Building extended phenotypes using incomplete environmental information compromises their design and efficiency.
Data files
Aug 04, 2025 version files 18.99 KB
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angles_of_repose_grain_types.csv
443 B
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angles_of_repose.csv
1.77 KB
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lab_pits.csv
1.17 KB
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Pit_field_lab_over_time.csv
7.13 KB
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Pits_experiment.csv
1.52 KB
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pits_lab_vs_field.csv
630 B
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README.md
6.33 KB
Abstract
Animals often face high uncertainty regarding their environment, which might lead to behavioral decisions based on incomplete information. The consequences of using incomplete information are likely exacerbated for animals with “sessile” extended phenotypes (nests, webs, traps). However, such consequences or their fitness implications remain largely unexplored. We examined how incomplete information about soil properties impacts the design and prey capture efficiency of conical pit traps in a sit-and-wait predator, the antlion larvae Myrmeleon crudelis. We experimentally found that (1) Larvae constructed traps with steeper angles of repose than expected for the sand substrate, suggesting that they can manipulate the soil to enhance the trap’s efficiency. (2) When presented with two different soils (all fine-grain vs fine-grain top and coarse-grain bottom), larvae built a pit trap in either one, suggesting that they do not integrate the soil profiles during building. (3) Building traps in suboptimal coarse-grain soil affected the pit trap design, reduced prey capture, and triggered pit trap relocation. Hence, our findings demonstrate that the efficiency of animals' extended phenotypes is reduced when their location is decided based on incomplete information and illustrate how they can cope with the consequences of using sub-optimal structures for prey capture.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.b8gtht7q9
Description of the data and file structure
FILE "Pit_field_lab_over_time"
OVERALL DESCRIPTION:
"This file contains the data regarding the antlion larvae pit trap dimensions in the field"
Note:"NA" means data that was not available to gather.
COLUMN EXPLANATION
- Site: the specific location where the pit traps were measured. The options were three sites in which we measured larvae.
- Individual: each individual measured
- Field_pit_diameter: mm value the pit trap diameter
- Field_pit_ratio: mm value of pit trap ratio
- Field_pit_depth: mm value of the maximum depth of each pit trap
- Field_tan_angle: degrees measures of the tan angle of each pit trap
- Field_beta_angle: degrees measures of the beta angle of each pit trap
- Field_alpha_angle: degrees measures of the alpha angle of each pit trap
- Pit_substrate_Day1_Time1: substrate where we recorded that a pit trap was built on a given day and time. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain, depending on the grain size provided.
- Pit_substrate_Day1_Time2: substrate where we recorded that a pit trap was built on a given day and time. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain, depending on the grain size provided.
- Pit_substrate_Day1_Time3: substrate where we recorded that a pit trap was built on a given day and time. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain, depending on the grain size provided.
- Pit_substrate_Day2_Time1: substrate where we recorded that a pit trap was built on a given day and time. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain, depending on the grain size provided.
- Pit_substrate_Day5: substrate where we recorded that a pit trap was built on a given day and time. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain, depending on the grain size provided.
- Lab_pit_diameter: mm value the pit trap diameter
- Lab_pit_depth: mm value of the maximum depth of each pit trap
- Lab_tan_angle: degrees measures of the tan angle of each pit trap
- Lab_beta_angle: degrees measures of the beta angle of each pit trap
- Lab_alpha_angle: degrees measures of the alpha angle of each pit trap
FILE "angles_of_repose_grain_types"
OVERALL DESCRIPTION:
"This file contains the data regarding the antlion larvae pit trap angles of repose in the lab"
Note:"NA" means data that was not applicable given the dataset structure.
COLUMN EXPLANATION
- Fine_grain_angle_of_repose: mean value of the angle of repose of that substrate
- Pit_angle_of_repose_fine: angle of repose of different pit traps measured in the field
- coarse_grain_angle_of_repose: mean value of the angle of repose of that substrate
- Pit_angle_of_repose_coarse: angle of repose of different pit traps measured in the field
FILE "Pits_experiment"
OVERALL DESCRIPTION:
"This file contains the data regarding the lab experiment in which antlion larvae built pit traps in different substrates"
COLUMN EXPLANATION
- Site: the specific location where the pit traps were measured. The options were three sites in which we measured larvae.
- Individual: each individual measured
- Substrate_on_Day_5:type of substrate in which we found that antlion larvae built a trap on day 5. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain, depending on the grain size provided.
- Pit_diameter_time01: mm value the pit trap diameter at that time frame
- Pit_depht_time01: mm value of the maximum depth of each pit trap at that time frame
- Pit_angle_time01: degree value of the pit trap at that time frame
- Pit_alpha_time01: degrees measures of the alpha angle of each pit trap at that time frame
- Capture_success_in_experiment: 1 = individuals captured the ant placed in the trap, 0 = individuals did not capture the ant placed in the trap, which escaped
- Time: time (in seconds) that took the antlion larvae to finish securing the ant and preventing them from escaping.
- "NA" means data that was not available to gather.
- Pit_diameter_time02: mm value the pit trap diameter at that time frame
- Pit_depht_time02: mm value of the maximum depth of each pit trap at that time frame
- Pit_angle_time02: degree value of the pit trap at that time frame
- Pit_alpha_time02: degrees measures of the alpha angle of each pit trap at that time frame
FILE "pits_lab_vs_field"
OVERALL DESCRIPTION:
"This file contains the data of different pit traps built by the same antlion larvae in different substrates, in the field and the lab"
COLUMN EXPLANATION
- Individual: each individual measured
- bottom_layer_substrate: Substrate provided at the bottom layer of the soil presented to antlion larvae. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain, depending on the grain size provided.
- Depth_Field: mm value of the maximum depth of each pit trap in the field
- Depth_lab: mm value of the maximum depth of each pit trap in the lab
FILE "angles_of_repose"
OVERALL DESCRIPTION:
"This file contains the data of the dimensions of pit traps of different antlion larvae in the field"
COLUMN EXPLANATION
- Site: the specific location where the pit traps were measured. The options were three sites in which we measured larvae.
- Individual: each individual measured
- diameter: mm value the pit trap diameter
- ratio: mm value of pit trap ratio
- depth: mm value of the maximum depth of each pit trap
- tan_angle: degrees measures of the tan angle of each pit trap
- beta_angle: degrees measures of the beta angle of each pit trap
- alpha_angle: degrees measures of the alpha angle of each pit trap
FILE "lab_pits"
OVERALL DESCRIPTION:
"This file contains the data of the dimensions of pit traps of different antlion larvae in the lab"
COLUMN EXPLANATION
- bottom_layer_substrate: Substrate provided at the bottom layer of the soil presented to antlion larvae. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain, depending on the grain size provided.
- sample: sample of individual number measured
- diameter: mm value the pit trap diameter
- depth: mm value of the maximum depth of each pit trap
- tan_angle: degrees measures of the tan angle of each pit trap
- beta_angle: degrees measures of the beta angle of each pit trap
- alpha_angle: degrees measures of the alpha angle of each pit trap