Patch size influences perceived patch quality for colonising <i>Culex</i> mosquitoes

Predation risk and resource abundance are two primary characteristics that determine species abundances and community composition. Colonizing organisms should attempt to minimize the risk of mortality and maximize growth through selection of patches with the highest expected fitness. However, maximizing fitness across multiple gradients of patch quality involves accurate cue assessment, integration and behavioural responses that consider multiple factors that affect fitness simultaneously. Our goal was to simultaneously and factorially assess the effects of predation risk and resource abundance among an assemblage of aquatic insects to determine the relative importance of each factor, and whether the two factors interact to affect colonization, oviposition and community assembly. We conducted a field mesocosm experiment in which we crossed predator density (0, 1, 2 fish, Fundulus chrysotus) with supplemental nutrient abundance (0, 4, 8 g rabbit chow) in a 3 × 3 factorial design. We then assayed colonization by natural populations of aquatic beetles and oviposition by natural populations of Culex mosquitoes. We observed species‐specific responses, with many species avoiding fish and some selecting habitats with more nutrients. Nutrients and predator presence only interactively affected oviposition by Culex mosquitoes, and the effect of fish presence exceeded that of nutrients in all but one analysis. Our results illustrate the primacy of predation risk in generating colonization patterns and structuring communities in aquatic habitats, but that colonization responses to variation in multiple components of patch quality are often species‐specific. Simultaneous assessments of multiple aspects of patch quality allow for the determination of potential interactions among cue sources and the relative importance of various patch characteristics to colonizers. A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13086/suppinfo is available for this article.

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“…b Resetarits and Pintar (2016). c Resetarits and Binckley (2014 Bohenek, Pintar, Breech, and Resetarits (2017).…”

Section: Materials S and Me Thodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Colonization across gradients of risk and reward: Nutrients and predators generate species‐specific responses among aquatic insects

et al. 2018

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“…, Bohenek et al. ). Large patches are considered more likely to be detected by the disperser (Vos et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…However, our results caution against simply focusing on connectivity for the benefit of all species. Over recent years, the role of area and quality in driving the process of colonization has been recognized (Franz en and Nilsson 2010, Glorvigen et al 2013, Bohenek et al 2017. Large patches are considered more likely to be detected by the disperser (Vos et al 2000), and can be purposely selected by active compared to passive dispersers (Glorvigen et al 2013), which could explain why the majority of species here were more likely to colonize larger swamps.…”

Section: Regional Persistence Of Multiple Speciesmentioning

confidence: 93%

Quantifying resistance and resilience to local extinction for conservation prioritization

Donaldson

Bennie

Wilson

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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Species‐focused conservation planning is often based on reducing local extinction risk at key sites. However, with increasing levels of habitat fragmentation and pressures from climate change and overexploitation, surrounding landscapes also influence the persistence of species populations, and their effects are increasingly incorporated in conservation planning and management for both species and communities. Here, we present a framework based on metapopulation dynamics in fragmented landscapes, for quantifying the survival (resistance) and reestablishment of species populations following localized extinction events (resilience). We explore the application of this framework to guide the conservation of a group of threatened bird species endemic to papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) swamps in East and Central Africa. Using occupancy data for five species collected over two years from a network of wetlands in Uganda, we determine the local and landscape factors that influence local extinction and colonization, and map expected rates of population turnover across the network to draw inferences about the locations that contribute most to regional resistance and resilience for all species combined. Slight variation in the factors driving extinction and colonization between individual papyrus birds led to species‐specific differences in the spatial patterns of site‐level resistance and resilience. However, despite this, locations with the highest resistance and/or resilience overlapped for most species and reveal where resources could be invested for multispecies persistence. This novel simplified framework can aid decision making associated with conservation planning and prioritization for multiple species residing in overlapping, fragmented habitats; helping to identify key sites that warrant urgent conservation protection, with consideration of the need to adapt and respond to future change.

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“…When facing choices between small water bodies or larger ones, ovipositing female mosquitoes will select the smaller patches, even if these have a short hydroperiod (Bohenek et al ., ; Westby & Juliano, ). When selecting breeding sites, ovipositing mosquitoes are known to avoid habitats with antagonist species in order to favour offspring fitness (Spencer et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of desiccation on mosquito oviposition site selection in Mediterranean temporary habitats

Duchet

Mukherjee

Stein

et al. 2019

Ecological Entomology

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1. Hydroperiod duration has been identified as the main factor determining the faunal composition and structure of aquatic communities in temporary habitats. It is hypothesised that desiccation will positively affect mosquito oviposition habitat selection during the post-drought period due to the lack of antagonists.2. An experiment was carried out in outdoor mesocosms to assess whether desiccation events have post-drought effects on community richness and mosquito oviposition.Three different treatments were randomly assigned to the mesocosms: (i) eight mesocosms were left dried for a week and then reflooded; (ii) eight mesocosms stayed dry for 4 weeks before they were reflooded; (iii) eight mesocosms were maintained at a constant water volume of 30 litres during the entire experiment as controls. Mosquito oviposition and invertebrate community richness were monitored in every mesocosm, along with environmental parameters [water temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids (TSS) and chlorophyll a concentration].3. Post-drought mosquito oviposition and larval abundance were higher in the short-drought and long-drought pools than in the control. Desiccation negatively affected the biomass of the filter feeder invertebrates in both desiccation treatments. Chlorophyll a concentrations were higher in the long-drought pools than in controls. The negative impact of desiccation on zooplankton led to a post-drought increase in algae, associated with an increase in mosquito oviposition. 4. Despite immediate negative effect on mosquitoes, pulsed disturbances can benefit mosquitoes as they favour oviposition during the post-disturbance recovery period due to a lower abundance of mosquito antagonists and higher food resources for their offspring.

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Patch size influences perceived patch quality for colonising Culex mosquitoes

Cited by 15 publications

References 106 publications

Colonization across gradients of risk and reward: Nutrients and predators generate species‐specific responses among aquatic insects

Colonization across gradients of risk and reward: Nutrients and predators generate species‐specific responses among aquatic insects

Quantifying resistance and resilience to local extinction for conservation prioritization

Effect of desiccation on mosquito oviposition site selection in Mediterranean temporary habitats

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