Effects of Developmental Asynchrony between Aedes triseriatus (Diptera: Culicidae) and its Predator Toxorhynchites rutilus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Michael Angelo Nannini, Steven A. Juliano

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Newly hatched Toxorhynchites rutilus (Coquillet) were added to experimental populations of Aedes triseriatus (Say) at varying days after prey hatch to test the hypothesis that a developmental asynchrony of Ae. triseriatus and Tx. rutilus leads to escape from predation by Ae. triseriatus in small water bodies. Presence of Tx. rutilus significantly affected prey survivorship. Regression of survivorship [log10 (x + 1) transformed] versus days head start for prey yielded a small, but significant positive slope, indicating that survivorship increased slightly with an increasing number of days head start. For females, mean weight at emergence was not significantly affected by treatments; however, median days to emergence differed significantly between the treatments, with females taking significantly longer to emerge with Tx. rutilus absent than when the predator was present. For males, neither mean mass nor median days to emergence was significantly affected by treatments. Treatments had no significant effect on the frequency of deaths or on mean weight of Tx. rutilus. Thus, a developmental asynchrony between Tx. rutilus and Ae. Triseriatus appears to have no effects on the predator, but does have a weak effect on prey performance at high hatch densities.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)457-460
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of medical entomology
Volume34
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1997
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Aedes triseriatus
  • Developmental escape
  • Ontogenetic stage
  • Phenology
  • Predation
  • Toxorhynchites rutilus

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • veterinary(all)
  • Insect Science
  • Infectious Diseases

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