One of the major empirical fronts in our group has been the thorough investigation various aspects related to trap-building predators, in general, and that of pit-building antlions, in particular. We reviewed the large body of literature on site abandonment and site selection in pit-building antlion larvae (Journal of Insect Behavior 19: 197-218), and on foraging decisions and behavioral flexibility in trap-building predators (Biological Reviews 86:626-639). We explored variation in morphology and in life history traits within and between antlion populations along Israel’s steep climatic gradient (Journal of Evolutionary Biology 21: 162-172; Zoology 112: 139-150; Naturwissenschaften 96: 1147-1156). Exploring ecological specialization in two trap-building antlion species (PLoS ONE 7(3): e33506), we illustrated that prey capture success of the habitat generalist is higher than that of the habitat specialist, irrespective of the soil type, or prey ant species encountered, implying a positive association between habitat niche-breadth and foraging performance. Using a set of experiments (PLoS ONE 7(11): e50884), we illustrated that this apparent superiority of the habitat generalist does not manifest itself along other niche axes; rather the habitat specialist holds a set of traits that provide an advantage under harsh environmental conditions. Examining the interplay between habitat specialization and habitat selection (Population Ecology 56(1): 175-184), we showed that the habitat generalist is a density-dependent habitat selector, while the habitat specialist exhibits constant habitat selectivity to fine-textured soils. We explored the responses of these two pit-building antlion species to starvation stress (Oecologia 160: 453-460; Ecological Entomology 39(1): 94-100; Evolutionary Ecology 27: 1129–1144). We also demonstrated that the presence of an intra-guild predator reduces the tendency of the pit-building generalist to construct pits, or to relocate, while also decreasing its survival (Zoology 113: 308-315). We illustrated that the frequency of cannibalism in the pit-building generalist can be relatively high and that this important trophic interaction is governed by the interactive, rather than additive effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors (Behavioral Ecology 25(6): 1311-1319). Examining the responses of antlion species, adopting different hunting tactics, to the presence of a top predator (Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 62: 1185-1192), we illustrated that although both species reduce their activity when a top predator is present, the decreases are expressed differently: the species hunting by frequent movements between ambush sites, increases its pauses between movement segments, while the pit-building species reduces its pit construction activity. Our experimental investigation of the spatial self-arrangement and habitat selection of the pit-building generalist, illustrated that the propensity of this species to construct pits is positively correlated with the distance from its nearest-neighbor competitor (Ecological Entomology 33: 337-345). In a subsequent study, we illustrated that habitat selection in this species is context dependent, and when temperatures are equal across habitats, larvae select and construct larger pits in the illuminated habitat (Animal Behaviour 76: 2049-2057). Employing a more sophisticated habitat selection procedure, we demonstrated that this species always select the illuminated habitat, regardless of habitat structure (Ecological Entomology 34: 26-33). A subsequent investigation of the behavioral responses in this pit-building antlion species to the detection of varying sized prey showed that it responded faster to smaller prey items (Animal Behaviour 79: 153-158). We found that third instar larvae of the pit-building generalist exhibited consistent behavior in their pit sizes, response times to prey and to less extent in their relocation distances (Behavioural Processes 103: 105-111). Examining the existence of repeatability in the context of foraging and habitat selection, over time and under three environmental contexts (Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 68(12): 1985-1993), we illustrated that repeatability is much stronger for relocation distance than for movement directionality. We also showed that foraging syndromes are similar across populations, suggesting that stabilizing selection, acting on the foraging behavior of antlions during their larval phase, outweighs local selection pressures (Oecologia 178(4): 1093-1103).
Evolutionary Ecology Research Group
