Temperature Tolerance and Predatory Strategy of Pit-Building Ant-Lion Larvae (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae)

Ábrahám, L. (2003) Temperature Tolerance and Predatory Strategy of Pit-Building Ant-Lion Larvae (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae). Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica, 38 (1-2). pp. 167-179. ISSN 0238-1249

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Abstract

This study focuses on the nocturnal and diurnal temperature relations inside and around the pits of Myrmeleon bore pit-building ant-lion larvae living in unsheltered microhabitat and Euroleon nostras living in sheltered microhabitat. The larvae's potential hunting activity and prey handling phase of predation in relation to the temperature conditions were observed. Due to the structure of pitfalls and the thermal layers above and under the sand surface, the larvae must suffer less temperature fluctuation during the day than their environment. The role of the pitfall seems to be just as important in prey capturing as in temperature tolerance. This function of pits especially prevails in unsheltered microhabitats. In unsheltered microhabitats temperature influences the potential predator activity as well as the distribution of prey handling phase of predation in time. The potential hunting activity of larvae is not influenced by temperature in sheltered microhabitats, where their prey handling phase of predation depends mainly on the activity of prey species. It takes one year for both species to develop, but underdeveloped individuals of two-year life cycle can also be found. During the observation period, the chances of development for normally developed larvae living in unsheltered microhabitats proved far better than the chances for underdeveloped larvae due to the temperature. During their evolution, pit-building ant-lion larvae have strongly adapted themselves to extreme environmental factors physiologically and behaviourally as well.

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