Bird predation on Rose bedeguar gall (Diplolepis rosae)
Abstract
Bird predation is a crucial factor in shaping the optimal gall size. There are no scientific concensus how depends the gall-preference of birds on the gall size, the preference of both small and large galls was also reported. I studied bird predation on the galls of Diplolepis rosae on wild rose (Rosa canina) shrubs. I measured predation frequency, predation rate and the bird preference. My findings suggest that galls with large diameters are attacked more often by birds than the small ones. The selectivity of bird predation affects negatively on gall size bearing an important role from evolutionary viewpoint.
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