Prey‐specific impact of cold pre‐exposure on kill rate and reproduction

1.Temperature influences biological processes of ectotherms including ecological interactions, but interaction strengths may depend on species‐specific traits. Furthermore, ectotherms acclimate to prevailing thermal conditions by adjusting physiological parameters, which often implies costs to other fitness‐related parameters. Both predators and prey may therefore pay thermal acclimation costs following exposure to suboptimal temperatures. However, these costs may be asymmetrical between predator and prey, and between the predator and different species of concurrent prey.

2.We investigated whether thermal pre‐exposure affected subsequent kill rate and predator fitness when foraging on prey that differ in ease of capture, and whether changes were primarily caused by predator or by prey pre‐exposure effects. Specifically, we were interested in whether there were interactions between predator pre‐exposed temperature and specific prey.

3.Using the mesostigmatid mite Gaeolaelaps aculei...