Selective Predation by Procladius in an Arctic Alaskan Lake
In arctic Alaskan Toolik Lake, the predatory larval chironomid Procladius spp. (Diptera) feeds on a variety of benthic organisms including algae, other chironomids, and microcrustaceans. Laboratory experiments with two similar-sized chironomid prey, instar I Chironomus and instar II Paratanytarsus,...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
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Canadian Science Publishing
1986
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f86-312 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f86-312 |
| Summary: | In arctic Alaskan Toolik Lake, the predatory larval chironomid Procladius spp. (Diptera) feeds on a variety of benthic organisms including algae, other chironomids, and microcrustaceans. Laboratory experiments with two similar-sized chironomid prey, instar I Chironomus and instar II Paratanytarsus, showed that Procladius was a more effective predator on Chironomus. The two prey used different foraging behaviors; Chironomus grazed an area around its tube but Paratanytarsus remained inside its tube. In a field experiment, in which Procladius density was manipulated, a decrease in prey density occurred in the chironomid group Orthocladiinae, which could be attributed to Procladius predation. Gut analyses of Procladius showed that a higher proportion of Orthocladiinae was eaten than could be predicted from their abundance. Orthocladiinae, which typically graze around tubes, may have been more susceptible to Procladius because of behavioral characteristics. |
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