Abstract
Diplonychus indicus is a highly versatile predator that forages both actively and from ambush. However, no correlations between predatory mode changes and predatory performance have yet been evidenced. The hypotheses that time spent foraging actively was proportional to time spent locomotory active and that time spent ambushing was proportional to time spent quiescent were tested during animal development. Locomotory activity increases during development due to increases in both frequency and duration of swimming bouts. The frequency of position changes increases as well. Eggbearing males were less active than other adults. However, the proportion of active foraging did not vary significantly with developmental stage and no correlations between activity level and predatory mode were found. Changes in predatory tactics inDiplonychus indicus differ from those reported in other predators as they are not related to any of the usual biotic or abiotic factors.
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Cloarec, A. General activity and foraging tactics in a water bug. J. Ethol. 13, 31–39 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02352560
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02352560