Preycapture

Preycapture is a term employed in some interdisciplinary contexts to describe the phase of predation or pursuit that occurs before the actual capture of a prey item. It covers detection, localization, pursuit planning, and target acquisition that prepare for capture. The term is not part of a standardized taxonomy in mainstream biology and is more often encountered in robotics, artificial intelligence, and game design discussions.

In ethology, preycapture corresponds to the early stages of the predator's engagement, including sensory processing and trajectory estimation; most literature, however, uses conventional descriptors such as search, pursuit, and capture.

In robotics and AI, preycapture may denote algorithms and behaviors responsible for detecting a target, predicting its motion, and computing a capture course before physical engagement.

In computer games and simulations, it can refer to mechanisms that simulate predator-prey dynamics, highlighting anticipation, lock-on, and environmental awareness preceding a successful capture.

Etymology: a compound of prey and capture; its exact origin is informal and varies by field.

See also: predation, pursuit, tracking, target acquisition.