Stick Insects eggs Dispersed by Being Eaten

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SUMMARY

Stick insect eggs can survive passage through a bird's gastrointestinal tract, allowing for their dispersal to non-local areas. This phenomenon parallels the dispersal strategies of certain plant seeds and other insect larvae, such as chironomid Chironomus salinarius, which also utilize birds for long-distance movement. The concept is supported by research, including the 'constipated bird theory of plant dispersal,' which highlights the role of avian species in the distribution of various organisms.

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  • Understanding of ecological dispersal mechanisms
  • Familiarity with gastrointestinal transit effects on organisms
  • Knowledge of avian biology and behavior
  • Awareness of relevant scientific literature on dispersal strategies
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  • Explore the role of birds in the dispersal of aquatic invertebrates
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  • Study the ecological implications of interspecies dispersal strategies
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Ecologists, biologists, and researchers interested in dispersal mechanisms, as well as anyone studying the interactions between birds and insect populations.

BillTre
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Similar to how some plant seed get spread to non-local areas, a percentage ofthe eggs of stick insects can survive passage through a birds gut.
Science magazine news blurb here.
 
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That's really interesting. Stick insects being dispersed by birds? Something that baffles me.
 
Plant seeds and some insects eggs/larvae survive a GI transit of (usually) a bird gut. Some actually require it as part of an organism's dispersal strategy.

Examples:
chironomid Chironomus salinarius {non-biting midge) larvae are carried passively in bird guts to new environments.
http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/2/1/55.short

abstract only: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1366-9516.2005.00147.x 'Recent advances in the study of long‐distance dispersal of aquatic invertebrates via birds'

This paper is often cited as the one behind 'the constipated bird theory of plant dispersal'
https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/wilson/v063n04/p0235-p0237.pdf
 
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