Introduction
The interaction between predators and prey is a fundamental form of biological interaction [
1,
2]. Predators depend on prey to obtain energy and nutrients, while prey are subject to the pressure and control of predators [
3]. The interaction between predators and prey can be divided into two main types: consumptive and non-consumptive effects [
4,
5]. Consumptive effects reduce prey density through lethal predation, while non-consumptive effects affect prey populations by influencing prey fitness [
6,
7,
8,
9,
10]. Analyses have shown that non-consumptive effects of predators on prey may exceed the impact of consumptive effects on prey populations [
3,
11]. However, research on non-consumptive effects is limited, and there is even less research on non-consumptive effects in insects.
When organisms experience non-consumptive effects, they often exhibit a trade-off strategy [
12,
13]. Acquiring resources for development and avoiding predators constitutes an important trade-off, with organisms allocating energy accordingly [
14,
15]. In the presence of predators, prey often allocate more energy to defense mechanisms against predation [
7]. For example, when detecting the presence of predation stress, potato beetle larvae (
Leptinotarsa decemlineata) reduce feeding to avoid predation [
16]. Female damselflies (
Ischnura cervula) in water exhibit reduced feeding desire when they sense predator cues, allocating more resources to finding predator-free habitats [
17].
Such defensive strategies often lead to shifts in growth rates and fecundity [
18,
19]. For example, butterfly larvae (
Pararge aegeria) develop rapidly when facing predation risks because they allocate more energy resources to growth and development, despite the increased risk of immediate mortality [
20]. Long-term exposure to predation threat, such as that of the six-spotted ladybug (
Menochilus sexmaculatus), significantly reduces the lifespan of adult cotton aphids (
Aphis gossypii) [
21]. In the case of the herbivorous mite (
Tyrophagus putrescentiae), individuals in control conditions exhibit a significantly longer lifespan than those subjected to predation risk, regardless of whether the stress occurs throughout their entire life cycle or only at specific stages [
22]. The duration of predation risks also affects lifespan; adult
Drosophila melanogaster experiences a significantly shorter lifespan under continuous predation risk from ladybugs (
Propylea japonica) compared to those facing intermittent risk [
23]. Predation risk often results in a decrease in prey fecundity; for instance,
Sitobion miscanthi reduces its net reproduction rate in response to isolated predator presence [
24]. Female
Bactrocera tryoni lay fewer eggs in the presence of predator olfactory cues [
25]. However, there are instances where predation risk has no significant effect on prey fecundity, as seen in
Philetairus socius [
26].
Prey can detect predator cues in the environment through vision, hearing, smell, and touch, using this information to adjust their behavior and avoid predation [
27,
28]. Visual features such as appearance, body shape, color, and movement patterns of predators help prey identify potential hazards and trigger avoidance behavior [
29,
30,
31]. Additionally, specific vocalizations of predators serve as a means for various prey species to assess threatening situations [
32]. However, prey face the disadvantage of requiring closer proximity to predators when using visual and auditory cues to judge predation risk, potentially leading to misjudgments, especially with ambush predators [
33]. Prey animals themselves release or store characteristic chemical cues, which other animals detect and use to alter their behavior to reduce predation risk [
34,
35,
36]. Accurate assessment of predation risk enables animals to exhibit effective anti-predator behaviors. For example,
Bactrocera tryoni significantly reduces foraging, oviposition, and mating in the presence of predator volatiles [
25]. The negative reaction of
Leptinotarsa decemlineata to male volatile cues from predators (
Podisus maculiventris) was particularly strong [
16]. However, research on the effects of predator odor-mediated threats is currently limited
The mantis,
Hierodula patellifera Serville, is widely distributed in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is considered an efficient predator, known for its sit-and-wait hunting strategy, and serves as an important natural enemy of the
B. dorsalis and other dipteran and lepidopteran pest in orchards [
37,
38].
Bactrocera dorsalis, commonly known as the oriental fruit fly, is a widespread fruit pest native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. Since its introduction to China, it has inflicted considerable damage on various crops and fruits, with its range steadily expanding [
39,
40]. The use of chemical control methods currently employed has detrimental effects on the environment and contributes to the development of pesticide resistance in
B. dorsalis [
41,
42,
43,
44]. Biological control presents a promising alternative for managing
B. dorsalis populations. However, a comprehensive understanding of the predation risk posed by potential natural predators is essential for optimizing the effectiveness of this approach.
The primary objective of this study was to investigate the predation risk effects of H. patellifera on the development and reproduction of B. dorsalis. Two distinct rearing conditions were established for B. dorsalis. In the first scenario, B. dorsalis was reared in an environment isolated from the predator H. patellifera, enabling detection of the predator’s presence through visual cues and odors. In the second scenario, B. dorsalis was exposed solely to the odors associated with H. patellifera, allowing detection of the predator exclusively through olfactory cues. These experimental setups enabled us to elucidate the mechanisms through which predator risk influences the developmental and reproductive traits of B. dorsalis.
Discussion
This study demonstrated that predator risk treatment significantly affected the development and fecundity of B. dorsalis, although it did not have a significant effect on body weight at death. B. dorsalis subjected to isolated predator and predator odor treatments exhibited shorter development times and higher fecundity. These findings suggested a potential correlation between predation risk imposed by H. patellifera and developmental changes in B. dorsalis. Moreover, they indicated that only predator odor could induce a predation risk effect on the development of B. dorsalis similar to that induced by a real predator.
Studies have shown that under predation risk, prey face a trade-off between responding to predation threats and lifespan [
46,
47]. For instance, as predation pressure increases, the development time of the larvae of
Tyrophagus putrescentiae extends, while the adult lifespan shortens [
48]. In our study, we observed that the development time of
B. dorsalis decreased following exposure to isolated predator risk. Similarly, exposure to predator odors also reduced the development time of
B. dorsalis compared to the control, suggesting that when faced with predation risks,
B. dorsalis might allocate more resources and energy to defense rather than to development, consequently altering their development time. This finding is consistent with previous research where, under the risk of predation by bats,
Spodoptera litura exhibited a reduced lifespan [
49].
Furthermore, we discovered that the impact of predation risk on prey
B. dorsalis development time was gender-specific; female
B. dorsalis treated with isolated predator had a shorter development time than those in the control treatment, while this was not observed in males. This disparity was also found in the phytophagous mite (
Tyrophagus putrescentiae), where regardless of being subjected to predator stress throughout the life cycle or at different life stages, the lifespan of males was significantly longer than that of females [
22]. The variation in development time responses between females and males could be attributed to the fact that females bear the responsibility for fecundity and need to allocate most of their resources to reproduction, leaving less for development under predation risks [
48,
50,
51].
A trade-off between predation risks and reproduction was also indicated by a bulk of studies [
25,
47,
48]. For example, predation-stressed phytophagous mites (
Tyrophagus putrescentiae) reduce fecundity and allocate resources to anti-predation [
22], which is contrary to our observations. The fact that fecundity increased under exposure to predation risks (both isolated predator and predator odor treatments) was observed. The difference may be due to differences in prey species, predator type, hunting model, and the strength of the predation risks, and prey may adjust their reproduction accordingly [
52,
53].
However, the development time of female
B. dorsalis treated with predation risk decreased, but the fecundity was higher than that of the control treatment. A similar situation has also been observed in some studies, where, when threatened by long-term predation, the lifespan of aphid
Rhopalosiphum padi will decrease, but the fecundity rate will increase [
54]. The increased number of offspring may allow the individual that is eaten by a predator to be compensated [
55]. This suggests that in our studies, the resources or energy diverted from development by female
B. dorsalis may be allocated to fecundity or anti-predation, or to both of them. As the increased number of offspring may result in a satiety effect of the predator [
56], allowing enough individuals surviving to establish a new population.
Our study showed that there was no significant difference in body weight at death between the control and isolated predator or predator odor treatments. This differs from the results of previous studies. Under predation stress, the development of
Helicoverpa armigera was accelerated, and the adult size became larger [
57]. Studies also indicated that prey tend to become larger when facing predation risk [
58]. It is still unknown why body weight is not affected in our present results, however, we did observe hesitation of
B. dorsalis to approach and feed on the food in the experimental cage under predation risk. As food is an important factor influencing body weight, this behavior should reduce its body weight. A probable reason is that the stressed
B. dorsalis may increase the quantity and/or quality of its food (for example, eat more or increase food conversion rate), thus suffering fewer effects on body weight.
To conclude, this study showed that predation risk from the predatory mantis H. patellifera could shorten the developmental time of B. dorsalis, but it could increase fecundity without changing biomass. We highlight the role of predation risk in shaping the developmental traits when B. dorsalis is faced with a decision between anti-predation and development, which represents an important trade-off within organisms in nature. Furthermore, we observed that only predator odor could induce a risk response comparable to that of an actual predator, suggesting a potential for novel and more accessible pest control methods utilizing predator odors instead of real predators in the field. However, it is crucial to identify the chemical nature of the predator odor before implementing such strategies.