Abstract

MODESTO NONATO, LUCIMARA  and  DO NASCIMENTO LIMA, TATIANE. Predation behavior of the Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) larval instars. Rev. Colomb. Entomol. [online]. 2011, vol.37, n.2, pp.354-356. ISSN 0120-0488.

Myrmeleon brasiliensis larvae are predators that use the sit-and-wait tactic to catch their prey, and to fulfll this pitmaking funnel traps in the sandy soil and remain buried waiting for prey to slip. The objective of this study was to observe the predation behavior of larvae of M. brasiliensis in the three larval instars, for this leaf cut ant were collected manually and offered within the plastic pots as prey for 14 larvae of 1^st instar larvae, 33 of 2^nd and 3^rd instar. It was counted the number of attacks of the predator to prey, the number of escapes from jail and the success of prey capture for each larva of M. brasiliensis. The larvae of M. brasiliensis 1^st instar attacked more times its prey, followed by larvae of 2^nd and 3^rd instar. On the number of escape of prey, there was no signifcant difference in this behavior among larvae. Regarding the success in capturing prey, the larvae of 3^rd instar were more successful, with a predation rate of 96.96%, followed by the larvae of 2^nd (69.70%) and 1^st instar (14.28 %).

Keywords : Antlion; Foraging; Predator.

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