Olfactorily mediated attack suppression in the southern grasshopper mouse toward an unpalatable prey

D W Whitman; M S Blum; C G Jones

doi:10.1016/0376-6357(86)90018-5

Olfactorily mediated attack suppression in the southern grasshopper mouse toward an unpalatable prey

Behav Processes. 1986 Jun;13(1-2):77-83. doi: 10.1016/0376-6357(86)90018-5.

Authors

D W Whitman¹, M S Blum¹, C G Jones²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, Greece.
² Institute of Ecosystem Studies, The New York Botanical Garden, Mary Flager Cary Arboretum, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA.

PMID: 24924865
DOI: 10.1016/0376-6357(86)90018-5

Abstract

Predatory behavior toward an unpalatable sympatric prey was examined in the southern grasshopper mouse, Onychomy torridus (Coues). Mice preferred the palatable grasshopper Brachystola magna over the unpalatable secretion-producing grasshopper Taeniopoda eques. Consumption of T. eques decreased 35% while consumption of B. magna remained stable during three nights of testing. Olfactorily mediated attack suppression was demonstrated when O. torridus rejected palatable B. magna which had been coated with 5 ul of T. eques defense secretion. These results show that O. torridus discriminates and is capable of rejecting prey at any point in the prey capture sequence. These are adaptive attributes for a predator like O. torridus, which commonly attacks well-defended or dangerous prey.