Abstract
SUMMARY (1) The feeding behaviour of two species of the freshwater heteropteran Notonecta was examined with respect to the factors influencing prey handling time. (2) Overall mean handling time was found to increase with decreasing prey density, as predicted by both optimal feeding and gut-filling models. (3) A positive correlation was demonstrated between handling time and intercatch interval (the time from discarding one prey item to capturing another), supporting a gut-filling model. (4) A decay in the handling time per item through the catch sequence was found, irrespective of prey density, which adequately described the overall mean handling time for each prey density. (5) A similar decrease was demonstrated in the intercatch interval through the catch sequence, suggesting an increase in searching efficiency, which could be based on the
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