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Leaping behaviour and responses to moisture and sound in larvae of piophilid carrion flies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Russell Bonduriansky
Russell Bonduriansky*
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
*
1 E-mail: russell.bonduriansky@utoronto.ca).
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Abstract

Observations suggesting that mature larvae of some carrion flies (Piophilidae) tend to leap off carcasses during rain motivated an investigation of the ontogeny and possible functions of larval leaping behaviour and larval responses to two stimuli associated with rain: moisture and sound. These behaviours were investigated in larvae of Prochyliza xanthostoma Walker (Diptera: Piophilidae) by means of laboratory and field observations and experiments. Mature larvae left their feeding substrates (rotting meat) in response to either moisture or rattling sound. The response to moisture was exhibited also by immature larvae. Once on the carcass surface, however, only mature larvae leaped off and pupated in the surrounding soil. The response to sound and the ability to leap only appeared late in larval development and were lost in the prepupal stage. Because rain may facilitate larval locomotion on carcass surfaces, and leaping appears to represent a more rapid and efficient means of leaving a carcass than creeping, these responses may reduce the metabolic costs and predation risks experienced by mature larvae moving to pupation sites in the soil. Thus, the ability to leap and the responses to moisture and sound may represent “ontogenetic adaptations” associated with a brief stage of larval development.

Résumé

L'observation des larves de certaines mouches de la viande (Piophilidae) a révélé que les larves à maturité ont tendance à sauter en bas des carcasses lorsqu'il pleut, un comportement qui nous a motivés à examiner l'ontogenèse et les avantages possibles du saut ainsi que les réactions des larves à deux stimulus reliés à la pluie, l'humidité et le son. Ces comportements ont été étudiés chez Prochyliza xanthostoma Walker (Diptera : Piophilidae) par simple observation et par des expériences en nature et en laboratoire. Les larves à maturité quittent leur substrat alimentaire (viande en décomposition) en réaction à l'humidité ou à des crépitements. Les larves immatures aussi réagissent à l'humidité. Cependant, une fois à la surface de la carcasse, seules les larves à maturité sautent en bas de la carcasse et font leur pupaison dans le sol environnant. La réaction au son et la capacité de sauter n'apparaissent que vers la fin du développement larvaire et disparaissent durant le stade de pré-pupe. Comme la pluie peut faciliter les déplacements des larves à la surface des carcasses et que le saut semble représenter un moyen plus rapide et plus efficace de quitter la carcasse que la reptation, ces réactions peuvent réduire les coûts métaboliques et les risques de prédation reliés aux déplacements des larves à maturité vers le site de leur pupaison dans le sol. Conséquemment, la capacité de sauter et les réactions à l'humidité et au son sont peut-être, en fin de compte, des « adaptations ontogéniques » associées à un développement larvaire de courte durée.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 134 , Issue 5 , October 2002 , pp. 647 - 656
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2002

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