IBBEA   24401
INSTITUTO DE BIODIVERSIDAD Y BIOLOGIA EXPERIMENTAL Y APLICADA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Intra- and interspecific competitive interactions for shelters in triatomines
Autor/es:
CLAUDIA A. ZACHARIAS; SEBASTIÁN A. MINOLI; GABRIEL MANRIQUE
Lugar:
Sao Paulo
Reunión:
Encuentro; XXXI Encontro Anual de Etologia; 2013
Institución organizadora:
Sociedade Brasileira de Etologia
Resumen:
Kissing bugs leave their shelters during the night and display most of their activities outside, returning before dawn, remaining aggregated to the substrate and conspecifics throughout the day. Since staying outside the shelter makes them vulnerable to predators, the ability to occupy a shelter at the end of the night is vital for their survival. The aim of this work is to study the relevance of competition in the spatial dynamic of use of shelters by larvae of these bugs. We studied the competitive interaction between different larval stages, nutritional status, arrival order and species (Triatoma infestans, Triatoma sordida and Rhodnius prolixus). Behavioral assays were performed using one artificial shelter with limited space (generating a competitive environment) and quantifying the occupancy of individuals of different groups. Results showed higher occupancy levels of the shelter for 4th over 5th stage, fed over unfed and previously over lately arrived larvae of T. infestans. Interspecific comparisons suggest that T. sordida has better competitive abilities than T. infestans and the latter better than R. prolixus. The assessment of intra- and interspecific competitive interactions is relevant as it can determine the success of a species in a given environment.