Laterality index showed in the five population studied, classified in function of the tail state (original vs regenerated).

<p>Laterality index showed in the five population studied, classified in function of the tail state (original vs regenerated).</p

Results of General Linear Model (GLM) that analyzes the effects of Tail state (Tail; original vs regenerated) and Population (5, Butihondo, La Oliva, Caleta Famara, Nazaret-Teguise, Yaiza) on laterality index, LI = (right run−Left run)/(right+left run).

<p>Results of General Linear Model (GLM) that analyzes the effects of Tail state (Tail; original vs regenerated) and Population (5, Butihondo, La Oliva, Caleta Famara, Nazaret-Teguise, Yaiza) on laterality index, LI = (right run−Left run)/(right+left run).</p

Performance and linear morphology table

Table presenting identification codes of the studied individuals (DBFC), sex (SEX), population (POP), body size as snout-vent length (SVL), trunk length (TRL), head height(HH) width (HW) and length (HL), front limb length (FLL) hind limb length (HLL), bite force expressed in N (BF) and climbing performance expressed in cm/s (CLM

Lateral Landmarks

TPS with the lateral landmarks position. Landmarks are already scaled. Individuals are identified with their FC code

T-test for dependent samples in all the morphological character studied (arm vertical length, AVL; arms horizontal length, AHL; forelimb length, FLL; eye diameter, ED).

<p>The null hypothesis (R = L; p>0.05) was rejected at p-values lower than 0.5. In addition the mean value (right length±sd; left length ±sd) and the relation between right and left side are shown.</p

Results of log-linear analysis to detect interactions between 1) Population (5: Butihondo, La Oliva, Caleta de Famara, Nazaret-Teguise and Yaiza), 2) Tail state (Tail, 2: original or regenerated), 3) Trial (5 trials per individual), and 4) Refuge Side (3: Left, Neutral, Right).

<p>Model: Population*Side; Chi-square₁₃₅ = 89.097, <i>p</i> = 0.999. (<i>p</i> values lower than 0.05 are marked in bold).</p

Frequency plots showing the number of observations of each value plotted on the X axis.

<p>The X axis is the Lateralization Index (LI) for each individual, where LI = (right−left)/(right+neutral+left). Fisher exact test <i>p</i> two-tailed was used in order to test the null hypothesis: no refuge preference (see also <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0078329#pone-0078329-t002" target="_blank">Table 2</a>).</p

Number of lateralized (L: Left; R: Right) and non lateralized (N: Neutral) individuals found in each population.

<p>Lateralization Index (LI) = (right runs−left runs)/(right runs+neutral runs+left runs). Left% and Right% represent the percentage of times that all the lateralized individuals (left and right) chose the left or right refuge. Fisher exact test P two-tailed was used only with lateralized individuals, in order to test if left- and right- lateralized individual were equally common at population or species level (see also <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0078329#pone-0078329-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2</a>).</p

Table_1_Trophic interactions of an invasive gecko in an endemic-rich oceanic island: Insights using DNA metabarcoding.XLSX

Understanding the trophic interactions of introduced predators is key for evidence-based management of biological invasions. This is particularly important in oceanic islands, where predator-prey networks often include numerous endemic and range-restricted species. Geckos are successful island colonizers and in recent years numerous species have established populations in a wide array of oceanic islands. One such species is the Moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica), which has colonized multiple islands across the Mediterranean basin, Caribbean and Macaronesia. The species was first reported in Madeira Island in 1993 and over the last 30 years has colonized most of the islands' southern coast and expanded to the nearby island of Porto Santo. Here, we used DNA metabarcoding to provide the first insights into the diet of this successful colonizer in its introduced range. The species' diet was mainly composed of ground-dwelling arthropods belonging to the families Porcellionidae (Isopoda), Julidae (Diplopoda) and Formicidae (Hymenoptera). The diet richness and composition were not affected by neither sex nor size of adult geckos, instead they both change across populations. However, trophic niche-width differed among size classes, with smaller geckos feeding on a wider range of prey. We identified over 160 different Operational Taxonomic Units in the diet of T. mauritanica, with 21.6% of them belonging to introduced invertebrates and 13.6% to native species. Native prey taxa included the endemic Madeira wall lizard (Teira dugesii), the sole native reptile to Madeira. We also detected several agricultural pests and disease vectors in the diet of this exotic predator, and 19 taxa identified as prey had not yet been recorded to Madeira. Of these, several are serious agricultural pests, highlighting how this introduced gecko can be used as a natural sampler, in particular for the early detection of invasive arthropod pests. This study emphasizes the importance of trophic studies for monitoring the impacts of introduced predators in fragile insular systems.</p

Data_Sheet_1_Trophic interactions of an invasive gecko in an endemic-rich oceanic island: Insights using DNA metabarcoding.docx

Understanding the trophic interactions of introduced predators is key for evidence-based management of biological invasions. This is particularly important in oceanic islands, where predator-prey networks often include numerous endemic and range-restricted species. Geckos are successful island colonizers and in recent years numerous species have established populations in a wide array of oceanic islands. One such species is the Moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica), which has colonized multiple islands across the Mediterranean basin, Caribbean and Macaronesia. The species was first reported in Madeira Island in 1993 and over the last 30 years has colonized most of the islands' southern coast and expanded to the nearby island of Porto Santo. Here, we used DNA metabarcoding to provide the first insights into the diet of this successful colonizer in its introduced range. The species' diet was mainly composed of ground-dwelling arthropods belonging to the families Porcellionidae (Isopoda), Julidae (Diplopoda) and Formicidae (Hymenoptera). The diet richness and composition were not affected by neither sex nor size of adult geckos, instead they both change across populations. However, trophic niche-width differed among size classes, with smaller geckos feeding on a wider range of prey. We identified over 160 different Operational Taxonomic Units in the diet of T. mauritanica, with 21.6% of them belonging to introduced invertebrates and 13.6% to native species. Native prey taxa included the endemic Madeira wall lizard (Teira dugesii), the sole native reptile to Madeira. We also detected several agricultural pests and disease vectors in the diet of this exotic predator, and 19 taxa identified as prey had not yet been recorded to Madeira. Of these, several are serious agricultural pests, highlighting how this introduced gecko can be used as a natural sampler, in particular for the early detection of invasive arthropod pests. This study emphasizes the importance of trophic studies for monitoring the impacts of introduced predators in fragile insular systems.</p