Abstract
We examined the effects of intraguild predation (IGP) and interference competition on an endangered dragonfly, Aeshna viridis Eversm. (Odonata: Anisoptera). A. viridis is rare in Europe due to the decrease in suitable habitats harboring the macrophyte Stratiotes aloides L. Stratiotes plants are the principal oviposition substrate for A. viridis females and protect the larvae of A. viridis from fish predation. In our study lakes A. viridis larvae are sympatric with larvae of Aeshna grandis and Aeshna juncea. The susceptibility of A. viridis larvae to IGP by similar-sized larvae of A. grandis and A. juncea was tested in a laboratory predation experiment. Microhabitat use of A. viridis and A. grandis was studied in the laboratory to determine the possible effects of interference competition on the spatial distribution of A. viridis larvae. Our results show that at least in laboratory conditions, A. viridis is susceptible to IGP and interference competition. In competition, A. grandis larvae dominated the middle and outer portion of S. aloides rosettes whereas A. viridis stayed in the inner parts. When A. grandis larvae were absent, A. viridis colonized the middle and outer parts of the rosettes. We conclude that asymmetric predation between odonate larvae of equal size can be intense, and that both IGP and interference competition affect A. viridis. Although natural habitat complexity diminishes their impact, these interactions may nevertheless influence the distribution of A. viridis in S. aloides waters and restrict its microhabitat use in S. aloides rosettes.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Regional Environmental Centers and Finnish Environment Institute for granting the licences needed to collect and study A. viridis. We also thank Katja Tynkkynen and Mari Luojumäki for assistance in the field, and the members of the Round Table and two anonymous referees for their constructive comments on the manuscript. The study was funded by the Ministry of the Environment (Finnish Biodiversity Programme, FIBRE), and supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation (Häme), the Academy of Finland (to Jukka Suhonen) under the Finnish Centre of Excellence Programme during 2000–2005 (project 44878), Societas pro Fauna et Flora Fennica and Jenny and Antti Wihuri Fund (to E.S.).
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Suutari, E., Rantala, M.J., Salmela, J. et al. Intraguild predation and interference competition on the endangered dragonfly Aeshna viridis . Oecologia 140, 135–139 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-004-1559-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-004-1559-6