Abstract
Rock-pool corixids (Hemiptera) Arctocorisa carinata and Callicorixa producta were excluded from small rock pools. First-stage larvae of Sigara nigrolineata, separately or together with larvae of either of the rock-pool species, were then introduced daily at a rate simulating reproduction by typical populations. In all three treatments, the survival of S. nigrolineata larvae was high at the beginning of experiment, 0.39–0.83 between the 1st and 5th stages, but later high mortality was observed. C. producta adults tended to invade experimental rock pools and towards the end of the experiment larvae of this species were dominant. Oviposition rates and developmental rates of the three species are comparable. In laboratory tests, young larvae of S. nigrolineata were more vulnerable to interspecific predation than those of the rock-pool species, and older larvae proved to be less efficient predators. In rock pools, there are no environmental factors preventing successful reproduction by S. nigrolineata. However, competition and predation by the two other rock-pool species seem to prevent successful reproduction. Dispersal in S. nigrolineata is too slow for efficient colonization of rapidly changing rock-pool environments.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bengtsson J (1991) Interspecific competition in metapopulations. Biol J Linn Soc 42:219–237
Brown ES (1951) The relation between migration rate and the type of habitat in aquatic insects with special reference to Corixidae. Proc Zool Soc London 121:539–545
Hanski I (1983) Coexistence of competitors in patchy environments. Ecology 64:491–500
Hanski I, Gilpin M (1991) Metapopulation dynamics: brief history and conceptual domain. Biol J Linn Soc 42:3–16
Hutchinson GE (1951) Copepodology for the ornithologist. Ecology 32:571–577
Levander KM (1900) Zur Kenntnis des Lebens in den stehenden Kleingewässern auf den Skäreninseln. Acta Soc Fauna Flora Fenn 18:1–107
Levins R, Culver D (1971) Regional coexistence of species and competition between rare species. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 68:1246–1248
Pajunen VI (1970) A case of mass flight of S. nigrolineata (Fieb.) (Heteroptera, Corixidae). Ann Zool Fenn 7:191–192
Pajunen VI (1977) Population structure of rock pool corixids (Hemiptera, Corixidae) during the reproductive season. Ann Zool Fenn 14:26–47
Pajunen VI (1979) Competition between rock pool corixids. Ann Zool Fenn 16:138–143
Pajunen VI (1982) Replacement analysis of non-equilibrium competition between rock pool corixids. Oecologia 52:153–155
Pajunen VI (1986) How to construct and use realistic physiological time scales: an analysis of larval mortality in rock-pool corixids (Hemiptera). Oikos 47:239–250
Pajunen VI, Jansson A (1969) Dispersal of the rock-pool corixids Arctocorisa carinata (Sahlb.) and Callicorixa producta (Reut.) (Heteroptera, Corixidae), Ann Zool Fenn 6:391–427
Pajunen VI, Salmi J (1991) The influence of corixids on the bottom fauna of rock-pools. Hydrobiologia 222:77–84
Pajunen VI, Ukkonen M (1987) Intra- and interspecific predation in rock-pool corixids. Ann Zool Fenn 24:295–304
Polis GA, Myers CA, Holt RD (1989) The ecology and evolution of intraguild predation: potential competitors that eat each other. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 20:297–330
Popham EJ (1964) The migration of aquatic bugs with special reference to the Corixidae (Hemiptera, heteroptera). Arch Hydrobiol 60:450–496
Slatkin M (1974) Competition and regional coexistence. Ecology 55:126–134
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pajunen, V.I., Pajunen, I. Competitive interactions limiting the number of species in rock pools: experiments with Sigara nigrolineata . Oecologia 95, 220–225 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00323493
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00323493