Laboratory Studies Laboratory of Larval Cannibalism in Toxorhynckites amboinensis (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

Rates of cannibalism in Toxorhynchites amboinensis (Doleschall) were studied to determine the effect of container volume, container shape, prey density, predator density, starvation, size differences between predators, and the interactions of some of these factors. Although statistically significant effects caused by container volume and prey density were seen, the shape of the container had a stronger influence than did container volume per se. Cannibalism was related inversely to the amount of water surface area in a container, irrespective of the volume contained. Prey density effects were expressed most strongly in containers with relatively large surface areas. No statistically significant differences in cannibalism were caused by starvation or size differences between predators. Cannibalism was most frequent during the second and third stadia. Prepupal killing of conspecific larvae occurred infrequently among pairs of larvae that had not cannibalized within the first 10 d.