The effect of top predator cues and an insecticide on prey choice of a generalist mesopredator

Abstract

[EN] Natural enemies of pests are affected by the use of chemical substances in agriculture, which can have lethal and various sub-lethal effects and disrupt their biocontrol service. In this work, I investigated how the pesticide Quasin may affect the adaptive prey selection of the spider P. cespitum (Philodromidae) of variously sized caterpillars Operophtera brumata as a response to the cues of the ant Lasius fuliginosus. The results show that the probability of prey capture by P. cespitum decreased with prey size. There was a trend that suggests that the foraging behaviour of P. cespitum was affected by the ant cues. These results also suggest that the natural herbicide Quassin did not affect the foraging behavior of the philodromids. Therefore, it seems to be a promising biopesticide that can be used in tandem with the natural enemies to supress insect pests

[EN] The aims of the study will be to investigate how the cues of presence of a large spider (a top predator) affects the prey choice by a smaller spider (a mesopredator) and how it is altered by a pesticide.

[ES] Los objetivos del estudio serán investigar cómo las señales de presencia de una araña grande (un depredador superior) afecta la elección de la presa por una araña más pequeña (un mesopredador) y cómo un pesticida altera la forma de hacerlo.