DOI: 10.5061/dryad.b8gtht7q9
title: Building extended phenotypes using incomplete environmental information compromises their design and efficiency.

description: Animals often face high uncertainty regarding their environment, which
 might lead to behavioral decisions based on incomplete information. The
 consequences of using incomplete information are likely exacerbated for
 animals with “sessile” extended phenotypes (nests, webs, traps). However,
 such consequences or their fitness implications remain largely unexplored.
 We examined how incomplete information about soil properties impacts the
 design and prey capture efficiency of conical pit traps in a sit-and-wait
 predator, the antlion larvae Myrmeleon crudelis. We experimentally found
 that (1) Larvae constructed traps with steeper angles of repose than
 expected for the sand substrate, suggesting that they can manipulate the
 soil to enhance the trap’s efficiency. (2) When presented with two
 different soils (all fine-grain vs fine-grain top and coarse-grain
 bottom), larvae built a pit trap in either one, suggesting that they do
 not integrate the soil profiles during building. (3) Building traps in
 suboptimal coarse-grain soil affected the pit trap design, reduced prey
 capture, and triggered pit trap relocation. Hence, our findings
 demonstrate that the efficiency of animals' extended phenotypes is
 reduced when their location is decided based on incomplete information and
 illustrate how they can cope with the consequences of using sub-optimal
 structures for prey capture.
description: # Building extended phenotypes using incomplete environmental information
 compromises their design and efficiency. Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.b8gtht7q9](10.5061/dryad.b8gtht7q9) ## Description of the
 data and file structure ### FILE "Pit_field_lab_over_time"
 OVERALL DESCRIPTION: "This file contains the data regarding the
 antlion larvae pit trap dimensions in the field" Note:"NA"
 means data that was not available to gather. COLUMN EXPLANATION * Site:
 the specific location where the pit traps were measured. The options were
 three sites in which we measured larvae. * Individual: each individual
 measured * Field_pit_diameter: mm value the pit trap diameter *
 Field_pit_ratio: mm value of pit trap ratio * Field_pit_depth: mm value of
 the maximum depth of each pit trap * Field_tan_angle: degrees measures of
 the tan angle of each pit trap * Field_beta_angle: degrees measures of the
 beta angle of each pit trap * Field_alpha_angle: degrees measures of the
 alpha angle of each pit trap * Pit_substrate_Day1_Time1: substrate where
 we recorded that a pit trap was built on a given day and time. There were
 two options: Coarse or fine grain, depending on the grain size provided. *
 Pit_substrate_Day1_Time2: substrate where we recorded that a pit trap was
 built on a given day and time. There were two options: Coarse or fine
 grain, depending on the grain size provided. * Pit_substrate_Day1_Time3:
 substrate where we recorded that a pit trap was built on a given day and
 time. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain, depending on the grain
 size provided. * Pit_substrate_Day2_Time1: substrate where we recorded
 that a pit trap was built on a given day and time. There were two options:
 Coarse or fine grain, depending on the grain size provided. *
 Pit_substrate_Day5: substrate where we recorded that a pit trap was built
 on a given day and time. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain,
 depending on the grain size provided. * Lab_pit_diameter: mm value the pit
 trap diameter * Lab_pit_depth: mm value of the maximum depth of each pit
 trap * Lab_tan_angle: degrees measures of the tan angle of each pit trap *
 Lab_beta_angle: degrees measures of the beta angle of each pit trap *
 Lab_alpha_angle: degrees measures of the alpha angle of each pit trap ###
 FILE "angles_of_repose_grain_types" OVERALL DESCRIPTION:
 "This file contains the data regarding the antlion larvae pit trap
 angles of repose in the lab" Note:"NA" means data that was
 not applicable given the dataset structure. COLUMN EXPLANATION *
 Fine_grain_angle_of_repose: mean value of the angle of repose of that
 substrate * Pit_angle_of_repose_fine: angle of repose of different pit
 traps measured in the field * coarse_grain_angle_of_repose: mean value of
 the angle of repose of that substrate * Pit_angle_of_repose_coarse: angle
 of repose of different pit traps measured in the field ### FILE
 "Pits_experiment" OVERALL DESCRIPTION: "This file contains
 the data regarding the lab experiment in which antlion larvae built pit
 traps in different substrates" COLUMN EXPLANATION * Site: the
 specific location where the pit traps were measured. The options were
 three sites in which we measured larvae. * Individual: each individual
 measured * Substrate_on_Day_5:type of substrate in which we found that
 antlion larvae built a trap on day 5. There were two options: Coarse or
 fine grain, depending on the grain size provided. * Pit_diameter_time01:
 mm value the pit trap diameter at that time frame * Pit_depht_time01: mm
 value of the maximum depth of each pit trap at that time frame *
 Pit_angle_time01: degree value of the pit trap at that time frame *
 Pit_alpha_time01: degrees measures of the alpha angle of each pit trap at
 that time frame * Capture_success_in_experiment: 1 = individuals captured
 the ant placed in the trap, 0 = individuals did not capture the ant placed
 in the trap, which escaped * Time: time (in seconds) that took the antlion
 larvae to finish securing the ant and preventing them from escaping. *
 "NA" means data that was not available to gather. *
 Pit_diameter_time02: mm value the pit trap diameter at that time frame *
 Pit_depht_time02: mm value of the maximum depth of each pit trap at that
 time frame * Pit_angle_time02: degree value of the pit trap at that time
 frame * Pit_alpha_time02: degrees measures of the alpha angle of each pit
 trap at that time frame ### FILE "pits_lab_vs_field" OVERALL
 DESCRIPTION: "This file contains the data of different pit traps
 built by the same antlion larvae in different substrates, in the field and
 the lab" COLUMN EXPLANATION * Individual: each individual measured *
 bottom_layer_substrate: Substrate provided at the bottom layer of the soil
 presented to antlion larvae. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain,
 depending on the grain size provided. * Depth_Field: mm value of the
 maximum depth of each pit trap in the field * Depth_lab: mm value of the
 maximum depth of each pit trap in the lab ### FILE
 "angles_of_repose" OVERALL DESCRIPTION: "This file contains
 the data of the dimensions of pit traps of different antlion larvae in the
 field" COLUMN EXPLANATION * Site: the specific location where the pit
 traps were measured. The options were three sites in which we measured
 larvae. * Individual: each individual measured * diameter: mm value the
 pit trap diameter * ratio: mm value of pit trap ratio * depth: mm value of
 the maximum depth of each pit trap * tan_angle: degrees measures of the
 tan angle of each pit trap * beta_angle: degrees measures of the beta
 angle of each pit trap * alpha_angle: degrees measures of the alpha angle
 of each pit trap ### FILE "lab_pits" OVERALL DESCRIPTION:
 "This file contains the data of the dimensions of pit traps of
 different antlion larvae in the lab" COLUMN EXPLANATION *
 bottom_layer_substrate: Substrate provided at the bottom layer of the soil
 presented to antlion larvae. There were two options: Coarse or fine grain,
 depending on the grain size provided. * sample: sample of individual
 number measured * diameter: mm value the pit trap diameter * depth: mm
 value of the maximum depth of each pit trap * tan_angle: degrees measures
 of the tan angle of each pit trap * beta_angle: degrees measures of the
 beta angle of each pit trap * alpha_angle: degrees measures of the alpha
 angle of each pit trap