Meeting Abstract
When a predator hunts a cryptic or mobile prey item, it has two general options: actively seek out the prey or remain stationary and wait for prey to approach. In the latter case, predators employ an assortment of strategies to increase the encounter rate of their prey-to-be. Perhaps the most recognizable of these strategies is the lure, wherein the predator creates some attractive stimulus to their potential prey, causing the prey to unwittingly approach the predator. However, the literature is equivocal on what constitutes a lure, as well as how to go about testing it. I critique the conditions when the term ‘lure’ is applied and suggest ways of quantitatively measuring it against behavioral alternatives to create a more robust foraging theory.
