Influence of the microhabitat on the trap construction of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) larvae

ABSTRACT Antlion larvae of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Návas, 1914) build their traps in a microenvironment with protection from the direct action of rain and other perturbations as well as microhabitats that are less protected from disturbances that can destroy the traps. Differences in microhabitats m...

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Main Author: Tatiane N. Lima
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul 2020-07-01
Series:Iheringia: Série Zoologia
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0073-47212020000100215&tlng=en
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author Tatiane N. Lima
author_facet Tatiane N. Lima
author_sort Tatiane N. Lima
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Antlion larvae of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Návas, 1914) build their traps in a microenvironment with protection from the direct action of rain and other perturbations as well as microhabitats that are less protected from disturbances that can destroy the traps. Differences in microhabitats may affect the characteristics of the trap-building process due the high energy expenditure exerted in building and maintaining these traps, which led to the following question: Do antlion larvae of M. brasiliensis build larger traps in protected microhabitats? Considering the occurrence of M. brasiliensis larvae in two microhabitats and the measurements of the size of the larvae and their traps, the hypothesis was that larvae would occur in greater abundance and the trap size would be larger in more protected microhabitats. The results showed that antlions occurred in equal abundance in both microhabitats, but density was greater in the protected microhabitat. Even in months with more rainfall, M. brasiliensis larvae continued to forage throughout the year in the protected microhabitat and the investment in trap size was greater in this microhabitat. This suggests that the larvae of the protected microhabitat have an advantage, given that they have the possibility of foraging throughout the year.
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spelling doaj.art-65e1813e2b4242fc8ef69ec88c3ff9e42022-12-21T19:35:44ZengFundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do SulIheringia: Série Zoologia1678-47662020-07-0111010.1590/1678-4766e2020018Influence of the microhabitat on the trap construction of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) larvaeTatiane N. Limahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0656-1170ABSTRACT Antlion larvae of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Návas, 1914) build their traps in a microenvironment with protection from the direct action of rain and other perturbations as well as microhabitats that are less protected from disturbances that can destroy the traps. Differences in microhabitats may affect the characteristics of the trap-building process due the high energy expenditure exerted in building and maintaining these traps, which led to the following question: Do antlion larvae of M. brasiliensis build larger traps in protected microhabitats? Considering the occurrence of M. brasiliensis larvae in two microhabitats and the measurements of the size of the larvae and their traps, the hypothesis was that larvae would occur in greater abundance and the trap size would be larger in more protected microhabitats. The results showed that antlions occurred in equal abundance in both microhabitats, but density was greater in the protected microhabitat. Even in months with more rainfall, M. brasiliensis larvae continued to forage throughout the year in the protected microhabitat and the investment in trap size was greater in this microhabitat. This suggests that the larvae of the protected microhabitat have an advantage, given that they have the possibility of foraging throughout the year.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0073-47212020000100215&tlng=enAntliondisturbanceforagingtraps
spellingShingle Tatiane N. Lima
Influence of the microhabitat on the trap construction of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) larvae
Iheringia: Série Zoologia
Antlion
disturbance
foraging
traps
title Influence of the microhabitat on the trap construction of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) larvae
title_full Influence of the microhabitat on the trap construction of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) larvae
title_fullStr Influence of the microhabitat on the trap construction of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) larvae
title_full_unstemmed Influence of the microhabitat on the trap construction of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) larvae
title_short Influence of the microhabitat on the trap construction of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) larvae
title_sort influence of the microhabitat on the trap construction of myrmeleon brasiliensis neuroptera myrmeleontidae larvae
topic Antlion
disturbance
foraging
traps
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0073-47212020000100215&tlng=en
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