Foraging decisions and behavioural flexibility in trap-building predators: a review

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Ecology
• Predator-Prey Interactions
• Foraging Theory

Background:

• Foraging theory traditionally models widely-foraging animals, with less focus on sit-and-wait predators.
• Sit-and-wait predators, including trap-builders, often exhibit behaviors consistent with foraging theory, but direct comparisons are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the foraging activities of trap-building predators with widely-foraging predators.
• To investigate the adaptability of trap-building predator behavior in response to environmental and internal factors.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on foraging behaviors of trap-building predators (e.g., antlions, spiders) and widely-foraging predators.
• Analysis of how trap characteristic modifications in trap-builders can be analogous to foraging intensity in active foragers.
• Comparative analysis of responses to factors like hunger, conspecific density, and predation threat.

Main Results:

• Trap-building predators exhibit behavioral responses to internal and external factors that are similar to widely-foraging predators.
• Modifications in trap characteristics serve as a parallel to changes in foraging intensity.
• Evidence suggests trap-building predator behavior is flexible, not fixed, varying with individual state and environmental interactions.

Conclusions:

• Foraging theory can be extended to include trap-building predators, highlighting conserved behavioral principles across different foraging strategies.
• Trap-building predators demonstrate significant behavioral plasticity, contradicting the notion of stereotyped actions.
• Further research incorporating trap-building predators is encouraged to enrich and broaden the scope of foraging theory.