Dietary items of predacious aquatic bugs (Nepoidea: Heteroptera) in Japanese wetlands

Abstract

Some species of predatory aquatic bugs (Nepoidea, including Belostomatidae and Nepidae) are designated as threatened-vulnerable species in the Red Data Book of Japan and are regarded as effective predators of freshwater snails and mosquito larvae. To reveal the feeding habits of Nepoidea, we investigated their dietary items in wetlands and obtained data from the published literature. Lethocerus deyrolli (Vuillefroy) preys mainly upon frogs, and the major diet of the nymphs is tadpoles. Laccotrephes japonensis (Scott) adults prey mainly upon tadpoles. Lethocerus deyrolli nymphs and L. japonensis adults compete against each other as same-guild members because they are sympatric in wetlands. Both nymphs and adults of Appasus japonicus (Vuillefroy) feed on snails, and L. japonensis nymphs feed on aquatic insects, including mosquito larvae (39.3% of aquatic insects). These species are effective predators of medically important pests such as snails, and mosquito larvae.

Characterizing a novel predator–prey relationship between native Diplonychus esakii (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) and invasive Gambusia affinis (Teleostei: Poeciliidae) in central China

“…While the large-bodied members of the subfamily Lethocerinae feed on small snakes, anurans, and fish, the much smaller members of the subfamily Belostomatinae mainly feed on various invertebrates and anuran larvae, but do not regularly prey on fish (Cullen 1969;Babbitt and Jordan 1996;Swart and Felgenhauer 2003;Mori and Ohba 2004;Ohba and Nakasuji 2006;Swart et al 2006;Ohba 2011). Prey selection in belostomatines has been thoroughly investigated in the predator-prey relationship between Belostoma cf.…”

Molecular Cloning, Gene Structure, Expression, and Enzyme Activity of a Serine Protease from Water Scorpion, Laccotrephes japonensis (Hemiptera: Nepidae)

“…These enzymes have been detected in several insect orders, including Coleoptera (Zhu and Baker, 1999), Diptera (Jiang et al, 1997) and Lepidoptera (Gatehouse et al, 1999), and are one of the major classes of endopeptidases, strongly implicated in the digestion of proteins in the gut (Terra and Ferreira, 1994). The bugs of Nepoidea, including Belostomatidae and Nepidae, prey upon a variety of aquatic animals such as insects, snails, reptiles, anurans, and small fish in Japanese rice fields (Mori and Ohba, 2004;Ohba and Nakasuji, 2006). In addition, the L. japonensis adults prey upon Kirkaldyia deyrolli younger nymph (Ohba, 2007) and tadpole in rice fields (Ohba and Nakasuji, 2006).…”

“…The bugs of Nepoidea, including Belostomatidae and Nepidae, prey upon a variety of aquatic animals such as insects, snails, reptiles, anurans, and small fish in Japanese rice fields (Mori and Ohba, 2004;Ohba and Nakasuji, 2006). In addition, the L. japonensis adults prey upon Kirkaldyia deyrolli younger nymph (Ohba, 2007) and tadpole in rice fields (Ohba and Nakasuji, 2006). Under such a situation, adult L. japonensis, younger nymph of Kirkaldyia deyrolli, and anuran larva (tadpole) are regarded as intraguild predator, intraguild prey, and common prey, respectively (Ohba and Nakasuji, 2007).…”

Intraguild predation of water scorpion Laccotrephes japonensis (Nepidae: Heteroptera)

“…The bugs of Nepoidea, including Belostomatidae and Nepidae, prey upon a variety of aquatic animals such as insects, snails, reptiles, anurans, and small fish in Japanese rice fields (Ohba and Nakasuji 2006). The younger nymphs of the giant water bug Kirkaldyia (= Lethocerus) deyrolli Vuillefroy (Belostomatidae) are considered to be predators that prey mainly upon tadpoles (Ohba and Nakasuji 2006;Ohba et al 2008).…”

“…The bugs of Nepoidea, including Belostomatidae and Nepidae, prey upon a variety of aquatic animals such as insects, snails, reptiles, anurans, and small fish in Japanese rice fields (Ohba and Nakasuji 2006). The younger nymphs of the giant water bug Kirkaldyia (= Lethocerus) deyrolli Vuillefroy (Belostomatidae) are considered to be predators that prey mainly upon tadpoles (Ohba and Nakasuji 2006;Ohba et al 2008). In addition, the water scorpion Laccotrephes japonensis Scott adult (Nepidae) prey upon K. deyrolli younger nymph (Ohba 2007) and tadpole in rice younger nymph of K. deyrolli, and anuran larva (tadpole) are regarded as intraguild predator, intraguild prey, and common prey, respectively (Ohba and Nakasuji 2007).…”