Site fidelity and long-distance homing by males of solitary parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae)

2013 ◽  
Vol 145 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soichiro Tani ◽  
Takatoshi Ueno

AbstractSite fidelity and long-distance homing are known to occur in nesting female Hymenoptera. We report here on the site fidelity and homing ability in males of five species of scoliid wasps (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae), a group whose females do not make nests but are ectoparasitoids of scarabaeid beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea). The males of these wasp species patrol female emergence areas searching for mates. Based on mark-recapture data, we found that between 40% and 100% of marked males left the release area and travelled 50–800 m from the point of capture returning to their original patrol area. We discuss the adaptive significance of site fidelity and homing behaviour in Scoliidae, and propose hypotheses about the evolution of the homing behaviour in Hymenoptera. The homing ability of these primitive Aculeata may represent a case of convergent evolution with other Hymenoptera in which males patrol emergence areas in search of females. Additionally, this homing ability may serve as a preadaptation for the evolution of nest-provisioning and nesting habits in Hymenoptera.

Behaviour ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 150 (14) ◽  
pp. 1689-1708 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J.W. Ward ◽  
R. James ◽  
A.D.M. Wilson ◽  
M.M. Webster

The ability of animals to disperse towards their original home range following displacement has been demonstrated in a number of species. However, little is known about the homing ability of three-spine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), an important model species in behavioural ecology. In addition, few studies have examined the role of social facilitation in relation to homing behaviour in fishes. We examined homing behaviour of sticklebacks displaced over distances of between 80 m and 160 m in land-drains with directional water flow. Fish were translocated from their original capture site, tagged and then released either in groups or solitarily. We performed recapture transects either one or two days later. Data provided by recaptured sticklebacks show that the fish dispersed in the direction of their original capture site. Although fish translocated downstream typically moved further than those translocated upstream, both dispersed towards their original capture site. There was no difference between fish released solitarily or in groups in their homing ability and indeed there was little evidence that fish translocated in groups remained together following their release. The homing ability of the fish was demonstrated by the finding that up to 80% of fish returned to their home ranges within two days of release over a distance equivalent to approximately 5000 body lengths of these small fish.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0258128
Author(s):  
Timothy J. Fullman ◽  
Brian T. Person ◽  
Alexander K. Prichard ◽  
Lincoln S. Parrett

Many animals migrate to take advantage of temporal and spatial variability in resources. These benefits are offset with costs like increased energetic expenditure and travel through unfamiliar areas. Differences in the cost-benefit ratio for individuals may lead to partial migration with one portion of a population migrating while another does not. We investigated migration dynamics and winter site fidelity for a long-distance partial migrant, barren ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) of the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd in northern Alaska. We used GPS telemetry for 76 female caribou over 164 annual movement trajectories to identify timing and location of migration and winter use, proportion of migrants, and fidelity to different herd wintering areas. We found within-individual variation in movement behavior and wintering area use by the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd, adding caribou to the growing list of ungulates that can exhibit migratory plasticity. Using a first passage time–net squared displacement approach, we classified 78.7% of annual movement paths as migration, 11.6% as residency, and 9.8% as another strategy. Timing and distance of migration varied by season and wintering area. Duration of migration was longer for fall migration than for spring, which may relate to the latter featuring more directed movement. Caribou utilized four wintering areas, with multiple areas used each year. This variation occurred not just among different individuals, but state sequence analyses indicated low fidelity of individuals to wintering areas among years. Variability in movement behavior can have fitness consequences. As caribou face the pressures of a rapidly warming Arctic and ongoing human development and activities, further research is needed to investigate what factors influence this diversity of behaviors in Alaska and across the circumpolar Arctic.


2018 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas S. Jung ◽  
Nicholas C. Larter

Key objectives of wildlife reintroduction projects should include encouraging post-release site fidelity and high survival rates of founding individuals. Yet, few studies empirically evaluate these performance metrics for released individuals. Bison(Bison bison) restoration is receiving renewed interest by wildlife managers. To inform new bison reintroduction projects, we provide an observation of a 375-km (straight-line distance) post-release movement of three bison bulls from a release site in Yukon, Canada, in 1988. In addition, we note 250-km and 155-km post-release movements of bison in the Northwest Territories, Canada, in 1980 and 1998, respectively. These observations demonstrate the dispersal ability of bison encountering new environments. Wildlife managers planning for new bison reintroductions should consider means to enhance post-release site fidelity to limit long-distance dispersal and mortality and maximize initial population growth.


2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 341-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Knope ◽  
K. A. Tice ◽  
D. C. Rypkema

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 2094-2100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M Jakob ◽  
Adam H Porter ◽  
George W Uetz

Species differ in whether they exhibit strong site fidelity or move readily among sites. To understand the adaptive significance of site fidelity it is necessary to measure the cost of relocating to new sites, but this is very difficult with most species because it entails following individuals during the entire course of their transition. We studied the colonial web-building spider Metepeira incrassata (Araneae: Araneidae), which defends individual orb webs within a large, shared frame web. Colonies are heterogeneous habitats, with more prey but also more predators at the periphery of the colony relative to the central core. We measured relocation costs in this species by breaking them into the following components, (i) searching costs, (ii) establishment costs, and (iii) lost-opportunities costs, or the potential benefits of alternative behaviors that an animal might engage in if it were not relocating. We observed spiders that were in the process of establishing their orb webs at the start of the foraging day and conducted experiments to examine the costs of relocation by transferring spiders between locations within the colony. Transferred spiders had more fights with conspecifics than non-transferred spiders did, and the number of fights was positively correlated with the distance moved. However, searching and establishment costs seem unimportant, as individuals moving within their territories were as active as individuals moving to new sites. Transferred spiders faced greater lost-opportunities costs in the form of time spent on prey-capture orbs, as they significantly delayed orb construction. Lost-opportunities costs seem to be the most important component of relocation costs in this species and are likely to be generally important among species. This study is one of the few to document movement costs through direct observation.


The Auk ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 329-337
Author(s):  
David P. Arsenault ◽  
Peter B. Stacey ◽  
Guy A. Hoelzer

AbstractOver a seven-year period, we used mark-recapture in a population of Flammulated Owls (Otus flammeolus) in the Zuni Mountains, New Mexico, to estimate adult breeding-site fidelity, mate fidelity, natal philopatry, and dispersal distances. We also used DNA fingerprinting to examine the genetic population structure of Flammulated Owls among four mountain ranges in New Mexico and one range in Utah. Mark-recapture revealed that adults are site-faithful and tend to maintain pair bonds between years, whereas juveniles show little natal philopatry. DNA fingerprinting revealed very low differentiation among populations, even between the New Mexico and Utah ranges, with population subdivision (FST) estimates ranging from 0.00 to 0.04. Heterozygosity values were high within each mountain range and, together with the low FST values, suggest that this Neotropical migrant may have long-distance natal dispersal and frequent intermountain dispersal.Datos de Marcado-Recaptura y Huellas Dactilares de ADN Revelan Alta Fidelidad a los Sitios de Cría, Baja Filopatría Natal y Bajos Niveles de Diferenciación Genética Poblacional en Otus flammeolus


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document