Animals are also picky about food

Predators are also relatively difficult to select food. They like foods that have more nutritional value than high calorie foods.

A new study shows that insectivores, when selected for food, choose a diet that maximizes their fertility.

'Contrary to many speculations, carnivores really balance their diet and show their nutritional wisdom , ' said Stephen Simpson, a biology professor at the University of Sydney and co-author of the study. , comment.

'Although we have demonstrated this feature previously in spiders, carnivorous beetles, fish, ferrets and cats, but this is the first study to show the adaptive reason and benefits of institutional selection. food , 'said Mr. Simpson.

These findings are based on a study of beetles that live on soil called Anchomenus dorsalis . It is a garden insect eating slugs, aphids, moths, beetles and ants.

Researchers from the University of Sydney (Australia), University of Exeter and Oxford (England), University of Aarhus (Denmark) and Massey University (New Zealand) collected the beetles from nature and divided them. into two groups in the laboratory.

A group of bugs are given food choices - some are high in protein and some are high in fat. The other group did not choose food, some of them were given only high-protein foods and the rest were given high-fat foods.

Food-selected beetles have absorbed the ratios of proteins and fats that can optimize their fertility to produce healthy eggs. These beetles produce more eggs than other non-selected beetles.

According to the researchers, food selectivity is important for predator hunting and their feeding patterns in special environments.