Brachypera vidua (Gene, 1837)

Skuhrovec, Jiří, Štys, Pavel & Exnerová, Alice, 2014, Intraspecific larval aggression in two species of Hyperini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Journal of Natural History 49 (19), pp. 1131-1146 : 1138-1140

Brachypera vidua ( Table 1, Figure 4 )

All experimental data are summarized in Table 1.

Single-instar groups

Experiment (v1). The behaviours of B. vidua larvae during mutual attacks were generally similar to those of H. postica . When a larva found the leaves of Geranium sanguineum , it fed upon them, but occasionally attacked another larva, if the latter moved into its vicinity. L3 and L4a were more aggressive than the youngest larval instar used in the experiment (L2). The prepupal larvae L4b bobbed or wandered, avoiding the fights (see Figure 4 ).

Experiment (v2). The general behaviours were similar to those in the experiment with the larvae of H. postica . Larvae attacked other larvae when food was not available. L3 and L4a were more aggressive than the youngest larval instar used in the experiment (L2), and L4b did not fight even when they encountered (see Figure 4 ).

Mixed-instar groups

Experiment (v3). Mutual attacks between larvae of B. vidua were similar to those in (v1). Larvae occasionally attacked other larvae, even when there was enough food.

Experiment (v4). The results were similar to those obtained in the previous experiments with the larvae of B. vidua . The frequency of attacks was similar to those in (v3).

The possible behaviours for all the instars (L2, L3, L4a and L4b) of Brachypera vidua are summarized in Figure 4 .

Figures

Figure 4. A summary of the possible behaviours of each instar of Brachypera vidua (L2, L3, L4a and L4b).