Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-skm99 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-29T09:35:04.858Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

LABORATORY STUDIES OF PREDATION OF SNAILS BY LARVAE OF THE MARSH FLY, SEPEDON TENUICORNIS (DIPTERA: SCIOMYZIDAE)1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Robert P. Geckler
Robert P. Geckler
Affiliation:
Biomathematics Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Larvae of the marsh fly, Sepedon tenuicornis Cresson, were used to determine (1) number and approximate volume of snails killed before pupation, (2) time required to make the first kill as a function of distance and snail density, and (3) vulnerability of snails of different sizes to larvae of different sizes.Results1. Mean number of snails killed (by 34 larvae): 8.1 ± 2.5, (S.E.) Volume: 544 ± 256 mm3.2. Regression line relating time required to kill as a function of snail density: T (minutes) = 65.3–111.6 × (snail density).Regression line relating time to kill and snail densities of 0.6 and 1.2 snails/cm as a function of distance from snails: T = 0.79–0.33 × (distance).Data from a snail density of 0.3/cm could not be pooled because of high day-to-day variation in larvae.3. Vulnerability of snails can be expressed for each larva length by the equation: Fraction of snails killed = a + b × (snail size).

Values of a and b are as follows:

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 103 , Issue 5 , May 1971 , pp. 638 - 649
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1971

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Berg, C. O. 1953. Sciomyzid larvae (Diptera) that feed on snails. J. Parasitol. 39: 630–636.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berg, C. O. 1964 a. Snail control in trematode diseases: the possible value of sciomyzid larvae, snail-killing Diptera. In Dawes, B. (Ed.), Advances in parasitology, Vol. 2, pp. 259–309.Google Scholar
Berg, C. O. 1964 b. The evolution of parasitoid relationships in malacophagous Diptera, especially the Sciomyzidae. Proc. 1st Intern. Congr. Parasitol., Roma, 21–26 September.Google Scholar
Neff, S. E. and Berg, C. O.. 1966. Biology and immature stages of malacophagous Diptera of the genus Sepedon (Sciomyzidae). Agric. Exp. Stn Bull. 566, 113 pp. Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg.Google Scholar
Olson, O. W. 1967. Animal parasites: Their biology and life cycles, 2nd ed., 431 pp. Burgess Pub. Co.Google Scholar
Snedecor, G. W. and Cochran, W. G.. 1967. Statistical methods, 6th ed., 593 pp. Iowa state Univ. Press, Ames.Google Scholar
Steyskal, G. C. 1965. The subfamilies of Sciomyzidae of the world (Diptera: Acalyptratae). Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 58: 593–594.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization. 1965. Snail control in the prevention of Bilharziasis. Wld Hlth Org. Monogr. Ser. 50, 255 pp.Google Scholar
World Health Organization. 1967. Report of a Committee. Epidemiology and control of schistosomiasis. Wld Hlth Org. Tech. Rep. Ser. 372, 34 pp.Google Scholar