The research is aimed at understanding the ecological mechanisms involved in the evolution of anti-predator defenses, and to link these mechanisms with population dynamics. This work explicitly investigates how prey (or host) traits affect two specific stages of a predation (or parasitism) sequence. It explores how a host species avoids visual detection, and how it evades attack and capture once an individual (or patch) has been detected. The overarching question is: Is there is a trade-off in overall efficiency between these stages? Patterns found in a population of the Tupelo leafminer, Antispila nysaefoliella, suggest that there is indeed a trade-off. However, knowing the source(s) and intensity of selection (or regulation) is essential in understanding the role of this trade-off in evolution. The most important mortality source of leafminers and other small insects is parasitism by micro-hymenopteran wasps, most of which are minute and inconspicuous. Therefore, a molecular survey of hosts will be conducted to accurately detect parasitism. The expected results of a molecular survey will determine: (1) the accuracy of the patterns of parasitism that have been generated from observational and experimental work, and (2) if the estimated detectability and attack functions are relevant for all parasitoid species or just some. Results and training from the proposed work will help to establish a platform for future research investigating topics such as signal evolution, coevolution, and host specialization, and will have direct application to more effective biological programs. These fields have rarely been integrated, and the proposed research should yield significant new insights.
