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Diving beetles (Dytiscidae) as predators of mosquito larvae (Culicidae) in field experiments and in laboratory tests of prey preference
Linköping University, The Institute of Technology. Linköping University, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Ecology .
Linköping University, The Institute of Technology. Linköping University, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Ecology .
2003 (English)In: Bulletin of entomological research, ISSN 0007-4853, E-ISSN 1475-2670, Vol. 93, no 3, p. 219-226Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Field experiments were performed in artificial ponds to evaluate how the density of predatory diving beetles (Dytiscidae) would affect the population levels of mosquito larvae (Culicidae). Mosquitoes colonizing the ponds were predominantly species of the genus Culex. In 2000, most of the dytiscids colonizing the ponds were small (Hydroporus spp.), and these predators had no impact on the size of larval mosquito populations, not even in ponds with added dytiscids. In 2001, larger beetles (Ilybius, Rhantus, and Agabus spp.) were more common, and there were significantly fewer mosquito larvae in ponds with the highest numbers of dytiscids. There was a negative correlation between numbers of diving beetles in the ponds and the mean body length of mosquito larvae. In neither year could dytiscid densities be maintained above a certain level owing to emigration. In laboratory tests, there were marked differences between three common dytiscid species in regard to preferences for Daphnia and Culex species as prey: Colymbetes paykulli Erichson chose mosquito larvae more often, whereas both Ilybius ater (De Geer) and I. fuliginosus (Fabricius) preferred Daphnia spp. All of the tested dytiscids consumed large numbers of prey. Since some dytiscid species can efficiently decrease populations of mosquito larvae, they are probably important in the natural control of these dipterans.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2003. Vol. 93, no 3, p. 219-226
National Category
Engineering and Technology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-46606DOI: 10.1079/BER2003237OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-46606DiVA, id: diva2:267502
Available from: 2009-10-11 Created: 2009-10-11 Last updated: 2021-09-17
In thesis
1. Diversity, dispersal, and interactions among diving beetles and mosquitoes in Swedish wetlands
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Diversity, dispersal, and interactions among diving beetles and mosquitoes in Swedish wetlands
2003 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

In this thesis, I explore why biodiversity, as exemplified by diving beetle and mosquito faunas, differs between wetlands, and what environmental factors that affect and control diversity in different types of wetlands and landscapes. The study organisms, diving beetles (Dytiscidae) and mosquitoes (Culicidae), are abundant and species-rich groups in many types of wetlands. They also represent predator and prey. I have explored the diversity of diving beetles and mosquitoes along environmental gradients, along which primarily permanence, size, age, and shading, differ between wetlands. I have also studied wetlands in different types of landscapes (urban and agricultural), and in two different geographical regions (SE and SW Sweden). I have studied the colonization process of new wetlands by diving beetles, and changes in their faunas during the ecological succession of wetlands, and also migration and dispersal of diving beetles in different types of landscapes. Finally, I experimentally explored interactions between the predacious diving beetles and a potential prey - mosquito larvae. One important goal throughout the work has been to formulate advices for construction and management of wetlands, to obtain or preserve high biodiversity, both in individual wetlands as well as in whole landscapes. The results illustrate that many types of wetlands: permanent and temporary, small and large, situated in forests and in open environments, new and old ones, support high diversity of the studied organisms. Urban wetlands had generally fewer species than wetlands in agricultural landscapes, but wetlands in both types of landscapes supported unique species. The faunas differed considerably between wetland types, as many species have specific habitat requirements, but it was hard to classify faunas in specific wetland types as more "valuable" than others. Hence, to obtain a rich wetland insect fauna on a landscape level (which should be more important than to maximise diversity in individual ponds), it seems necessary to take into account more than individual wetlands or ponds. It might be vital to maintain different successional stages, and to construct new wetlands (or to rejuvenated later stages), since the early stages are short-lived, and support both rare and unique species not found in later stages. The interaction experiments, among dytiscids and mosquito larvae, showed that diving beetles (middle-sized species, 10-20 mm) significantly reduced levels of mosquito larvae. Single dytiscids could consume large numbers of such larvae. These predators are probably important in the natural control of mosquito larvae.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Linköping: Linköping University, 2003. p. 45
Series
Linköping Studies in Science and Technology. Dissertations, ISSN 0345-7524 ; 796
National Category
Ecology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-179331 (URN)9173735876 (ISBN)
Public defence
2003-03-21, Planck, Fysikhuset, Linköpings universitet, Linköping, 13:15
Note

All or some of the partial works included in the dissertation are not registered in DIVA and therefore not linked in this post.

Available from: 2021-09-29 Created: 2021-09-17 Last updated: 2023-02-28Bibliographically approved

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Lundkvist, ElisabethLandin, Jan

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