雌雄福寿螺耐寒能力的差异

为了解福寿螺耐寒性是否存在性别差异,对华南地区的雌雄福寿螺进行了过冷却研究及低温胁迫下存活率调查,并对入冬前后其体内耐寒性生理生化物质进行测定.结果表明:雌雄螺的过冷却点均值分别为-6.83℃和-6.26℃,雌螺过冷却点显著低于雄螺;进入冬季后,福寿螺自由水含量明显下降,结合水、甘油、脂肪、糖原含量均出现明显上升,除甘油外,其余各耐寒性生理指标均存在极显著的性别差异;未经过冷驯化的雌雄福寿螺经过10℃处理7d后存活率均在90%以上,继续在5℃下培养7 d后存活率出现明显的性别差异和壳高差异.野外调查发现在福寿螺自然种群中雌螺多于雄螺.表明福寿螺雌螺的耐寒能力强于雄螺.这对进一步探索福寿螺的生态适应性、自然性比及其耐寒性机制有一定的参考价值.     

雌雄福寿螺耐寒能力的差异

为了解福寿螺耐寒性是否存在性别差异,对华南地区的雌雄福寿螺进行了过冷却研究及低温胁迫下存活率调查,并对入冬前后其体内耐寒性生理生化物质进行测定.结果表明: 雌雄螺的过冷却点均值分别为-6.83 ℃和-6.26 ℃,雌螺过冷却点显著低于雄螺;进入冬季后,福寿螺自由水含量明显下降,结合水、甘油、脂肪、糖原含量均出现明显上升,除甘油外,其余各耐寒性生理指标均存在极显著的性别差异;未经过冷驯化的雌雄福寿螺经过10 ℃处理7 d后存活率均在90%以上,继续在5 ℃下培养7 d后存活率出现明显的性别差异和壳高差异.野外调查发现在福寿螺自然种群中雌螺多于雄螺.表明福寿螺雌螺的耐寒能力强于雄螺.这对进一步探索福寿螺的生态适应性、自然性比及其耐寒性机制有一定的参考价值.     

飞蝗对两种禾本科植物挥发物的触角电位和行为反应

【目的】检测飞蝗对2种禾本科植物挥发物——癸醛和芳樟醇的触角电位及行为反应,为了解飞蝗的嗅觉机制提供依据。【方法】首先,使用触角电位仪检测飞蝗4龄若虫对癸醛和芳樟醇4个剂量的触角电位反应。其次,使用嗅觉行为仪检测正常条件下4龄飞蝗对癸醛和芳樟醇不同剂量的行为反应。最后,采用嗅觉行为仪检测饥饿和饱食状态下的虫体对癸醛和芳樟醇的行为反应。【结果】4龄飞蝗对癸醛和芳樟醇的EAG值随着剂量增加呈先升高后降低的趋势,均在500μg达到最高值,且在该剂量下,雌雄虫之间的EAG值存在显著差异。正常条件下,1 000μg芳樟醇对飞蝗雌雄虫均有显著的引诱作用,1 500μg癸醛和芳樟醇显著引诱雄虫,500μg癸醛显著引诱雌虫。经饥饿处理后,雌虫被500μg和1 000μg癸醛显著引诱,雄虫被250μg癸醛显著引诱,雌雄虫均被500μg的芳樟醇显著引诱。经过饱食处理后,250μg和500μg的芳樟醇显著引诱雌虫。芳樟醇对饥饿状态下飞蝗雄虫的引诱率均高于饱食状态,在500μg时,引诱率存在显著差异。【结论】飞蝗对这2种植物挥发物的触角电位反应存在剂量效应,雌雄虫触角电位在最佳剂量下存在显著差异。不同剂量的癸醛和芳樟醇可对飞蝗产生不同的引诱效果,饥饿状态下的虫体更易被芳樟醇所吸引。     

自然条件下福寿螺繁殖特性

为了弄清福寿螺在自然条件下的繁殖特性,在湖南省资兴市水稻田内进行了为期3年的人工养殖试验.结果表明:福寿螺在湘南自然条件下1年可发生不完全3代.第1代、第2代和第3代(越冬代)雌螺的平均性成熟期分别为59.3、45.4和213.0 d.雄螺的平均性成熟期比雌螺早4.3d.福寿螺的自然性比(♀∶♂)为1.54:1.每次交配持续时间平均为19.2h,但并非每次交配后都会产卵.田间福寿螺月产卵块数与月平均气温呈显著正相关(r=0.756).福寿螺卵块的平均孵化期(d)与日平均气温(℃)呈显著负相关(r=-0.980),其线性回归方程为y=-0.726x+23.064.福寿螺卵块的平均孵化期为20.7d,平均孵化率为44.1％.雌螺与雄螺的平均寿命分别为2.40和1.98 a.平均每头雌螺一生可产卵13764粒,可繁殖幼螺6070头.     

在不同营养状态下东方田鼠对陌生食物选择学习的研究

通过不同饥饿处理 ,研究了东方田鼠在不同营养状态下 ,对陌生食物尝试和选择的行为模式。结果表明 ,初次遇到陌生食物时 ,各处理组对陌生食物的采食量分别为饱食 6.9± 1 .8g,饥饿组为 4.8± 1 .6g,饥饿 食物短缺组为 3.4± 1 .4g。各处理组动物对陌生食物的摄入量间差异极为显著 ( P=0 .0 0 4 3)。饱食组、饥饿组及饥饿 食物短缺组动物初次遇到陌生食物时 ,所摄入的陌生食物量占总摄入量的百分比分别为72 %、38%与 1 2 %。说明 ,在实验室条件下饱食动物较饥饿和饥饿 食物短缺的动物学习选择摄食陌生食物的倾向较强。     

不同营养状态下方斑东风螺的镉生物积累及毒性

采用室内模拟方式,研究了方斑东风螺在饥饿及摄食饵料分别为贻贝和沙蚕3种情况下暴露于水体镉(Cd2+,50 μg·L-1)10周后的存活、生长、螺体Cd蓄积及有关毒性效应参数的变化.结果表明:长期饥饿与同时水体Cd暴露降低了方斑东风螺的成活率,且螺体糖原被最大程度动用,摄食有助于螺体抵抗Cd毒性;方斑东风螺肝胰脏DNA受损伤后在摄食状态下随时间延长均有不同程度的自我修复能力,但长期禁食使螺的DNA完整性降低且不能恢复;饥饿引起方斑东风螺体组织萎缩,并导致Cd蓄积与金属硫蛋白(MT)含量升高,摄食螺因体质量增加的稀释作用而具有较低的Cd蓄积与MT含量;摄食贻贝的方斑东风螺较摄食沙蚕有更快的生长率和更低的Cd浓度.表明饥饿加剧了Cd对方斑东风螺的毒性;不同饵料对方斑东风螺的生长有显著影响,并间接影响螺体Cd蓄积、MT诱导和糖原消耗.应用方斑东风螺等海洋腹足类作为环境监测指示种时应考虑栖息地食物丰度和饵料类型等的影响.方斑东风螺高密度工厂化养殖中应注意合理投饵并定期监测海水Cd浓度.     

摄食水平对不同性别食蚊鱼仔幼鱼生长发育的影响

在实验室27℃水温下,研究了少食、中食和饱食三个摄食水平对0至25日龄雌雄食蚊鱼(Gambusia affinis)的生长发育特征和饵料利用效率的影响。26d饲养实验结束后,对试验鱼摄食和生长指标、臀鳍分化、性成熟及饵料转换效率进行分析。结果显示:到臀鳍开始分化时,饱食组雄鱼的累计摄食总能量和生长速度开始小于雌鱼,且随日龄的增加差异加大;随摄食水平的增加,0日龄仔鱼到臀鳍分化和性成熟的时间缩短。至实验结束,各摄食组的雄鱼均形成发育完善的生殖足,性腺都达到成熟状态;而雌鱼性成熟迟于雄鱼,且其性成熟更易受到摄食水平的影响,饱食组只有约50%的个体达到性成熟,少食组的卵母细胞则均处在小生长期。随着摄食水平的增加,雌雄鱼的体长、体重和干物质特定生长率均呈明显上升趋势,而干物质饵料转化效率则呈明显下降趋势;实验结束时,雌鱼的生长指标和干物质饵料转化率均大于雄鱼。以上结果表明,伴随臀鳍的分化,食蚊鱼在摄食、生长、发育、性成熟和应对食物丰度变化上表现出显著的性别差异。       

不同饥饿程度的龟纹瓢虫成虫对烟蚜的捕食作用

试验研究了不同饥饿程度的龟纹瓢虫雌、雄成虫对烟蚜的捕食作用。结果表明,不同饥饿程度的龟纹瓢虫雌、雄成虫对烟蚜捕食的功能反应均为Ｈｏｌｌｉｎｇ Ⅱ型,雌成虫的瞬间攻击率ａ大于雄成虫;不同饥饿程度的龟纹瓢虫雌、雄成虫在２４ｈ内对烟蚜的捕食量差异不显著;雌成虫捕食量大于雄成虫;饥饿时间愈长,烟蚜密度愈大,雌雄成虫间捕食量差异愈显著;未饥饿的龟纹瓢虫雌、雄成虫在２４ｈ内对烟蚜的捕食行为集中在６：００～１８     

食物胁迫对翅二型丽斗蟋飞行肌和繁殖发育的影响

前期研究表明,在食物充足的条件下,翅二型丽斗蟋雌成虫长、短翅型间存在着资源投入和收益的权衡关系(trade-off);而雄成虫长短翅型间不存在此类权衡关系。在自然条件下,昆虫可能遭受食物缺乏的胁迫,因而进一步就食物胁迫对丽斗蟋飞行肌和繁殖发育的影响进行了研究。结果表明,在食物胁迫的条件下,长翅雌虫仍维持飞行肌的发育,但繁殖发育受到显著的抑制;而短翅雌虫飞行肌显著降解,繁殖发育亦维持在较高水平。说明即使是营养缺乏时,其雌成虫长、短翅型也依然存在资源配置的差异,具飞行肌和繁殖发育的权衡关系。长翅雄虫飞行肌的重量与食物充足组并无显著差异,但精巢的干重显著降低;而短翅雄虫在食物胁迫条件下飞行肌显著降解,但其精巢重量与食物充足组并无显著差异。可以认为,丽斗蟋雄虫的长、短翅型间也存在飞行肌和繁殖发育的权衡关系。     

交配对广聚萤叶甲成虫耐饥与耐热能力的影响

昆虫交配是一个消耗能量的过程,因此交配后可能对其抗逆能力造成一定的影响。广聚萤叶甲是恶性杂草-豚草的专一性天敌,正常情况下,成虫耐饥饿和耐热能力较强。为明确交配对广聚萤叶甲成虫抗逆能力的影响,本研究观察在一次交配处理后,广聚萤叶甲在饥饿条件下或高温条件下继续存活时间。结果发现,在不提供食物的情况下,交配对雄虫的寿命影响不大,但雌虫的寿命(8.4 d±0.1 d)显著短于对照雌虫(10.8 d±0.1 d)。在高温状态下,无论取食与否,交配都会显著增加广聚萤叶甲雌雄成虫的耐热能力,尤其以雌虫表现更为明显(处理雌虫和对照雌虫存活时间分别为:取食(6.15 d±0.14 d,4.95 d±0.13 d)、不取食(5.55 d±0.13 d,4.81 d±0.11 d)。可见,交配降低广聚叶甲雌虫的饥饿能力,但成虫的耐热能力显著加强。     

Relationship between reversed sexual dimorphism,breeding investment and foraging ecology in a pelagic seabird,the masked booby

Reversed sexual dimorphism (RSD) may be related to different roles in breeding investment and/or foraging, but little information is available on foraging ecology. We studied the foraging behaviour and parental investment by male and female masked boobies, a species with RSD, by combining studies of foraging ecology using miniaturised activity and GPS data loggers of nest attendance, with an experimental study where flight costs were increased. Males attended the chick more often than females, but females provided more food to the chick than males. Males and females foraged during similar periods of the day, had similar prey types and sizes, diving depths, durations of foraging trips, foraging zones and ranges. Females spent a smaller proportion of the foraging trip sitting on the water and had higher diving rate than males, suggesting higher foraging effort by females. In females, trip duration correlated with mass at departure, suggesting a flexible investment through control by body mass. The experimental study showed that handicapped females and female partners of handicapped males lost mass compared to control birds, whereas there was no difference for males. These results indicate that the larger female is the main provisioner of the chick in the pair, and regulates breeding effort in relation to its own body mass, whereas males have a fixed investment. The different breeding investment between the sexes is associated with contrasting foraging strategies, but no clear niche differentiation was observed. The larger size of the females may be advantageous for provisioning the chick with large quantities of energy and for flexible breeding effort, while the smaller male invests in territory defence and nest guarding, a crucial task when breeding at high densities. In masked boobies, division of labour appears to be maximal during chick rearing—the most energy-demanding period—and may be related to evolution of RSD.     

Reversed sexual size dimorphism and parental care in the Red-footed Booby Sula sula

The 'division-of-labour' hypothesis predicts that males and females perform different roles in parental care and that natural selection acts differently on each sex so as to produce different body size optima suited to their particular roles. Reversed sexual size dimorphism in avian species (females larger than males) may therefore be an adaptive consequence of different roles of males and females in parental care. We investigated patterns of nest attendance, brooding, foraging and provisioning rate in a tropical seabird, the Red-footed Booby Sula sula , a species showing a reversed sexual size dimorphism. During incubation, females attended the nest more often than males, and spent more time brooding the small chick than did males during daytime. Males and females did not differ in the average duration of their foraging trips. During incubation, there was a positive relationship between nest attendance and the duration of foraging trips in males, but not in females. During the small-chick stage, for the same time spent at the nest, males spent significantly more time than females at sea. On average, females fed the chick more often than did males. In males, there was a significant and positive relationship between the probability of feeding the chick and the duration of the foraging trip, whereas in females, this probability was much less dependent on the duration of the foraging trip. Overall, female Red-footed Boobies achieved slightly, but significantly, more parental commitment than did males. However, these sexual differences in parental participation were small, suggesting a minimal division of labour in the Red-footed Booby. Our results suggest that the division of labour hypothesis is unlikely to explain fully the adult size dimorphism in Red-footed Boobies.     

Intriguing compensation by adult female spiders for food limitation experienced as juveniles

We conducted a field experiment to test for food limitation in immature stages, and its consequences for mature females, in the territorial, cannibalistic spider Lycosa tarentula (L.). Randomly selected antepenultimate juveniles were provided supplemental prey until they matured, at which time supplemental feeding ceased. Immature stages of L. tarentula are food-limited. Supplemented juvenile spiders decreased foraging activity, disappeared at a lower rate and grew faster than the control spiders, which had been exposed only to ambient prey levels. Fed juvenile females were less hungry at maturity, as judged by an index of body condition, and showed higher mating success as adults, as judged by cohabitation rates with mature males. Foraging theory predicts that in order to compensate for residual effects of food limitation, adult female spiders that had experienced a shortage of prey as juveniles – the controls – would have to exhibit a greater increase in foraging activity upon maturing than the prey-supplemented group. Contrary to expectation, the control females did not increase their foraging activity, but the previously fed females did forage more actively as adults. Furthermore, the difference in mass gain during the mating period between the two groups was opposite from what the difference in change in foraging activity would predict. Control females, the spiders that had not changed their foraging activity, gained mass more rapidly than the previously fed females, with the result that the two groups were similar in mass by the end of the mating period. We hypothesize that an increased rate of sexual cannibalism may have been one mechanism by which control females compensated for the food limitation that they had experienced as immatures.     

Effects of size and sex on the courting success and foraging behaviour of Embiotoca jacksoni

To test life-history theory that body size and sex should influence how animals allocate time to foraging versus reproductive activities, we measured the effects of size and sex on courting success and foraging behaviour of black surfperch Embiotoca jacksoni off Santa Catalina Island, southern California. Observations of focal fish were made while snorkelling, during which the length of each fish (estimated to the nearest cm), total duration of courting encounters and foraging rates were recorded. We made observations during and outside the mating season. Courtship occurred only between pairs and its duration increased with the size of both the male and female. Although males would court females that were smaller or larger than themselves, pairs that were closely matched in size had long courting sessions, whereas those that differed considerably in size courted only briefly. Small fish foraged more than larger fish, both during and outside the mating season. Males and females foraged at similar rates outside of the mating season, but during the mating season males reduced their foraging rates to less than half that seen outside of the mating season, whereas females continued to forage at the same rate. This decrease in foraging rate of males during the mating season was seen in all sizes of males but was proportionally greatest in the largest males. These observations indicate that males trade off time spent on foraging for time spent courting during the mating season, whereas females do not.     

Foraging and nesting behavior of Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in the presence of fungicides: cage studies

During orchard pollination studies in California, we observed dramatic changes in nesting and foraging behavior of Osmia lignaria Say (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) after sprays with tank mixtures containing fungicides. A characteristic pattern of postspray events observed includes erratic behavior and interrupted foraging and nesting activity for several days. In an effort to determine whether fungicidal sprays were disruptive to bee foraging and thus to pollination, we exposed O. lignaria females nesting in field cages planted with lacy scorpionweed, Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth (Hydrophyllaceae), to selected spray mixtures normally encountered in California orchard production systems: iprodione (Rovral), propiconazole (Orbit), benomyl (Benlate), and captan (Captan 50 WP); the surfactant Dyne-Amic, alone and mixed with Rovral; and the tank mixture IDB (Rovral + Dyne-Amic + the foliar fertilizer Bayfolan Plus). An additional cage sprayed with an equal volume of water acted as control, and a cage sprayed with the insecticide dimethoate as a toxic standard. For each female O. lignaria, we recorded time spent inside the nest depositing pollen-nectar loads, foraging time, cell production rate, and survival. All females in the dimethoate treatment died postspray + 1 d. Before death, some of these females behaved similarly to our previous orchard observations. A high proportion of females in the IDB cage were inactive for a few hours before resuming normal foraging and nesting activity. No lethal or behavioral effects were found for any of the other compounds or mixtures tested. Our results indicate that the fungicide applications that we tested are compatible with the use of O. lignaria as an orchard pollinator.     

Sex differences in giraffe foraging behavior at two spatial scales

We test predictions about differences in the foraging behaviors of male and female giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi Matchie) that derive from a hypothesis linking sexual size dimorphism to foraging behavior. This body-size hypothesis predicts that males will exhibit specific behaviors that increase their dry-matter intake rate relative to females. Foraging behavior was examined at two hierarchical levels corresponding to two spatial and temporal scales, within patches and within habitats. Patches are defined as individual trees or shrubs and habitats are defined as collections of patches within plant communities. Males were predicted to increase dry-matter intake rate within patches by taking larger bites, cropping bites more quickly, chewing less, and chewing faster. Within habitats, males were expected to increase intake rate by increasing the proportion of foraging time devoted to food ingestion as opposed to inter-patch travel time and vigilance. The predictions were tested in a free-ranging population of giraffes in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. Males spent less total time foraging than females but allocated a greater proportion of their foraging time to forage ingestion as opposed to travel between patches. There was no sex difference in rumination time but males spent more time in activities other than foraging and rumination, such as walking. Within patches, males took larger bites than females, but females cropped bites more quickly and chewed faster. Males had longer per-bite handling times than females but had shorter handling times per gram of intake. Within habitats, males had longer average patch residence times but there was no significant sex difference in inter-patch travel times. There was no overall difference between sexes in vigilance while foraging, although there were significant sex by habitat and sex by season interactions. Although not all the predictions were confirmed, overall the results agree qualitatively with the body-size hypothesis. Sex-related differences in foraging behavior led to greater estimated intake rates for males at the within-patch and within-habitat scales. Received: 20 November 1995 / Accepted: 5 November 1996     

Sex-Related Differences in the Trade-Off between Foraging and Vigilance in a Granivorous Forager

The relationship between intake rate and food density can provide the foundation for models that predict the spatiotemporal distribution of organisms across a range of resource densities. The functional response, describing the relationship between resource density and intake rate is often interpreted mechanistically as the relationships between times spend searching and handling. While several functional response models incorporate anti-predator vigilance (defined here as an interruption of feeding or some other activity to visually scan the environment, directed mainly towards detecting potential predators), the impacts of environmental factors influencing directly anti-predator vigilance remains unclear. We examined the combined effects of different scenarios of predation risk and food density on time allocation between foraging and anti-predator vigilance in a granivorous species. We experimentally exposed Skylarks to various cover heights and seed densities, and measured individual time budget and pecking and intake rates. Our results indicated that time devoted to different activities varied as a function of both seed density and cover height. Foraging time increased with seed density for all cover heights. Conversely, an increased cover height resulted in a decreased foraging time. Contrary to males, the decreased proportion of time spent foraging did not translate into a foraging disadvantage for females. When vegetation height was higher, females maintained similar pecking and intake rates compared to intermediate levels, while males consistently decreased their energy gain. This difference in anti-predator responses suggests a sexually mediated strategy in the food-safety trade-off: when resource density is high a females would adopt a camouflage strategy while an escape strategy would be adopted by males. In other words, males would leave risky-areas, whereas females would stay when resource density is high. Our results suggest that increased predation risk might generate sexually mediated behavioural responses that functional response models should perhaps better consider in the future.     

The relationship between foraging behaviour and energy expenditure in Antarctic fur seals

By using time-depth recorders to measure diving activity and the doubly-labelled water method to determine energy expenditure, the relationship between foraging behaviour and energy expenditure was investigated in nine Antarctic fur seal females rearing pups. At-sea metabolic rate (MR) (mean of 6.34 ± 0.4 W. kg^-1; 4.6 times predicted BMR) was positively correlated to foraging trip duration (mean of 4.21 ± 0.54 days; r²= 0.5, P < 0.04). There were no relationships between MR and the total number of dives, the total time spent diving or the total vertical distance travelled during the foraging trip. There was, however, a close negative sigmoidal relationship (r²= 0.93) between at-sea MR and the proportion of time at sea spent diving. This measure of diving behaviour may provide a useful, inexpensive means of estimating foraging energy expenditure in this species and possibly in other otariids. The rate of diving (m.h^-1) was also negatively related to at-sea MR (r²= 0.69, P < 0.005). Body mass gain during a foraging trip had a positive relationship to the time spent at sea (r²= 0.58, P < 0.02) and the total amount of energy expended while at sea (r²= 0.72, P < 0.004) such that, while females undertaking long trips have higher metabolic rates, the energetic efficiency with which females gain mass is independent of the time spent at sea. Therefore, within the range of conditions observed, there is no apparent energetic advantage for females in undertaking foraging trips of any particular duration.     

Sex‐specific food provisioning in a monomorphic seabird,the common guillemot Uria aalge: nest defence,foraging efficiency or parental effort?

Sexual differences in food provisioning rates of monomorphic seabirds are well known but poorly understood. Here, we address three hypotheses that attempt to explain female-biased food provisioning in common guillemots Uria aalge : (1) males spend more time in nest defence, (2) females have greater foraging efficiency, and (3) males allocate a greater proportion of foraging effort to self-maintenance. We found that males spent no more time with chicks than females but made longer trips and travelled further from the colony. There was extensive overlap between sexes in core foraging areas, indicating that females were not excluding males from feeding opportunities close to the colony. However, as a result of their longer trips, the total foraging areas of males were much greater than those of females. There was no difference between sexes in overall dive rate per hour at sea, in behaviour during individual dives or in a number of other measures of foraging efficiency including the frequency, depth and duration of dives and the dive: pause ratio during the final dive bout of each trip, which was presumably used by both sexes to obtain prey for the chick. These data strongly suggest that sexes did not differ in their ability to locate and capture prey. Yet males made almost twice as many dives per trip as females, suggesting that males made more dives than females for their own benefit. These results support the hypothesis that female-biased food provisioning arose from a difference between sexes in the allocation of foraging effort between parents and offspring, in anticipation of a prolonged period of male-only post-fledging care of the chick, and not from differences in foraging efficiency or time spent in nest defence.