Variability in the life history of the water strider Gerris lacustris (Heteroptera: Gerridae) across small spatial scales

Abstract

Abstract. 1. Variability in life‐history traits of the common pond skater Gerris lacustris (L.) (Heteroptera: Gerridae) was investigated on a small geographical scale in Bavaria, Germany (≈ 49 °N). In an area of approximately 3.5 × 3.0 km, voltinism and wing length data of G. lacustris were recorded from 65 ponds located either in an open field or surrounded by forest.2. Life history differed significantly between populations in the two habitat types. Gerris lacustris showed a bivoltine life‐cycle in most of the field ponds with a high proportion of long‐winged individuals in the diapause generation and a large increase of the short‐winged morph in the midsummer generation. In contrast, almost all populations inhabiting forest ponds were univoltine. Only a few forest populations produced any second generation larvae. The long‐winged morph dominated during the whole season in forest ponds.3. The appearance of first‐instar larvae was delayed by 3–4 weeks in forest ponds compared with field ponds. Presumably, low temperatures led to this reduction in the developmental rate of eggs and larvae. Consequently, ‘field larvae’ of the first generation developed under increasing daylight conditions (triggering direct reproduction and brachyptery) but ‘forest larvae’ developed under a shortening photoperiod (triggering diapause and macroptery).4. Offspring raised from ‘forest parents’ in the laboratory showed the same variability in life history when reared in a cool (16.9 ± 2.4 °C) or warm (23.1 ± 1.8 °C) temperature regime.5. Given the small spatial scale of the study, it is concluded that the variability in the life history of G. lacustris has a strong phenotypic component.

Differences in prey capture in semiaquatic bugs (Heteroptera:Gerromorpha)

“…; Erlandsson & Giller ; Karaouzas & Gritzalis ). Gerris lacustris is univoltine, partly bivoltine or bivoltine; the proportion of macropterous individuals of this wing‐dimorphic species varies according to generation and temperature during development (Pfenning & Poethke ). Gerris odontogaster with a 7–9 mm body length (Savage ) has a very similar distribution to the previous species (Aukema & Rieger ).…”

“…Gerris lacustris is a Palearc-tic water strider 8-10 mm long (Savage 1989;Aukema & Rieger 1995). It prefers lentic habitats with vegetation cover such as ponds and lakes (Andersen 1982), but can be found also in temporary forest ponds (Pfenning & Poethke 2006) and lotic habitats as streams (e.g. Brönmark et al 1985;Erlandsson & Giller 1992;Karaouzas & Gritzalis 2006).…”

From water striders to water bugs: the molecular diversity of aquatic Heteroptera (Gerromorpha, Nepomorpha) of Germany based on DNA barcodes

“…Because aquatic Heteroptera are of high importance for ecological and conservational studies, however, the correct species identification is essential ( Hufnagel, Bakonyi & Vásárhelyi, 1999 ; Whiteman & Sites, 2008 ; Skern, Zweimüller & Schiemer, 2010 ). This is especially true for juveniles and females which can, depending on the life history of a species, dominate within a population over a given period of a year ( Barahona, Millan & Velasco, 2005 ; Pfenning & Poethke, 2006 ; Wachmann, Melber & Deckert, 2006 ).…”

Comparative analysis of overwintering physiology in nine species of semi‐aquatic bugs (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha)

“…Two major families that have temperate members, the Gerridae (water striders) and Veliidae (water crickets, riffle bugs), are widespread throughout the world. Although the data on the life histories of gerromorphan species are relatively rich (Kaitala, 1987; Spence & Andersen, 1994; McPherson & Taylor, 2006; Pfenning & Poethke, 2006; Taylor, 2009), details of their overwintering physiology are scarce or missing. The only exceptions are the studies of Harada et al (2000) and Harada (2003) on Japanese populations of the water strider Aquarius paludum Fabricius (Gerridae).…”