Strategies for visually guided tracking and aerial pursuit in predaceous insects & mapping conceptual models of science communication to practice

Abstract

Predatory strategies in animals that hunt on the wing offer insights into the diversity of sensory-motor adaptations for successful prey capture. For my thesis, I investigate the predatory behaviors of the dragonfly Phanogomphus spicatus and the beetle specialist predacious robber fly Laphria saffrana, focusing on the unique tracking and pursuit strategies of each species. First, I revealed that L. saffrana employs a predictive fixate-saccade strategy, which enables it to identify and track its beetle prey with high precision. Second, I characterize the prey-tracking system in P. spicatus. Despite having a distinct eye-morphology from other well-studied dragonfly species, they employ a similar strategy for prey tracking. Further, I found that they can track prey even when they temporarily occluded, highlighting the role of continuous visual input and prediction of the target’s motion in this behavior. Third, I demonstrate that L. saffrana uses a modified pursuit strategy tailored to closely related generalists. Instead of taking the most optimal path for intercepting its prey, L. saffrana’s pursuit strategy is tailor-made for effectively capturing beetles. These findings reveal species-specific adaptations in visual tracking and pursuit in P. spicatus and L. saffrana, contributing to our understanding of predatory behaviors and sensory adaptations in insect predators. Communicating scientific findings to the public is important for building trust in science. In addition, science provides a powerful way for critically engaging with the changes affecting the world and should not be confined to the world of scientific research. However, context and topic can shape science communication strategies. The fourth chapter of my thesis is a qualitative assessment of challenges and opportunities in communicating about the natural world in India. Mapping practical strategies to conceptual models, I created a working model of nature communication for increasing dialogue and critical engagement of audiences through empowering science communication practitioners.