Green Leaves, Red Flags: Host Plant Associations as Indicators of Prey Defense for an Avian Predator
Nich W. Martin, Kathryn E. Sieving, Bryan M. Kluever, Jaret C. Daniels, Heather J. McAuslane
The paper tests if host plants serve as cues for predators to distinguish defended prey from undefended prey, finding that wrens use plant identity to avoid chemically defended larvae.
bioRxiv · Sep 28, 2026 · PreprintEcology