Surplus Killing by Predatory Larvae of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corethrella appendiculata</Emphasis>: Prepupal Timing and Site-Specific Attack on Mosquito Prey

Surplus or ‘wasteful’ killing of uneaten prey has been documented in the fourth larval instar of various species of the mosquito genus Toxorhynchites that occur in treeholes and other phytotelmata. Here we document surplus killing by the predatory midge Corethrella appendiculata, which in Florida cohabits treeholes and artificial containers with larvae of Toxorhynchites rutilus. Provided with a surfeit of larval mosquito prey, surplus killing was observed only in the fourth instar of C. appendiculata, peaking in intensity in the final 24 h prior to pupation, as observed for Toxorhynchites spp. Attack sites identified from videotaped encounters with mosquito prey were divided among head, thorax, abdomen, and siphon. Consumed mosquito larvae (n = 70) were attacked primarily on the head (46%) or siphon (34%), but surplus-killed prey (n = 30) were attacked predominantly on the thorax (83%). Despite its independent evolution among different insect species in aquatic container habitats, the functional significance of prepupal surplus killing remains unclear.     

The dual importance of competition and predation as regulatory forces in terrestrial ecosystems: evidence from decomposer food-webs

The relative importance of predation and competition (resource limitation) in influencing the components of a below-ground food-web consisting of three trophic levels (bacteria and fungi; bacterial-feeding and fungal-feeding nematodes; and top predatory nematodes) was estimated using microbial biomass and nematode frequency data collected throughout a 1-year period in two agro-ecosystems. The study suggested that bacterial and fungal biomass were likely to be regulated by grazing and competition respectively, and that these differences were likely to be attributed to the biological (probably morphological) differences between bacteria and fungi, in contrast to the predictions of the hypothesis of Hairston et al. (1960). Top predatory nematodes were sometimes strongly related to the microbial but not microbial-feeding trophic levels, indicating that microbial biomass may directly influence top predator numbers, and that the intermediate level may simply serve as a conduit by which resources pass from the bottom to top trophic levels. This study also suggests that the detritus food-web acts as two distinct (bacterial-and fungal-based) compartments.     

Effects of the non-indigenous cladoceran Cercopagis pengoi on the lower food web of Lake Ontario

1. In North America, the invasive predatory cladoceran Cercopagis pengoi was first detected in Lake Ontario. We explored the impact of Cercopagis on the lower food web of Lake Ontario through assessments of historical and seasonal abundance of the crustacean zooplankton, by conducting feeding experiments on the dominant prey of the invader, and by estimating its food requirements. 2. Between 1999 and 2001, a decrease in the abundance of dominant members of the Lake Ontario zooplankton community (Daphnia retrocurva, Bosmina longirostris and Diacyclops thomasi) coincided with an increase in the abundance of Cercopagis. Daphnia retrocurva populations declined despite high fecundity in all 3 years, indicating that food limitation was not responsible. Chlorophyll a concentration generally increased, concomitant with a decline in the herbivorous cladoceran zooplankton in the lake. 3. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that Cercopagis fed on small‐bodied species including D. retrocurva and B. longirostris. 4. Consumption demand of mid‐summer populations of Cercopagis, estimated from a bioenergetic model of the confamilial Bythotrephes, was sufficient to reduce crustacean abundance, although the degree of expected suppression varied seasonally and interannually. 5. Predatory effects exerted by Cercopagis on the Lake Ontario zooplankton, while initially very pronounced, have decreased steadily as the species became established in the lake.     

稻田中性昆虫对群落食物网的调控作用

本文把稻田既非害虫也非天敌的一类昆虫称为中性昆虫,应用选择性控制法（扑虱灵和杀蚊幼剂＾－ＢＳ）、挤压法、脉冲试验法及通径分析研究了稻田中性昆虫的调控作用;中性昆虫与天敌、害虫的直接和间接作用规律,结果证明中性昆早虫数量增加,中必一昆虫与害虫呈显著的负相关,与天敌呈显著的正相关,中性昆虫对害虫的调控主要是通过影响捕食性天敌而实现的。     

Responses to fish predation and nutrients by plankton at different levels of taxonomic resolution

1. To improve mechanistic understanding of plankton responses to eutrophication, a mesocosm experiment was performed in the shallow littoral zone of a south Swedish lake, in which nutrient and fish gradients were crossed in a fully factorial design. 2. Food chain theory accurately predicted total biomass development of both phyto‐ and zooplankton. However, separating zooplankton and algae into finer taxonomic groups revealed a variety of responses to both nutrient and fish gradients. 3. That both nutrients and fish are important for phytoplankton dynamics was seen more clearly when viewing each algal group separately, than drawing conclusions only from broad system variables such as chlorophyll a concentration or total phytoplankton biovolume. 4. In some taxa, physiological constraints (e.g. sensitivity to high pH and low concentrations of free CO₂) and differences in competitive ability may be more important for the biomass development than fish predation, grazing by herbivorous zooplankton, and nutrient availability. 5. We conclude that food chain theory accurately predicted responses in system variables, such as total zooplankton or algal biomass, which are shaped by the dynamics of certain strong interactors (‘keystone species’), such as large cladocerans, cyanobacteria and edible algae (<50 μm), whereas responses at finer taxonomic levels cannot be predicted from current theory.     

Pelagic food web interactions among benthic invertebrates and trout in mountain lakes

1. Benthic chironomid larvae and the amphipod Gammarus lacustris have been observed in the pelagic habitats of many mountain lakes. The main goal of this study was to determine if chironomid larvae and gammarids potentially affect predator–prey and nutrient dynamics in pelagic food webs of mountain lakes. 2. Eighty‐six mountain lakes were surveyed in Alberta and eastern British Columbia during the years 1965–1984, 1991–2004 and 2005–2007. Pelagic chironomid larvae were found in 86% of these lakes, and pelagic gammarids were found in 29% of lakes. Densities of pelagic chironomid larvae were 92% lower in lakes with pelagic gammarids and 76% lower in lakes with trout (P < 0.05). Intraguild predation of trout on gammarids appeared to reduce predation pressure on chironomid larvae. Gammarids consumed in vitro about 1 chironomid per gammarid per day or about 20% of their body mass in chironomid biomass per day. 3. Concentrations of total dissolved P and N, particulate C, and chlorophyll‐a increased with increasing densities of pelagic gammarids and chironomid larvae in situ (R² = 0.14 ± 0.19 SD, P < 0.1) and in vitro (P < 0.001). 4. Our findings suggest that gammarids and chironomid larvae are linked as predators and prey in pelagic food webs, possibly stimulating phytoplankton abundance via nutrient release.