Coexistence of Insect Species Competing for a Pulsed Resource: Toward a Unified Theory of Biodiversity in Fluctuating Environments

One major challenge in understanding how biodiversity is organized is finding out whether communities of competing species are shaped exclusively by species-level differences in ecological traits (niche theory), exclusively by random processes (neutral theory of biodiversity), or by both processes simultaneously. Communities of species competing for a pulsed resource are a suitable system for testing these theories: due to marked fluctuations in resource availability, the theories yield very different predictions about the timing of resource use and the synchronization of the population dynamics between the competing species. Accordingly, we explored mechanisms that might promote the local coexistence of phytophagous insects (four sister species of the genus Curculio) competing for oak acorns, a pulsed resource.We analyzed the time partitioning of the exploitation of oak acorns by the four weevil species in two independent communities, and we assessed the level of synchronization in their population dynamics. In accordance with the niche theory, overall these species exhibited marked time partitioning of resource use, both within a given year and between different years owing to different dormancy strategies between species, as well as distinct demographic patterns. Two of the four weevil species, however, consistently exploited the resource during the same period of the year, exhibited a similar dormancy pattern, and did not show any significant difference in their population dynamics.The marked time partitioning of the resource use appears as a keystone of the coexistence of these competing insect species, except for two of them which are demographically nearly equivalent. Communities of consumers of pulsed resources thus seem to offer a promising avenue for developing a unifying theory of biodiversity in fluctuating environments which might predict the co-occurrence, within the same community, of species that are ecologically either very similar, or very different

Determining the instar of a weevil larva (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) using a parsimonious method

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Two mini-Neptunes Transiting the Adolescent K-star HIP 113103 Confirmed with TESS and CHEOPS

We report the discovery of two mini-Neptunes in near 2:1 resonance orbits ($P=7.610303$ d for HIP 113103 b and $P=14.245651$ d for HIP 113103 c) around the adolescent K-star HIP 113103 (TIC 121490076). The planet system was first identified from the TESS mission, and was confirmed via additional photometric and spectroscopic observations, including a $\sim$17.5 hour observation for the transits of both planets using ESA CHEOPS. We place $\leq4.5$ min and $\leq2.5$ min limits on the absence of transit timing variations over the three year photometric baseline, allowing further constraints on the orbital eccentricities of the system beyond that available from the photometric transit duration alone. With a planetary radius of $R_{p}=1.829^{+0.096}_{-0.067}\,R_{\oplus}$, HIP 113103 b resides within the radius gap, and this might provide invaluable information on the formation disparities between super-Earths and mini-Neptunes. Given the larger radius $R_{p}=2.40^{+0.10}_{-0.08}\,R_{\oplus}$ for HIP 113103 c, and close proximity of both planets to HIP 113103, it is likely that HIP 113103 b might have lost (or is still losing) its primordial atmosphere. We therefore present simulated atmospheric transmission spectra of both planets using JWST, HST, and Twinkle. It demonstrates a potential metallicity difference (due to differences in their evolution) would be a challenge to detect if the atmospheres are in chemical equilibrium. As one of the brightest multi sub-Neptune planet systems suitable for atmosphere follow up, HIP 113103 b and HIP 113103 c could provide insight on planetary evolution for the sub-Neptune K-star population.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ

A mini-Neptune from TESS and CHEOPS around the 120 Myr Old AB Dor Member HIP 94235

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission has enabled discoveries of the brightest transiting planet systems around young stars. These systems are the benchmarks for testing theories of planetary evolution. We report the discovery of a mini-Neptune transiting a bright star in the AB Doradus moving group. HIP 94235 (TOI-4399, TIC 464646604) is a Vmag = 8.31 G-dwarf hosting a ${3.00}_{-0.28}^{+0.32}\,{R}_{\oplus }$ mini-Neptune in a 7.7 day period orbit. HIP 94235 is part of the AB Doradus moving group, one of the youngest and closest associations. Due to its youth, the host star exhibits significant photometric spot modulation, lithium absorption, and X-ray emission. Three 0.06% transits were observed during Sector 27 of the TESS Extended Mission, though these transit signals are dwarfed by the 2% peak-to-peak photometric variability exhibited by the host star. Follow-up observations with the Characterising Exoplanet Satellite confirmed the transit signal and prevented the erosion of the transit ephemeris. HIP 94235 is part of a 50 au G-M binary system. We make use of diffraction limited observations spanning 11 yr, and astrometric accelerations from Hipparcos and Gaia, to constrain the orbit of HIP 94235 B. HIP 94235 is one of the tightest stellar binaries to host an inner planet. As part of a growing sample of bright, young planet systems, HIP 94235 b is ideal for follow-up transit observations, such as those that investigate the evaporative processes driven by high-energy radiation that may sculpt the valleys and deserts in the Neptune population

Mate-guarding strategies and male competitive ability: results from a field study in an orb-weaving spider

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Stratégies comportementales et modèle d'optimisation dynamique à horizon non fini (succession des constructions de toiles chez une araignée orbitèle "Zygiella X-Notata" (Clerck))

Dans ce travail, nous avons cherché à tester l'hypothèse selon laquelle les araignées femelles adultes d'une espèce orbitèle, Zygiella x-notata, construisent leurs toiles successives de manière à maximiser leur fitness. Après avoir mis au point un outil méthodologique permettant d'estimer la longueur de la spirale d'une toile, l'aspect dynamique des constructions a été étudiée à court terme. Nos résultats montrent que les araignées utilisent des informations relatives aux événements de capture et de consommation de proies associés à une toile lors de la construction de la toile suivante. La dynamique des constructions a ensuite été étudiée à plus long terme, entre la mue imaginale des femelles et leur première ponte. Ce travail a nécessité de préciser les coûts et bénéfices associés au comportement de construction et de réaliser un modèle prédictif de la stratégie optimale de construction des toiles. Cette stratégie a pu être comparée aux comportements des araignées. Les données recueillies suggèrent que le risque de prédation encouru durant la construction d'une toile sont faibles et révèlent que les dépenses énergétiques associés à la construction d'une toile augmentent à la fois avec la quantité de soie mise en place et avec le poids des araignées. Les probabilités de capture de proies (bénéfices énergétiques) augmentent avec la taille des toiles. Les données de terrain et de laboratoire révèlent que les araignées réduisent leur activité de construction au cours de leur développement. En accord avec ces observations, le modèle prédit que les araignées devraient réduire leur activité de tissage quand leur poids devient élevé. Par ailleurs nos résultats suggèrent que la pression de sélection exercée sur le comportement de construction est faible au cours d'une grande part du développement des araignées femelles adultes, ce qui pourrait expliquer en partie la diversité des comportements de construction exprimés par celles-ci.This study aims to test the hypothesis that adult female spiders of the orb-weaving species Zygiella x-notata build their successive webs according to rules that allow them to maximise their fitness. A non invasive method was first set up to estimate the total capture thread length of a web. Short term web building dynamics could be then investigated. Our results showed that informations linked to capture events and to prey ingestion with a given web influence following web building. Long term web building dynamics was studied through a longitudinal study of spiders between their final moult and their first egg-laying. Cost and benefits of web-building behaviour had to be estimated before setting up a predictive model of web-building optimal strategy. Predictions of this model could then be matched with observed behaviour. Behavioural data suggest predation risk occurring during web building to be weak, and energetic expenditure to increase both with the amount of silk set up per web and with spider's body weight. Probability of prey catching -that is, energetic expected gains- increased together with web size. Both field and laboratory data showed that adult female spiders reduced their web building activity throughout their development. Results of the predictive model also suggest that when their body weight increased, optimal spiders should reduce their building activity. Furthermore, we could make the following hypothesis: selective pressures should remain weak over web-building behaviour during most of adult female spider's development. This could explain, at least partly, the great diversity of observed web-building behaviours.NANCY1-SCD Sciences & Techniques (545782101) / SudocSudocFranceF

Body mass-dependent cost of web-building behaviour in an orb weaving spider Zygiella x-notata

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