Come to the dark side: habitat selection of larval odonates depends on background visual patterns

Autor(es)

Tavares, Rafael I. S. ^[1] ; Pestana, Gabrielle C. ^[1] ; Rocha, Alana D. ^[2] ; Schiavone, Daniele C. ^[1] ; Guillermo-Ferreira, Rhainer ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Hydrobiol, Sao Carlos - Brazil

^[2] Univ Vale Itajai, Ctr Technol Sci Earth & Sea, Itajai - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY; v. 43, n. 5, p. 640-646, OCT 2018.
• Citações Web of Science: 2

Resumo

1. Determining which environmental traits enable animals to inhabit and choose preferred habitats is key to understanding ecological processes. Habitat complexity and background colour patterns can act as selective pressures on animal behaviour, and ultimately affect habitat choice. 2. To investigate the role of environmental features on habitat selection, this study looked at whether dragonfly and damselfly larvae show a preference between dark/light or complex environments. Last-instar larvae of Micrathyria didyma (Odonata: Libellulidae) and Acanthagrion lancea (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) were collected in the Neotropical savanna, and five experiments in laboratory conditions were subsequently carried out. The first experiment tested the preference of larvae for leaves in contrast to a white background. The second experiment compared a preference for white and black backgrounds. As both experiments showed a significant preference for darker backgrounds, a predator was included in the black background in the third experiment, and a macrophyte was included in the white background in the fourth experiment. In this way, favourable and unfavourable conditions were included in the habitat of choice. The fifth experiment tested the influence of environmental complexity on habitat choice. 3. The results of these experiments showed that larvae choose darker backgrounds independently of predation risk, and that macrophytes are as attractive as a dark background. They also suggest that the coenagrionid, but not the libellulid, prefer more complex environments. 4. Overall, these findings suggest that larvae exhibit behavioural preferences for background colour and complexity, which may ultimately drive habitat occupation. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 16/12004-9 - Teste da hipótese da desvantagem imunológica em Hetaerina longipes (Odonata: Calopterygidae)
• Beneficiário: Gabrielle Cristina Pestana
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Iniciação Científica