Behavioral differences between pit-building antlions and wormlions suggest limits to convergent evolution

Area of Science:

• Behavioral ecology
• Evolutionary biology
• Entomology

Background:

• Antlions and wormlions are distantly related insect taxa that exhibit convergent evolution through pit construction for prey capture.
• Despite their similar hunting strategies, direct comparative research on their behavioral responses to environmental factors is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the behavioral responses of antlions and wormlions to common environmental factors: pit disturbance, prey arrival, and conspecific competitors.
• To examine the convergence and limitations of their pit-building behaviors under varying conditions.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a standardized experimental platform to assess antlion and wormlion responses to controlled biotic and abiotic stimuli.
• Quantifying behavioral adjustments including pit size modification, prey capture efficiency, response latency, and pit relocation in response to environmental changes.

Main Results:

• Both taxa increased pit size after disturbance, with wormlions demonstrating a faster rate than antlions.
• Antlions exhibited quicker initial responses to prey arrival, whereas wormlions showed improvement in response time over successive days.
• A significant divergence was observed in response to conspecifics: antlions rapidly relocated pits with increasing competitor density, while wormlions did not relocate.

Conclusions:

• Antlions and wormlions, despite convergent pit-hunting strategies, display distinct behavioral adaptations to environmental challenges.
• Differences in responses to disturbance, prey, and especially conspecifics suggest potentially divergent ecological roles, habitat utilization, and population dynamics.