Predator-Prey Interactions of Dytiscids

Culler, Lauren E.; Ohba, Shin‐ya; Crumrine, Patrick W.

doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9109-0_8

Cited by 46 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 118 publications

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“…Notonecta readily consume mosquito larvae and have been reported to decrease mosquito populations in the field (Quiroz‐Martínez & Rodríguez‐Castro, ). Aquatic beetles undergo ontogenetic functional shifts, where larvae are obligate predators but adults are more omnivorous; adult Hydrophilidae are generally omnivorous, but opportunistically predaceous (Merritt & Cummins, ), while adult Dytiscidae are generally predaceous but opportunistic scavengers (Culler, Ohba, & Crumrine, ). We found both life stages in our surveys; however, adults were more common during the majority of the Culex breeding season.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Keystone nonconsumptive effects within a diverse predator community

Meadows

Owen

Snyder

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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The number of prey killed by diverse predator communities is determined by complementarity and interference among predators, and by traits of particular predator species. However, it is less clear how predators' nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) scale with increasing predator biodiversity. We examined NCEs exerted on Culex mosquitoes by a diverse community of aquatic predators. In the field, mosquito larvae co‐occurred with differing densities and species compositions of mesopredator insects; top predator dragonfly naiads were present in roughly half of surveyed water bodies. We reproduced these predator community features in artificial ponds, exposing mosquito larvae to predator cues and measuring resulting effects on mosquito traits throughout development. Nonconsumptive effects of various combinations of mesopredator species reduced the survival of mosquito larvae to pupation, and reduced the size and longevity of adult mosquitoes that later emerged from the water. Intriguingly, adding single dragonfly naiads to ponds restored survivorship of larval mosquitoes to levels seen in the absence of predators, and further decreased adult mosquito longevity compared with mosquitoes emerging from mesopredator treatments. Behavioral observations revealed that mosquito larvae regularly deployed “diving” escape behavior in the presence of the mesopredators, but not when a dragonfly naiad was also present. This suggests that dragonflies may have relaxed NCEs of the mesopredators by causing mosquitoes to abandon energetically costly diving. Our study demonstrates that adding one individual of a functionally unique species can substantially alter community‐wide NCEs of predators on prey. For pathogen vectors like mosquitoes, this could in turn influence disease dynamics.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Keystone nonconsumptive effects within a diverse predator community

Meadows

Owen

Snyder

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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“…We placed cups in the chambers to allow mosquito prey to acclimate for 24 h. Then, each beetle larva was added to its arena and the number of mosquito larvae consumed after 15 h was recorded. Dytiscid larvae are piercing-sucking predators with falcate mandibles [20] and leave behind digested prey that are easy to distinguish from undigested prey [21,22]. We did not replace prey as they were consumed.…”

Section: (C) Temperature Effects On Mosquito Mortality Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

In a warmer Arctic, mosquitoes avoid increased mortality from predators by growing faster

2015

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Climate change is altering environmental temperature, a factor that influences ectothermic organisms by controlling rates of physiological processes. Demographic effects of warming, however, are determined by the expression of these physiological effects through predator -prey and other species interactions. Using field observations and controlled experiments, we measured how increasing temperatures in the Arctic affected development rates and mortality rates (from predation) of immature Arctic mosquitoes in western Greenland. We then developed and parametrized a demographic model to evaluate how temperature affects survival of mosquitoes from the immature to the adult stage. Our studies showed that warming increased development rate of immature mosquitoes (Q 10 ¼ 2.8) but also increased daily mortality from increased predation rates by a dytiscid beetle (Q 10 ¼ 1.2 -1.5). Despite increased daily mortality, the model indicated that faster development and fewer days exposed to predators resulted in an increased probability of mosquito survival to the adult stage. Warming also advanced mosquito phenology, bringing mosquitoes into phenological synchrony with caribou. Increases in biting pests will have negative consequences for caribou and their role as a subsistence resource for local communities. Generalizable frameworks that account for multiple effects of temperature are needed to understand how climate change impacts coupled human -natural systems.

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“…Dytiscids capture prey ranging from zooplankton to other aquatic insects and conspecifics, to larval amphibians and small fish (Yee , Culler et al. ). Dytiscid effects on zooplankton can be similar to fish effects, altering population sizes, community structure, behavior, and individual body size, while also causing trophic cascades by releasing phytoplankton and periphyton from grazing pressure (Arts et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prey‐driven control of predator assemblages: zooplankton abundance drives aquatic beetle colonization

Pintar

Resetarits

2017

Ecology

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Trophic interactions are critical determinants of community structure and ecosystem function. In freshwater habitats, top predators are traditionally viewed as drivers of ecosystem structure, shaping populations of consumers and primary producers. The temporary nature of small water bodies makes them dependent on colonization by many organisms, particularly insects that form highly diverse predator assemblages. We conducted mesocosm experiments with naturally colonizing populations of aquatic beetles to assess how prey (zooplankton) abundances influenced colonization and assemblages of natural populations of aquatic beetles. We experimentally demonstrate that zooplankton populations can be proximate regulators of predator populations and assemblages via prey-density-dependent predator recruitment. Our results provide support for the importance of prey populations in structuring predator populations and the role of habitat selection in structuring communities. We indicate that traditional views of predators as drivers of ecosystem structure in many systems may not provide a comprehensive picture, particularly in the context of highly disturbed or ephemeral habitats.

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Predator-Prey Interactions of Dytiscids

Cited by 46 publications

References 118 publications

Keystone nonconsumptive effects within a diverse predator community

Keystone nonconsumptive effects within a diverse predator community

In a warmer Arctic, mosquitoes avoid increased mortality from predators by growing faster

Prey‐driven control of predator assemblages: zooplankton abundance drives aquatic beetle colonization

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