We report an observation of overland dispersal in a flightless aquatic insect during a period of drought-induced stream-drying. We observed an adult giant water bug, Abedus herberti (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae), crawling at 4.6 m/min along a dry stream channel in the Galiuro Mountains, Arizona. We tracked the individual for 130 m and estimate that it moved 240 m from the nearest remaining aquatic habitat. Additionally, we conducted behavioral experiments that confirm that A. herberti can use drying as a cue to initiate movement.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 June 2014
Overland dispersal and drought-escape behavior in a flightless aquatic insect, Abedus herberti (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae)
Kate S. Boersma,
David A. Lytle
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
The Southwestern Naturalist
Vol. 59 • No. 2
June 2014
Vol. 59 • No. 2
June 2014