过构建相应的置信椭圆,研究了吸引子周围随机状态的分布情况并估计出了噪声诱导转换的临界噪声强度.     

食饵有病的生态-流行病模型的稳定性研究

在考虑捕食者捕食染病的食饵对自身的不利作用的基础上建立了食饵有病的生态-流行病模型,得到了系统平衡点局部渐近稳定的充分条件;讨论了系统的非负不变性、解的有界性,并在此基础上研究了边界平衡点的全局稳定性,得到了平衡点全局稳定的充分条件。     

具有捕食正效应的捕食-食饵系统

在经典的捕食食饵系统中考虑到由于捕食效应对食饵种群带来的正向调节作用后,提出了具有捕食正效应的捕食-食饵系统.通过对模型的动力学行为的分析,从理论上说明了正向调节作用对系统的影响,并就第一象限内平衡点存在时的相图解释了捕食正效应的作用.结果表明:(1)捕食系统中适当的正向调节作用会增加系统的稳定性;(2)当捕食正效应达到一定的程度后系统拥有一个不稳定的极限环;(3)当捕食正效应过大时会使系统的稳定性发生变化,使捕食者种群与食饵种群同时趋向无穷,出现了调节放纵现象.这些结果在保护生物学中具有重要的意义.     

一个具有寄生虫病感染和恢复的捕食模型(英文)

本文假设感染的食饵有恢复率和对捕食者有收获,研究了一个对部分食饵和全部捕食者具有寄生虫病感染的捕食模型.用定性理论证明了边界和正平衡点的稳定性.结论表明恢复率和收获率对正平衡点的稳定性有影响.     

一类具HOllingⅡ类功能性反应且存在两个极限环的捕食系统的定性分析

本文在文献[1]的基础上对具有HollingⅡ类功能性反应,且食饵、捕食者两种群均具有密度制约的食饵-捕食者生态系统（E）的定性结构进行了进一步的分析,得到（E）存在唯一正平衡点的充要条件,进而在此条件下,对（E）进行全面的定性分析,特别地证明了在一定条件下,系统（E）在其唯一正平衡点外围至少存在两个极限环。     

Predatory senescence in ageing wolves

It is well established that ageing handicaps the ability of prey to escape predators, yet surprisingly little is known about how ageing affects the ability of predators to catch prey. Research into long-lived predators has assumed that adults have uniform impacts on prey regardless of age. Here we use longitudinal data from repeated observations of individually-known wolves ( Canis lupus ) hunting elk ( Cervus elaphus ) in Yellowstone National Park to demonstrate that adult predatory performance declines with age and that an increasing ratio of senescent individuals in the wolf population depresses the rate of prey offtake. Because this ratio fluctuates independently of population size, predatory senescence may cause wolf populations of equal size but different age structure to have different impacts on prey populations. These findings suggest that predatory senescence is an important, though overlooked, factor affecting predator-prey dynamics.     

Syrphid flies suppress lettuce aphids

Syrphid flies are abundant in lettuce fields, where their larvae are key predators of aphids. However, the presence of predators in the field does not always result in economically significant levels of prey suppression. Even when predators are numerous, their effects on prey population dynamics may be variable. Over a two year period we surveyed lettuce fields in coastal California, USA to test whether syrphid flies are capable of colonizing fields with aphids and suppressing aphid population growth. The survey showed that female syrphids oviposited more eggs at locations with more aphids, and that greater numbers of syrphid larvae resulted in lower rates of increase in the aphid populations. We also directly manipulated syrphid densities by adding syrphid eggs to uncaged lettuce plants, and these syrphid additions resulted in lower aphid population growth. This research shows that syrphid flies have the ability to suppress aphid populations in lettuce fields.     

Experimental evolution of a microbial predator's ability to find prey

Foraging theory seeks to explain how the distribution and abundance of prey influence the evolution of predatory behaviour, including the allocation of effort to searching for prey and handling them after they are found. While experiments have shown that many predators alter their behaviour phenotypically within individual lifetimes, few have examined the actual evolution of predatory behaviour in light of this theory. Here, we test the effects of prey density on the evolution of a predator's searching and handling behaviours using a bacterial predator, Myxococcus xanthus. Sixteen predator populations evolved for almost a year on agar surfaces containing patches of Escherichia coli prey at low or high density. Improvements in searching rate were significantly greater in those predators that evolved at low prey density. Handling performance also improved in some predator populations, but prey density did not significantly affect the magnitude of these gains. As the predators evolved greater foraging proficiency, their capacity diminished to produce fruiting bodies that enable them to survive prolonged periods of starvation. More generally, these results demonstrate that predators evolve behaviours that reflect at least some of the opportunities and limitations imposed by the distribution and abundance of their prey.     

Exploiting predators for pest management: the need for sound ecological assessment

Most people agree that arthropod natural enemies are good for insect pest management in agriculture. However, the population suppressive effects of predators, which consume their prey and often leave no direct evidence of their activity, are more difficult to study than the effects of parasitoids, which can be sampled from host populations relatively easily. We critically reviewed field studies which investigated the relationship between lepidopteran pests and their associated predatory fauna, published in 11 leading entomology and applied ecology journals between 2003 and 2008. Each study was appraised to determine whether or not it demonstrated that predators had an impact on prey (pest) populations and, if so, whether it was conducted at an ecological scale relevant to pest management. Less than half (43%) of the 54 field studies adopted methodologies that allowed the impact of predators on target pest populations to be measured. Furthermore, 76% of the studies were conducted at the scale of experimental plots rather than at the ecological scale which determines pest and predator population dynamics or at which pest‐management decisions are made. In almost one‐third of the studies, predator abundance and/or diversity was measured, but this metric was not linked with pest suppression or mortality. We conclude that much current research does not provide evidence that predatory arthropods suppress target lepidopteran pest populations and, consequently, that it has little relevance to pest management. Well‐designed ecological experiments combined with recent advances in molecular techniques to identify predator diets and the emergence of organic agriculture provide both the mechanisms and a platform upon which many predator–prey interactions can be investigated at a scale relevant to pest management. However, benefits will only be reaped from this opportunity if current approaches to research are changed and relevant ecological data are collected at appropriate ecological scales.     

Prey preference,intraguild predation and population dynamics of an arthropod food web on plants

The theory of intraguild predation (IGP) largely studies effects on equilibrium densities of predators and prey, while experiments mostly concern transient dynamics. We studied the effects of an intraguild (IG) predator, the bug Orius laevigatus, on the population dynamics of IG-prey, the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis, and a shared prey, the phytophagous two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae, as well as on the performance of cucumber plants in a greenhouse. The interaction of the predatory mite and the spider mite is highly unstable, and ends either by herbivores overexploiting the plant or predators exterminating the herbivores. We studied the effect of IGP on the transient dynamics of this system, and compared the dynamics with that predicted by a simple population-dynamical model with IGP added. Behavioural studies showed that the predatory bug and the predatory mite were both attracted to plants infested by spider mites and that the two predators did not avoid plants occupied by the other predator. Observations on foraging behaviour of the predatory bug showed that it attacks and kills large numbers of predatory mites and spider mites. The model predicts strong effects of predation and prey preference by the predatory bugs on the dynamics of predatory mites and spider mites. However, experiments in which the predatory bug was added to populations of predatory mites and spider mites had little or no effect on numbers of both mite species, and cucumber plant and fruit weight.     

Review: predatory soil mites as biocontrol agents of above- and below-ground plant pests

Biological pest control is becoming increasingly important for sustainable agriculture. Although many species of natural enemies are already being used commercially, efficient biological control of various pests is still lacking, and there is a need for more biocontrol agents. In this review, we focus on predatory soil mites, their role as natural enemies, and their biocontrol potential, mainly in vegetable and ornamental crops, with an emphasis on greenhouse systems. These predators are still underrepresented in biological control, but have several advantages compared to predators living on above-ground plant parts. For example, predatory soil mites are often easy and affordable to mass rear, as most of them are generalist predators, which also means that they may be used against various pests and can survive periods of pest scarcity by feeding on alternative prey or food. Many of them can also endure unfavourable conditions, making it easier for them to establish in various crops. Based on the current literature, we show that they have potential to control a variety of pests, both in greenhouses and in the field. However, more research is needed to fully understand and appreciate their potential as biocontrol agents. We review and discuss several methods to increase their efficiency, such as supplying them with alternative food and changing soil/litter structure to enable persistence of their populations. We conclude that predatory soil mites deserve more attention in future studies to increase their application in agricultural crops.

     

Diseased Social Predators

Social predators benefit from cooperation in the form of increased hunting success, but may be at higher risk of disease infection due to living in groups. Here, we use mathematical modeling to investigate the impact of disease transmission on the population dynamics benefits provided by group hunting. We consider a predator–prey model with foraging facilitation that can induce strong Allee effects in the predators. We extend this model by an infectious disease spreading horizontally and vertically in the predator population. The model is a system of three nonlinear differential equations. We analyze the equilibrium points and their stability as well as one- and two-parameter bifurcations. Our results show that weakly cooperating predators go unconditionally extinct for highly transmissible diseases. By contrast, if cooperation is strong enough, the social behavior mediates conditional predator persistence. The system is bistable, such that small predator populations are driven extinct by the disease or a lack of prey, and large predator populations survive because of their cooperation even though they would be doomed to extinction in the absence of group hunting. We identify a critical cooperation level that is needed to avoid the possibility of unconditional predator extinction. We also investigate how transmissibility and cooperation affect the stability of predator–prey dynamics. The introduction of parasites may be fatal for small populations of social predators that decline for other reasons. For invasive predators that cooperate strongly, biocontrol by releasing parasites alone may not be sufficient.     

Mite pests and their predators on seven vegetable crops (Arachnida: Acari)

During this study the frequency of occurrence and dominance of phytophagous and predatory mites harboring seven vegetable crops in Egypt, namely common bean, cowpea, eggplant, okra, squash, sweet pepper and sweet potato during 2017–2018 were investigated to identify predatory mites that might be useful for the biological control of the phytophagous mites. Three phytophagous and nine predatory mite species were surveyed. The two spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch of the family Tetranychidae was the dominant pest on these vegetables, while phytoseiids Phytoseiulus persimilis (Athias- Henriot), Typhlodromips swirskii (Athias- Henriot) and Euseius scutalis Chant were the dominant predators. The population of the native or indigenous phytoseiid mite fauna in Egypt such as Phytoseiulus persimilis could be considered as a good biocontrol agent and a part of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program in the future. Mite fauna of Egypt especially local populations of Phytoseiulus persimilis can be considered for implementation in future Integrated Pest Management (IPM).     

Scaling up population dynamic processes in a ladybird–aphid system

Here, we study how scaling up to the metapopulation level affects predictions of a population dynamics model motivated by an aphidophagous predator–aphid system. The model incorporates optimization of egg distribution in predatory females, cannibalism among their offspring, and self-regulation of the prey population. These factors determine the within-year dynamics of the system and translate the numbers of prey and predator individuals at the beginning of the season into their numbers at the end of the season at the level of one patch—one suitable host plant or a group of these. At the end of each season, all populations of prey and all populations of predators are mixed (this simulates aphid host-alternation and ladybird migration to hibernation sites), and then redistributed at the beginning of the next season. Prey individuals are distributed at random among the patches as a “prey rain”, while adult predators that survived from the previous season optimize the distribution of their offspring, in that they prefer patches with sufficient amount of prey and absence of other predators. This redistribution followed by within-season dynamics is then iterated over many seasons. We look at whether small-scale trends in population dynamics predicted by this model are consistent with large-scale outcomes. Specifically, we show that even on the metapopulation scale, the impact of predators on prey metapopulation is relatively low. We further show how the dates of predator arrival to and departure from the system affect the qualitative behaviour of the model predictions.     

Infochemical-mediated intraguild interactions among three predatory mites on cassava plants

Carnivorous arthropods exhibit complex intraspecific and interspecific behaviour among themselves when they share the same niche or habitat and food resources. They should simultaneously search for adequate food for themselves and their offspring and in the meantime avoid becoming food for other organisms. This behaviour is of great ecological interest in conditions of low prey availability. We examined by means of an olfactometer, how volatile chemicals from prey patches with conspecific or heterospecific predators might contribute to shaping the structure of predator guilds. To test this, we used the exotic predatory mites Typhlodromalus manihoti and T. aripo, and the native predatory mite Euseius fustis, with Mononychellus tanajoa as the common prey species for the three predatory mite species. We used as odour sources M. tanajoa-infested cassava leaves or apices with or without predators. T. manihoti avoided patches inhabited by the heterospecifics T. aripo and E. fustis or by conspecifics when tested against a patch without predators. Similarly, both T. aripo and E. fustis females avoided patches with con- or heterospecifics when tested against a patch without predators. When one patch contained T. aripo and the other T. manihoti, females of the latter preferred the patch with T. aripo. Thus, T. manihoti is able to discriminate between odours from patches with con- and heterospecifics. Our results show that the three predatory mite species are able to assess prey patch profitability using volatiles. Under natural conditions, particularly when their food sources are scarce, the three predatory mite species might be involved in interspecific and/or intraspecific interactions that can substantially affect population dynamics of the predators and their prey.