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Predator percolation, insect outbreaks, and phase polyphenism.

Andy M Reynolds1, Gregory A Sword, Stephen J Simpson

  • 1Biomathematics Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK. andy.reynolds@bbsrc.ac.uk

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|December 23, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Predator avoidance drives locusts to switch from solitary to gregarious behavior as populations grow. This density-dependent phase polyphenism helps disrupt predator hunting patterns, influencing outbreak dynamics.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • Locusts exhibit density-dependent phase polyphenism, a form of phenotypic plasticity.
  • This results in distinct solitarious and gregarious phases with differing behaviors and physiology.
  • The evolutionary drivers of these density-dependent switches in spatial distribution remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explain the evolution of density-dependent switches in locust spatial distribution.
  • To investigate the role of predator-prey interactions in phase polyphenism.
  • To understand the impact of these switches on locust outbreak dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a mathematical model derived from percolation theory.
  • Simulated locust population dynamics under increasing densities.
  • Analyzed the effects of spatial distribution on predator-prey network connectivity.

Main Results:

  • Sustained dispersed distributions become detrimental to locusts at higher population densities.
  • Switching to a clumped distribution disrupts predator food-patch network connectivity.
  • Predator selection pressure is a likely factor in the evolution of conditional switches to aggregative behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Predation is a key evolutionary factor driving the switch to gregarious behavior in locusts.
  • This density-dependent phase polyphenism influences locust outbreak dynamics.
  • Group formation, while advantageous, leads to secondary selection for gregarious traits.