The role of spatial and temporal variations in habitat uses and food habits of larvae in persistent occurrence of multiple odonate species in Mizorogaike Pond, Kyoto, Japan

Abstract

Larvae of many odonate species commonly appear within the same freshwater ecosystem. However, it remains unknown whether there is a dietary separation among the larvae of different species. In this study, we collected different species of odonate larvae in different seasons at various sites on the floating mat of Mizorogaike Pond in Kyoto, Japan, and examined the abundance and gut contents of the dominant species. Our analyses showed that habitat and seasonal abundance of the odonate larvae did not significantly overlap between most pairs of the dominant species. Moreover, the degree of dietary overlap was not related to larval biomass in microhabitats. These results suggest that, although larval food habits were similar among species, the existence of various vegetation types on the floating mat allowed many odonate species to inhabit Mizorogaike Pond.