Predator-induced effects on insect flight and dispersal across landscapes

揭示控制个体运动的机制是理解个体命运、人口、社区、生态系统的结构和动态以及生命的进化和多样性的主要决定因素的关键。昆虫在飞行和传播方面表现出显著的变化，这对研究昆虫具有重要意义，因为许多昆虫具有重要的生态和经济意义。此外，研究解释飞行和扩散变异的遗传和生态因素是至关重要的，因为飞行的进化预示着进化史上最广泛的动物辐射。在有翼动物（如昆虫）的进化过程中，捕食者选择增强飞行性能以避免被猎物吃掉，这是一种激烈的选择。然而，即使是当代的捕食者诱导的选择也会影响昆虫的飞行特征和随后的扩散能力、倾向和扩散者的命运，这一机制的理解是缺乏的。本研究项目将通过调查掠食性鱼类如何影响昆虫（如石蝇）的飞行特征和传播来解决这一重要的知识鸿沟，石蝇在其生命的一个阶段生活在河流中，在其生命的最后阶段作为有翼昆虫生活在陆地上。通过四个相互关联的目标，本研究将利用观察、实验和模型，首次在生物化学、生理和形态水平上对捕食者对飞行特征的影响进行综合研究，以确定这些特征与扩散距离和方向性的生态联系，以及它们与河流网络中景观尺度栖息地的相互作用。这样，这项研究将改变对当代昆虫飞行和扩散的选择剂的理解。本研究结果将通过提供影响成水生昆虫（其中一些是人类害虫或疾病媒介）景观尺度运动的因素的信息，并将对了解引入的捕食者对猎物物种特征的影响具有重要意义，从而造福社会。整合研究和教育是该项目的关键组成部分，该项目将通过培训和指导至少10名本科生和一名研究生来实现，并使他们在国际公认的实地站接触到充满活力的研究和教学社区。向非科学家介绍淡水生物生物学的公众宣传活动将通过落基山生物实验室的儿童自然营地、成人科学之旅和公民科学极客周进行协调。

Unraveling the mechanisms that govern the movement of individuals is key to understanding a major determinant of the fates of individuals, the structure and dynamics of populations, communities, ecosystems, and the evolution and diversity of life. Insects exhibit remarkable variation in flight and dispersal that are important to investigate because many insects are ecologically and economically important. In addition, studying the genetic to ecological factors that explain variation in flight and dispersal is fundamental because the evolution of flight presaged the most extensive animal radiation in evolutionary history. Selection by predators for enhanced flight performance to escape being eaten by their prey was intense during the evolution of winged animals, such as insects. Yet, a mechanistic understanding by which even contemporary predator-induced selection affects insect flight traits and subsequent dispersal ability, propensity, and the fate of dispersers is lacking. This research project will address this important knowledge gap by investigating how predatory fish affect flight traits and dispersal of insects, such as stoneflies, that live in rivers during one life stage and on land as winged insects during their final life stage. Through four linked objectives, this research will use observations, experiments, and a model to provide one of the first integrative studies of predator effects on flight traits at the biochemical, physiological, and morphological levels, to determine how these traits are ecologically linked to dispersal distance and directionality, and their interaction with landscape-scale habitats in river networks. In so doing, this study will transform understanding of contemporary selective agents on insect flight and dispersal. Results from this research will benefit society by providing information on factors affecting landscape-scale movements of adult aquatic insects, some of which are human pests or disease vectors, and will have implications for understanding the impacts of introduced predators on traits of prey species. Integrating research and education are key components of this project that will be achieved by training and mentoring at least 10 undergraduates, plus a graduate student, and exposing them to a vibrant research and teaching community at an internationally recognized field station. Public outreach activities informing non-scientists about the biology of freshwater organisms will be coordinated through the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory's Kid's Nature Camp, Adult Science Tours, and Citizen Science Geek Week.