Microscale temperatures affect the incidence and implications of predator-avoidance behavior in monarch caterpillars.

ABSTRACT: The nonconsumptive effects associated with the predator-avoidance behaviors of potential prey species may commonly be context-dependent. In this study, we examined how temperature differences between the phyllosphere and the ground change the consequences of predator-avoidance dropping behavior in monarch caterpillars. We hypothesized that these consequences change on both diel and seasonal timescales, and that the risk associated with exposure to potentially high ground temperatures is likely to be greater for smaller caterpillars that have less thermal inertia and movement ability. We conducted field experiments to assess the mortality risk associated with dropping to the ground for different-sized caterpillars at a wide range of ground temperatures. We also assess if a caterpillar's pro

SUBMITTER: Singh P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12696021 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature