Banca de DEFESA: BRUNA STEFANE DA SILVA SANTOS

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : BRUNA STEFANE DA SILVA SANTOS
DATE: 29/04/2024
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Videoconferência
TITLE:

Formation of mixed aggregations of army ant-following birds: A behavioral analysis of Pyriglena pernambucensis

KEY WORDS:

Ethogram, Pernambuco Endemism Center, multimodal clues, communication

PAGES: 72
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Zoologia
SUBÁREA: Comportamento Animal
SUMMARY:

Mixed aggregations of army ant-following birds (Hymenoptera: Dorylinae) is an ecological phenomenon maintained by acoustic cues learned among participating individuals. Studies have indicated that birds of the genus Pyriglena (Thamnophilidae) are obligate or regular followers of army ants. However, there is no information for Pyriglena pernambucensis Zimmer, 1931, a threatened and endemic species of the Pernambuco Endemism Center (CEP). Thus, aspects of the natural history and behavioral ecology of this species were studied for the first time. Furthermore, we test the hypothesis that unimodal (acoustic) and multimodal (acoustic and visual) cues from P. pernambucensis can act in the formation of mixed aggregations. Study was carried out at the Murici Ecological Station (ESEC de Murici) and the Pedra Talhada Biological Reserve (REBIO Pedra Talhada), Alagoas, Brazil. Behavioral observations, acoustic repertoire and experiments were carried out during the day (7:00 - 17:00 h). Behavioral sampling was carried out using the method of all observations, and of a single point and focal animal during foraging with army ants to generate an ethogram. With the help of a recorder, audios of the species' vocalizations were obtained to characterize the vocal repertoire. In this way, it was possible to associate acoustic signals with bird behavior. For the multimodality experiments, life-size models were built with a 3D printer, simulating the shape and color of P. pernambucensis and Conopophaga melanops (Thamnophilidae), an occasional follower as a control. The attraction tests (N=96) were carried out with a minimum spacing of 200 m, divided into unimodal (N=48) and multimodal (N=48) trails. The birds were recorded through binocular views and identified auditorily. Responses from conspecifics and heterospecifics that are considered insectivores or that include small vertebrates in their diet were recorded. The results confirm that P. pernambucensis is a regular follower of army ants, present in all swarms sampled. Additionally, P. pernambucensis exhibits a variety of behaviors, including grooming, movement, and social interactions, often in response to army ant activities. The vocal repertoire includes several types of songs associated with intraspecific and interspecific communication. The attractiveness experiment showed that only P. pernambucensis tracks attracted heterospecifics, while C. melanops attracted only conspecifics, highlighting the importance of P. pernambucensis as a potential core species of the aggregation. No difference in attractiveness was found between unimodal and multimodal cues. A relationship between temperature and conspecific responses was found. These results reinforce the importance of environmental conditions and communication in the Atlantic Forest, being fundamental for the effective conservation of the species and the interactions existing in its ecosystem. However, more research needs to be carried out on this endangered species, which plays a key role in the system of interspecific interactions in tropical forests.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interno(a) - ***.093.370-** - LUCAS AUGUSTO KAMINSKI - UFAL
Interno(a) - 2882780 - RICHARD JAMES LADLE
Externo(a) à Instituição - Jean Carlos Santos - UFS
Externo(a) à Instituição - MARCO AURELIO PIZO FERREIRA - UNESP