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Developmental responses to predation risk in morphologically defended mayflies

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Abstract

Densities and species composition of predators could affect morphological defences, larval development and the timing of emergence of their prey. To address this issue we studied the morphology and life history of an ephemerellid mayfly, Ephemerella invaria, from two streams in a deciduous forested drainage basin in central New York. Both streams contained predatory fish, but densities and species composition of fish differed. A field survey provided evidence that Ephemerella inhabiting a stream with ≥10 fish species and high relative densities of fish emerged several weeks earlier and at smaller sizes than Ephemerella inhabiting a nearby tributary with ~2 fish species and low relative densities of fish. However, the two populations of mayflies showed no differences in defensive morphology or growth rates. In laboratory rearing experiments, we exposed Ephemerella larvae from these two locations to fish chemical cues or control water (no fish) over 2 months to test whether differences in life histories could be attributed to fish. Fish cues induced faster larval development, but also smaller size of mature Ephemerella individuals from both high and low predator locations. Although shorter development times in more dangerous environments could increase larval survival, smaller size of females results in a fecundity cost associated with this life history shift. Consistent with the field studies, laboratory rearing experiments revealed no effects of fish cues on Ephemerella's morphological defences. These data suggest that variation in the density or species composition of predators may favour the evolution of developmental plasticity to reduce mortality in the larval environment.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Glenn Howser and Phil Kaufman at the Schwardt Laboratory for help during the induction experiment. We thank also Christer Brönmark, Andrea Encalada, Lawrence Dill and Kajsa Åbjörnsson for providing critical comments on the manuscript. Financial support was received from the Swedish Natural Science Research Council (STINT) to J. Dahl and NSF Grant (DEB96-29404) to B. Peckarsky.

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  1. Jonas Dahl

    Present address: Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA

  2. Barbara L. Peckarsky

    Present address: Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Streamwater Ecology, National Board of Fisheries, Brobacken, 81494, Älvkarleby, Sweden

    Jonas Dahl

  2. Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA

    Barbara L. Peckarsky

Authors
  1. Jonas Dahl
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  2. Barbara L. Peckarsky
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Correspondence to Jonas Dahl.

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Dahl, J., Peckarsky, B.L. Developmental responses to predation risk in morphologically defended mayflies. Oecologia 137, 188–194 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1326-0

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