Data from: Testing the link between perceived and actual risk of predation: mosquito oviposition site selection and egg predation by native and introduced fish

1. According to the threat-sensitivity hypothesis, prey avoidance behaviour should reflect the magnitude of predation risk. Since predation can strongly affect reproduction success, ovipositing females are expected to adaptively adjust their predator-avoidance response, or local breeding patch selectivity, in accordance with the perceived level of threat posed for their progeny by specific predators. However, association between avoidance and predation can be disrupted when the prey and the predator lack spatio-temporal opportunities to co-evolve, such as in cases of non-native predator introductions. 2. We examined the interactions between mosquitoes (from the genus Culex) and three species of sympatric predaceous freshwater fish, a native cyprinid (Barbus paludinosus), a cichlid (Pseudocrenilabrus philander), and an introduced poeciliid, the Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). 3. In an outdoor mesocosm experiment we quantified patterns of Culex oviposition site selection across fish species using free-roaming, caged, and fish-free treatments. In a complementary laboratory experiment we tested the effectiveness of each fish species as predators of mosquito eggs and larvae. 4. Synthesis and applications. We found evidence for: (i) mosquito egg raft predation by free- roaming fish; (ii) fish-specific avoidance by ovipositing Culex and (iii) a positive association between fish-specific oviposition avoidance and fish-specific efficiency as an egg predator. These results contribute towards a better understanding of predator-prey coevolution, predator-borne cue recognition, and suggest local native fish, the Southern mouthbrooder (Pseudocrenilabrus philander), as an alternative to Gambusia for the biocontrol of Culex mosquitoes.1. 根据威胁敏感性假说（threat-sensitivity hypothesis），猎物的避害行为应能反映捕食风险的强弱。由于捕食作用会显著影响繁殖成功率，因此产卵雌性个体应能根据特定捕食者对其后代构成的感知威胁水平，适应性地调整其避敌反应或局部繁殖位点选择性。然而，当猎物与捕食者缺乏时空共进化的机会时（如外来捕食者引入的情形），避害行为与捕食风险之间的关联会被打破。 2. 本研究探究了库蚊属（Culex）蚊虫与三种同域分布掠食性淡水鱼类之间的相互作用：分别为本土鲤科鱼类（Barbus paludinosus）、慈鲷科鱼类（Pseudocrenilabrus philander），以及引入的花鳉科鱼类——西部食蚊鱼（Gambusia affinis）。 3. 本研究通过设置自由活动组、笼养组与无鱼对照组，在室外中宇宙实验（mesocosm experiment）中量化了库蚊属蚊虫在不同鱼类存在下的产卵位点选择模式；同时在配套实验室实验中，测试了每种鱼类对蚊虫卵及幼虫的捕食效能。 4. 综合与应用。本研究获得了以下证据：(i) 自由活动鱼类对蚊虫浮卵的捕食现象；(ii) 产卵库蚊针对特定鱼类的避害行为；(iii) 库蚊针对特定鱼类的产卵避害行为与该鱼类作为卵捕食者的捕食效能之间存在正相关关系。上述结果有助于我们进一步理解捕食者-猎物共进化机制以及猎物对捕食者来源信号的识别机制，同时表明本土鱼类南方口育慈鲷（Pseudocrenilabrus philander）可作为西部食蚊鱼（Gambusia affinis）的替代方案，用于库蚊属蚊虫的生物防治。