Top-down consumptive control (suppression) is an important driver of populations and communities of prey organisms.  Diverse predator assemblages often yield non-linear suppression with respect to constituent species’ effects (emergence); most often diversity enhances suppression.  Predators also affect prey organisms non-consumptively through changes in prey physiological, physical, spatial, temporal, and behavioral responses to predators.  Role of predator diversity in non-consumptive response by prey is relatively un-studied.  Role of predator diversity in shaping prey populations and communities through habitat colonization is a novel question

Agosta, Salvatore J.

Staats, Ethan G

Vonesh, James R.

VCU Scholars Compass

Virginia Commonwealth University
VCU Scholars Compass
Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium Rice Rivers Center
2015
Emergent non-consumptive predator effects alter
habitat colonization by mosquitoes
Ethan G. Staats
Virginia Commonwealth University, staatseg@vcu.edu
Salvatore J. Agosta
Virginia Commonwealth University, sagosta@vcu.edu
James R. Vonesh
Virginia Commonwealth University, jrvonesh@vcu.edu
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/rice_symp
Part of the Behavior and Ethology Commons, and the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
© The Author
This Poster is brought to you for free and open access by the Rice Rivers Center at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Rice
Rivers Center Research Symposium by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact
libcompass@vcu.edu.
Downloaded from
http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/rice_symp/8
Emergent non-consumptive predator effects alter habitat colonization by mosquitoes 
Ethan G. Staats1, Dr. Salvatore Agosta2, and Dr. James R. Vonesh1 
1: VCU Biology  2: VCU Center for Environmental Studies 
Introduction 
• Top-down consumptive control (suppression) is an important driver of populations and 
communities of prey organisms 
• Diverse predator assemblages often yield non-linear suppression with respect to 
constituent species’ effects (emergence); most often diversity enhances suppression 
• Predators also affect prey organisms non-consumptively through changes in prey  
physiological, physical, spatial, temporal, and behavioral responses to predators 
• Role of predator diversity in non-consumptive response by prey is relatively un-studied 
• Role  of predator diversity in shaping prey populations and communities through 
habitat colonization is a novel question 
System and Methods 
• Containers  with water and nutrients (mesocosms) historically used as analogs for small 
temporary water-bodies, such as rock pools or vernal pools 
• Mosquitoes colonize mesocosms by laying eggs/ovipositing (1) 
• We collected predators for mesocosm treatments (richness; 0, 1, or 3 predator species) 
• We established and maintained mesocosm treatments (2) 
• We quantified colonization by Culex mosquitoes (et al.) (3) 
• We used GLM and GLHT to distinguish whether response was linear or emergent 
Fig 1.  (1)  5 x 5 mescosm (12m x 12m) grid with treatments established randomly throughout  (2) 5 treatments (no-
predators, 3 Celithemis eponina, 3 Enallagma sp., 3 Procambarus sp.,  predator-rich), n = 5 each  (3) Colonization by Culex 
mosquitoes, coincidental colonization by Chironomid midges and Anopheles mosquitoes quantified and analyzed 
Results 
Conclusions 
Fig 2.  
• Predator treatment significantly 
affected Culex oviposition (1);                      
GLM: df = 5, F = 28.150, P < 0.0001 
• Predator treatment significantly 
affected Chironomid oviposition 
(3);                                               
GLM: df = 5, F = 15.406, P = 0.0088 
• Predator treatment significantly 
affected whole-community 
oviposition (5);                          
GLM: df = 5, F = 37.336, P < 0.0001 
• Notably, observed oviposition 
responses to predator-rich 
treatment significantly lower than 
predicted responses in all analyses 
(GLHT) 
• Significant overall relationship of 
predator diversity with Culex (2), 
Chironomid (4), and community 
(6) oviposition 
• Rich predator assemblages reduced oviposition by Culex mosquitoes non-linearly 
indicating emergent response and suggesting mosquitoes possess capacity to detect and 
respond to multiple predator species, compensating for possibility that combination of 
predators may be synergistic 
• Chironomid response similar, but does not exclude the possibility of sampling-effect 
• Community response also similar, but stronger than Culex response suggesting that 
aquatic macro-invertebrate prey, in-general, may detect and respond to predator diversity 
• Results show that non-consumptive, emergent predator effects on colonization can drive 
aquatic community composition; overall relationships highlight importance of predator 
diversity in this pattern 
• May be useful in informing  bio-control programs for disease-vectors and agro-pests 
We thank J. Neale, T. Price, K. Tran, and especially N. Cason and R. Lidder, for assistance with experiment setup and 
maintenance, data collection, encouragement, and reminders. We also thank the population-ecology lab discussion 
group for comments and critique on early proposal drafts. Finally, we would like to thank the Virginia Commonwealth 
University’s Center for Environmental Studies and Rice Center Steering Committee for funding this research. 
Acknowledgements 
(1) 
(3) 
(5) 
(2) 
(4) 
(6) 


English

Emergent non-consumptive predator effects alter habitat colonization by mosquitoes

Top-down consumptive control (suppression) is an important driver of populations and communities of prey organisms. Diverse predator assemblages often yield non-linear suppression with respect to constituent species\u27 effects (emergence); most often diversity enhances suppression. Predators also affect prey organisms non-consumptively through changes in prey physiological, physical, spatial, temporal, and behavioral responses to predators. Role of predator diversity in non-consumptive response by prey is relatively un-studied. Role of predator diversity in shaping prey populations and communities through habitat colonization is a novel question

Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVCU Scholars CompassRice Rivers Center Research Symposium Rice Rivers Center2015Emergent non-consumptive predator effects alterhabitat colonization by mosquitoesEthan G. StaatsVirginia Commonwealth University, staatseg@vcu.eduSalvatore J. AgostaVirginia Commonwealth University, sagosta@vcu.eduJames R. VoneshVirginia Commonwealth University, jrvonesh@vcu.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/rice_sympPart of the Behavior and Ethology Commons, and the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons© The AuthorThis Poster is brought to you for free and open access by the Rice Rivers Center at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in RiceRivers Center Research Symposium by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contactlibcompass@vcu.edu.Downloaded fromhttp://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/rice_symp/8Emergent non-consumptive predator effects alter habitat colonization by mosquitoes Ethan G. Staats1, Dr. Salvatore Agosta2, and Dr. James R. Vonesh1 1: VCU Biology  2: VCU Center for Environmental Studies Introduction • Top-down consumptive control (suppression) is an important driver of populations and communities of prey organisms • Diverse predator assemblages often yield non-linear suppression with respect to constituent species’ effects (emergence); most often diversity enhances suppression • Predators also affect prey organisms non-consumptively through changes in prey  physiological, physical, spatial, temporal, and behavioral responses to predators • Role of predator diversity in non-consumptive response by prey is relatively un-studied • Role  of predator diversity in shaping prey populations and communities through habitat colonization is a novel question System and Methods • Containers  with water and nutrients (mesocosms) historically used as analogs for small temporary water-bodies, such as rock pools or vernal pools • Mosquitoes colonize mesocosms by laying eggs/ovipositing (1) • We collected predators for mesocosm treatments (richness; 0, 1, or 3 predator species) • We established and maintained mesocosm treatments (2) • We quantified colonization by Culex mosquitoes (et al.) (3) • We used GLM and GLHT to distinguish whether response was linear or emergent Fig 1.  (1)  5 x 5 mescosm (12m x 12m) grid with treatments established randomly throughout  (2) 5 treatments (no-predators, 3 Celithemis eponina, 3 Enallagma sp., 3 Procambarus sp.,  predator-rich), n = 5 each  (3) Colonization by Culex mosquitoes, coincidental colonization by Chironomid midges and Anopheles mosquitoes quantified and analyzed Results Conclusions Fig 2.  • Predator treatment significantly affected Culex oviposition (1);                      GLM: df = 5, F = 28.150, P < 0.0001 • Predator treatment significantly affected Chironomid oviposition (3);                                               GLM: df = 5, F = 15.406, P = 0.0088 • Predator treatment significantly affected whole-community oviposition (5);                          GLM: df = 5, F = 37.336, P < 0.0001 • Notably, observed oviposition responses to predator-rich treatment significantly lower than predicted responses in all analyses (GLHT) • Significant overall relationship of predator diversity with Culex (2), Chironomid (4), and community (6) oviposition • Rich predator assemblages reduced oviposition by Culex mosquitoes non-linearly indicating emergent response and suggesting mosquitoes possess capacity to detect and respond to multiple predator species, compensating for possibility that combination of predators may be synergistic • Chironomid response similar, but does not exclude the possibility of sampling-effect • Community response also similar, but stronger than Culex response suggesting that aquatic macro-invertebrate prey, in-general, may detect and respond to predator diversity • Results show that non-consumptive, emergent predator effects on colonization can drive aquatic community composition; overall relationships highlight importance of predator diversity in this pattern • May be useful in informing  bio-control programs for disease-vectors and agro-pests We thank J. Neale, T. Price, K. Tran, and especially N. Cason and R. Lidder, for assistance with experiment setup and maintenance, data collection, encouragement, and reminders. We also thank the population-ecology lab discussion group for comments and critique on early proposal drafts. Finally, we would like to thank the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for Environmental Studies and Rice Center Steering Committee for funding this research. Acknowledgements (1) (3) (5) (2) (4) (6) 

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Emergent non-consumptive predator effects alter habitat colonization by mosquitoes

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