Predation-mediated Mortality of Early Life Stages: A Field Experiment with Nymphs of an Herbivorous Stick Insect (Metriophasma diocles)

Jürgen R. Berger; Rainer Wirth

doi:10.1646/03196

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Jürgen R. Berger,^1,* Rainer Wirth¹

¹University of Kaiserslautern Department of Botany PF 3049, D-67653 Kaiserslautern, Germany

^*Corresponding author; jrberger@rhrk.uni-kl.de

Abstract

We quantified predation pressure on first instar nymphs of a stick insect in predator-exclusion experiments in the forest of Barro Colorado Island, Panamá. After considering intrinsic mortality (19%) and potential emigration (negligible), we estimated that 54 percent of the nymphs died due to predation in a two-week period. Predation on nymphs was highest at night and may explain the low abundance of Metriophasma diocles in the understory.

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Jürgen R. Berger and Rainer Wirth "Predation-mediated Mortality of Early Life Stages: A Field Experiment with Nymphs of an Herbivorous Stick Insect (Metriophasma diocles)," BIOTROPICA 36(3), 424-428, (1 September 2004). https://doi.org/10.1646/03196

Received: 27 October 2003; Accepted: 1 April 2004; Published: 1 September 2004