Bridging digestive physiology and ecology for a more integrative understanding of invertebrate predators

Nutritional ecology aims to explore the connections between the behaviour, physiology and ecology of organisms using nutrients as the unifying currency. Although significant progress has been made in studying the nutritional ecology of vertebrates and herbivorous invertebrates, research on predatory invertebrates has lagged, despite their importance in driving ecosystem processes and services, such as nutrient cycling and pest management. However, recent methodological and conceptual advances have provided significant opportunities to explore the interface of digestive physiology and ecology in predatory invertebrates. The goal of this Commentary is to explore evidence for interactions between the ecology and physiology of invertebrate predators, and to propose hypotheses and directions for future studies to expand our understanding in this area. Connections between invertebrate predator ecology and digestive physiology are discussed in relation to four pertinent topics that allow for integrative studies of invertebrate predators: micronutrients, foraging behaviour, microbial symbiosis and the Anthropocene. We hope that these areas of research will serve as examples of how physiology and ecology can be integrated for a more holistic understanding of the nutritional ecology of predatory invertebrates.