title: Predatory capacity and prey selectivity of nymphs of the dragonfly Pantala hymenaea.
abstract: Predatory capacity and prey selectivity of nymphs of the dragonfly Pantala hymenaea (Odonata: Libellulidae) were evaluated on larvae of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) and larvae of the midge Chironomus plumosus (Diptera: Chironomidae) as prey. With functional response methodology, 7 larval densities were exposed to predator individuals in a glass jar under laboratory conditions. The study was performed in 2 experiments. The 1st was a test system with each prey species alone. The 2nd tested a mixture of both prey species in a 1:1 ratio. Prey selectivity and prey capacity were significantly greater on midge larvae than on mosquito larvae.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Entomología Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, México.
authors.forename: Humberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Quiroz-Martínez
authors.forename: Violeta Ariadna
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Castro
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Solís-Rojas
authors.forename: María Guadalupe
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Maldonado-Blanco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002683:Chironomidae; D003465:Culex; D007313:Insecta / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva; D011235:Predatory Behavior