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Heaton, V, Moffatt, C and Simmons, T (2018) The movement of fly (Diptera) larvae within a feeding aggregation. The Canadian Entomologist, 150 (3). 326 - 333. ISSN 1918-3240
20180621_Movement of Fly Larvae - V.Heaton.pdf - Accepted Version
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Abstract
Dipteran larvae from a number of families feed in aggregations. Rotation of blow fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae within an aggregation has been reported anecdotally many times. However, there is a lack of quantitative data on such larval movement, which is necessary to better understand the advantage of this gregarious behaviour. A recent development in tagging methods provided an opportunity to address this gap in knowledge. In 15 aggregations of 500 Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae, the location of four-tagged individuals was recorded at 10-minute intervals. All larvae were seen to rotate, alternating between the periphery and within. There was much variation in the relative proportions that larvae were seen in these two locations among aggregations (χ2=78.4, df=58, P=0.038), perhaps as a result of differences in mass shape and, therefore, surface area: volume ratio. There were also differences between larvae within aggregations (χ2=25.6, df=14, P=0.029), which may give rise to differences in development rate, perhaps as a result of intraspecific competition. Further work would be required to verify this competition, and to establish whether the limited resource is temperature, food, oxygen, or some other requirement.
Item Type: | Article |
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Additional Information: | This is the accepted author manuscript (AAM). The final published version (version of record) is available online via Cambridge University Press at https://doi.org/10.4039/tce.2018.9 - please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher. |
Subjects: | Q Science > QL Zoology |
Divisions: | Faculty of Natural Sciences > School of Chemical and Physical Sciences |
Depositing User: | Symplectic |
Date Deposited: | 21 Jun 2018 10:59 |
Last Modified: | 01 Dec 2018 01:30 |
URI: | https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/5040 |