Effects of temperature and food level on growth and development of a planktonic water mite

• Published in: Hydrobiologia 1995-07, Vol.308 (2), p.153-165
• Main Authors: BUTLER, M. I, BURNS, C. W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acari; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Ceriodaphnia; Chydorus; Daphnia; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Pionidae; Protozoa. Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0018-8158; 1573-5117
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00007401

We analysed the relative effects of food availability and temperature on rates of growth and development of a predatory planktonic water mite, Piona exigua. Growth in length of mites fed Daphnia, Ceriodaphnia and Chydorus was analysed by Gompertz or von Bertalanffy curves; these curves were compared by parallel curve analysis. Growth rates of nymphs and adult female mites increased with temperature; the duration of the imagochrysalis stage decreased. Females grown at 10 degree C were smaller at final size than females grown at 15 degree C, 18 degree C or 22 degree C. Females reared at food levels of 15 or 30 prey l super(-1) grew more slowly and were smaller than those provided with 60 or 120 prey l super(-1). Nymphs grew more slowly when Daphnia were the only prey, than when smaller prey were available. Food level did not affect nymph growth at 10 degree C or 15 degree C, but growth at 18 degree C or 22 degree C may have been slowed at the lowest food levels. Synergistic effects of temperature and food level on nymph growth were apparent only from analysis of growth curves and not from stage duration data.