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Feeding Site Selection by Frog-Biting Midges (Diptera: Corethrellidae) on Anuran Hosts

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Abstract

A critical challenge of obtaining a blood meal resides in selecting a feeding site at the host. We investigate the feeding sites of species of frog-biting midges (Corethrella spp) on túngara frogs, Engystomops pustulosus (Cope), and two species of treefrogs, Dendropsophus ebraccatus (Cope) and Dendropsophus microcephalus (Cope). To investigate the differences in midge feeding sites, we performed field observations, histological sections of the frogs and examined the mouthparts of the midges. Feeding sites are predicted by the vascular properties of the skin in different body areas of the frogs. According to optimal foraging theory, the midges should feed on host body areas that maximize blood intake. Contrary to optimal foraging theory predictions, however, their feeding sites correspond to body areas with high intensity host defensive behavior.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Lewis Held for his help and advice with the midge dissections and Art Borkent for his suggestions that helped improve this work. We are also grateful to two anonymous reviewers that provided valuable comments to improve this manuscript. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute provided critical logistic support. We are also thankful to the ANAM (Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente, Panama) which provided the required permits to collect and export specimens (No. SE/A-50-09, No. SEX/A-60-09). This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant IOS-1258039 to X.E.B.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, P.O. Box 43131, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA

    Priyanka de Silva

  2. Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Histología y Neuroanatomía Humana, Universidad de Panamá, Panamá, Republic of Panama

    Cesar Jaramillo

  3. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 2072, Balboa, Republic of Panama

    Cesar Jaramillo & Ximena E. Bernal

  4. Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Ximena E. Bernal

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  1. Priyanka de Silva
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  3. Ximena E. Bernal
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Correspondence to Priyanka de Silva.

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de Silva, P., Jaramillo, C. & Bernal, X.E. Feeding Site Selection by Frog-Biting Midges (Diptera: Corethrellidae) on Anuran Hosts. J Insect Behav 27, 302–316 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-013-9428-y

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