Visual and chemical cues from aquatic snails reduce chironomid oviposition
Jacqueline S.-L. Devereaux A and Allie Mokany A B CA School of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
B CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: allie.mokany@anu.edu.au
Australian Journal of Zoology 54(2) 79-86 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO05069
Submitted: 7 November 2005 Accepted: 8 March 2006 Published: 11 May 2006
Abstract
Chironomus oppositus sensu lato and the freshwater gastropod Physa acuta are distantly related taxa inhabiting temporary ponds. Although their distributions overlap, their peak abundances do not coincide in time and space. This study used field-based mesocosm experiments to examine the effect of P. acuta on the distribution and abundance of C. oppositus. Results indicated that chironomid larval abundance was substantially higher in mesocosms without P. acuta. The abundance of C. oppositus decreased as snail density increased, from one snail per litre. To investigate whether this result was due to differential survival by chironomid larvae or preferential oviposition by chironomid adults, both factors were manipulated separately and the mechanisms involved investigated. Direct-interaction experiments demonstrated that direct (mechanical) and indirect (water-borne) interference by snails had limited impact on the survivorship of third- or fourth-instar C. oppositus. Oviposition trials indicated that chironomid egg strings were five times less abundant in mesocosms containing both visual and water-borne snail cues. However, the presence of each of these cues separately did not result in a similar reduction. This study demonstrates that negative covariance occurred between larval chironomids and snails, with chironomids avoiding snails through oviposition site selection. This has important implications for understanding the mechanisms structuring freshwater communities.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful for the guidance of Jeff Wood, Christine Donnelly and David Gordon in their statistical assistance. We also thank Jonathan Chase, Saul Cunningham, Mike Jennions, Jessica Stapley and Leon Blaustein for their valuable comments on drafts. Also thank you to Peter Cranston for identifying the chironomid species. The CSIRO provided financial support for this study.
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