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Behavioural Aspects of the Prey-Predator Interaction Among Necrophagous Diptera: Implications for Cadaveric Colonization

  • Medical and Veterinary Entomology
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Abstract

Predation is a major process in determining the composition and dynamics of necrophagous dipteran assemblages and has implications for the colonization of cadavers. This work describes behavioural interactions between necrophagous larvae under a predator-prey perspective, using as a model the predatory species Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and three species of prey: Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann) (Calliphoridae), Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp) (Muscidae) and Peckia (Peckia) chrysostoma (Wiedemann) (Sarcophagidae). Using experimental arenas, we observed behavioural acts, such as escape, avoidance and prey discrimination in three experiments, which also incorporated predator density. We demonstrate that the number of escapes, avoidance and predation varies according to the type of prey. Lucilia eximia and P. chrysostoma are able to avoid and/or escape the predator more frequently when compared to S. nudiseta. At least 70% of larvae of both species successfully evaded from C. albiceps attack. Low frequency of escape, associated with strong ability to counterattack, was observed for S. nudiseta. Peckia chrysostoma and L. eximia were the preferred items in the experiment of prey discrimination in both 2- and 3-choice tests. Predation occurs quickly, and the minimum predation time varied according to the prey species and predator density. Remarkably, prey handling varied with the species: whilst individual larvae chased and killed L. eximia, 75% of predation of P. chrysostoma occurred in groups of two or more C. albiceps larvae. Differential intraguild predation has implications for reducing populations of carrion insects—consequently affecting the likelihood of sampling necrophagous larvae in human cadavers.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for the scholarships granted to JTJ (PhD) and TMB (PNPD), and Larissa Martins for the support in the behavioural experiments.

Contribution of Authors

Conceived and designed the project: TMB. Collected field samples: TMB, JTJ, JRM. Performed the lab work and analysed the data: TMB, JTJ, JRM, SDV. Wrote the paper: TMB, JTJ, JRM, SDV, RAG. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lab of Insects and Vectors, Dept of Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal Univ of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil

    Taciano Moura Barbosa, Jessica Teixeira Jales, Jucélia Rossana Medeiros & Renata Antonaci Gama

  2. Lab of Insects of Forensic Importance, Dept of Zoology, Univ Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE, Brazil

    Taciano Moura Barbosa & Simao Dias Vasconcelos

Authors
  1. Taciano Moura Barbosa
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  2. Jessica Teixeira Jales
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  3. Jucélia Rossana Medeiros
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  4. Simao Dias Vasconcelos
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  5. Renata Antonaci Gama
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Correspondence to Taciano Moura Barbosa.

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Edited by Patrícia J Thyssen

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Supplementary Information

Videos 1

- Demonstration of searching behaviour – predatory Chrysomya albiceps searching and preying upon larvae in other quadrants. (MP4 5744 kb)

Videos 2

- Synthesiomyia nudiseta larvae reacting and trying to avoid Chrysomya albiceps attack. (MP4 1445 kb)

Video 3

- Record of Peckia chrysostoma larvae being preyed upon by Chrysomya albiceps larvae (group predations) and prey larvae evasion. (MP4 2881 kb)

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Barbosa, T.M., Jales, J.T., Medeiros, J.R. et al. Behavioural Aspects of the Prey-Predator Interaction Among Necrophagous Diptera: Implications for Cadaveric Colonization. Neotrop Entomol 50, 303–311 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-020-00837-z

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