Influence of temperature and body weight on mosquito predation by the dragonfly nymph Mesogomphus lineatus

✍ Scribed by T. J. Pandian; S. Mathavan; C. P. Jeyagopal

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1979
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 297 KB
• Volume: 62
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5141
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00037502

✦ Synopsis

Different weight classes (25, 50, too and 16o mg) of the dragonfly nymph Mesogomphus lineatus were allowed to predate on constant density (15 larvae/aquarium of 500 ml capacity) of healthy fourth instar larvae of Culex fatigans at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 ± 0 .5'C to study the interactions of body weight and temperature on satiation time, maximum food intake (C max), and return of maximum appetite . Satiation time is not a temperature dependent factor, but it is significantly influenced by weight ; it lasts for 12 .0, 16 .6 and 39 .4 min in the nymphs weighing 50, 100 and i 6o mg, respectively . Number of larvae predated (C max) by a 50 mg nymph increases linearly from i larva at to° C to 8 larvae at 35°C ; the corresponding increases are from 2 to 11 larvae for the too mg nymph and 5 to 24 larvae for the largest nymph (16o mg) . Statistical analysis of the data reveals that the maximum food intake of the nymph is significantly dependent on weight as well as temperature . Critical period of food deprivation permitting the return of maximum appetite in these nymphs is a temperature-dependent phenomenon but it was not influenced by weight . At 1o°C, the maximum appetite returns after a fooddeprivation period of about 6o hrs in all weight classes of the nymph; the corresponding values are about 53, 45, 37, 3o and 22 hrs in the nymphs exposed to 15, 20, 25, 3o and 35'C, respectively .