Tietze N S, Mulla M S
Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside 92521.
J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 1989 Sep;5(3):392-6.
The tadpole shrimp, Triops longicaudatus, was found to be a size-dependent predator of Culex quinquefasciatus larvae in the laboratory. However, changes in tadpole shrimp size were accompanied by changes in prey-size preference: larger-sized predators consumed an increasing proportion of larger prey items. Very large tadpole shrimp may be nonselective predators of this mosquito species. Quantified behavioral observations indicated that while second instar mosquito larvae were encountered significantly less frequently than were fourth instar larvae or pupae, they were captured at significantly greater rates and with shorter handling times. It is hypothesized that prey vulnerability has an important influence on tadpole shrimp prey size "preferences."
在实验室中发现，长尾鲎虫（Triops longicaudatus）是一种对致倦库蚊（Culex quinquefasciatus）幼虫具有大小依赖性的捕食者。然而，鲎虫大小的变化伴随着猎物大小偏好的变化：体型较大的捕食者会消耗越来越多的较大猎物。非常大的鲎虫可能是这种蚊子的非选择性捕食者。定量行为观察表明，虽然二龄蚊幼虫被遇到的频率明显低于四龄幼虫或蛹，但它们被捕食的速率明显更高且处理时间更短。据推测，猎物易感性对鲎虫的猎物大小“偏好”有重要影响。
