Abstract
AbstractThe large invertebrate‐small vertebrate fauna (organisms caught or retained with a 3.2 mm mesh) were sampled in several south Louisiana crawfish ponds. Arthropods were the principal predators and included, in order of abundance (lowest to highest), the insect general Lethocerus, Cybister, Pelocoris, Ranatra, Belostoma, Notonecta, Buenoa, Anax, and Pachydiplax. The arachnids, Dolomedes spp., were more abundant than Cybister. On the basis of physical size and abundance, Anax junius (Odonata: Aesnidae) appeared to be the most significant crawfish predator. Diversity of all species was greater in ponds with extensive coverage of semi‐aquatic vegetation than in those ponds dominated by annual grasses (including rice) and sedges that died and decompsed following pond flooding. The mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), when present, appears to reduce the numbers of predacious odonate nymphs.
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