Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
Ramat Hanadiv Nature Park, POB 325 Zikhron, Ya'akov, 30900, Israel.
Sci Rep. 2017 Nov 1;7(1):14835. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-14940-6.
As mammalian herbivores feed, they often encounter noxious insects on plants. It is unknown how they handle such insects. We experimentally examined the behavioural responses of goats to the noxious spring-webworm (Ocnogyna loewii), and manipulated their sensory perception to reveal the process of insect detection. Goats did not avoid plants with webworms, demonstrating a remarkable ability to sort them apart from the plant (98% of webworms survived). Initial detection of webworms involved tactile stimulation, done by repeatedly touching the leaves with the muzzle. This enabled them to pick webworm-free leaves. If the goats picked up leaves with a webworm, they shook or discarded the leaf. They spat out webworms that entered their mouths, after detecting them by touch and taste. By using their keen senses and efficient behaviours, goats are able to feed while accurately excluding insects. These findings highlight the importance of direct interactions between mammalian herbivores and insects.
作为哺乳动物的草食动物在进食时，经常会在植物上遇到有害的昆虫。目前还不清楚它们是如何处理这些昆虫的。我们通过实验研究了山羊对有毒的春尺蠖（Ocnogyna loewii）的行为反应，并对其感觉知觉进行了操作，以揭示昆虫检测的过程。山羊不会避开有网虫的植物，这表明它们有一种非常了不起的能力，可以将它们与植物区分开来（98%的网虫得以幸存）。最初对网虫的检测涉及到触觉刺激，即用口鼻反复触碰树叶。这使它们能够挑选出没有网虫的叶子。如果山羊捡起了有网虫的叶子，它们就会摇晃或扔掉叶子。当它们通过触摸和味觉发现网虫时，会将网虫吐出来。通过利用其敏锐的感觉和高效的行为，山羊在准确排除昆虫的同时，还能进食。这些发现强调了哺乳动物草食动物和昆虫之间直接相互作用的重要性。
