A comparative study of predation of three aquatic heteropteran bugs on Culex quinquefasciatus larvae |
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Authors: | Nabaneeta Saha Gautam Aditya Animesh Bal Goutam Kumar Saha |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, 00019, India;(2) Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, India;(3) Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag, Burdwan, India |
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Abstract: | The aquatic bugs Anisops bouvieri Kirkaldy 1704 (Heteroptera: Notonectidae), Diplonychus (=Sphaerodema) rusticus Fabricius 1781, and Diplonychus annulatus Fabricius 1781 (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) are common members of the freshwater insect communities of the East Calcutta
Wetlands along the eastern fringe of Kolkata, India. These insects are established predators of dipteran larvae and other
organisms. A comparative account of their predatory efficiency was made using larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus Say 1823 in the laboratory. It was revealed that a single adult of A. bouvieri could consume 28–34 fourth-instar mosquito larvae per day, D. rusticus 11–87 fourth-instar mosquito larvae per day, and D. annulatus 33–122 fourth-instar mosquito larvae per day, depending upon the prey and predator densities. The mean predation rate of
A. bouvieri and D. annulatus remained stable over a 6-day feeding period but varied for D. rusticus. The predatory impact (PI) values were 14.77–17.31, 46.9–55.73, and 61.74–72.72 larvae/day for A. bouvieri, D. rusticus, and D. annulatus, respectively. Compared to these, the clearance rate (CR) value range was 9.06–13.25 for A. bouvieri, 13.64–15.99 for D. rusticus, and 13.50–16.52 larvae l/day/predator for D. annulatus. The values of mutual interference, “m,” remained 0.06–0.78 for A. bouvieri, 0.003–0.25 for D. rusticus, and 0.09–0.27 for D. annulatus, and did not vary between the days. The difference in predatory efficiency, CR, and PI values varied significantly among
the three predators, indicating the possible difference in the function as predators occupying the same guild. It can be assumed
that these predators play an important role in larval population regulation of mosquitoes and thereby impart an effect on
species composition and interactions in the aquatic insect communities of the wetlands and other similar habitats where they
occur. |
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Keywords: | Water bugs Diplonychus (=Sphaerodema) annulatus Diplonychus rusticus Anisops bouvieri Culex quinquefasciatus Predation Predatory interference Wetlands |
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