Predation Strategies, Resource Partitioning and Habitat Selection in Notonecta (Hemiptera/Heteroptera)

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Abstract
In an attempt to improve the understanding of ecological separation in the genus Notonecta, various aspects of the predation strategies of 3 [N. maculata, N. obliqua and N. glauca] of the 4 British species were examined in the presence of different prey in different environments. Marked differences in the food extraction rates, prey handling times and size of reaction areas imply differences in feeding efficiency between the 3 predator species. Time spent in different areas of the water and choice of perch differed enough for prey to be captured from different positions by the 3 spp. in complex environments; in simple environments, positions overlapped. Other morphological, physiological and behavioral differences occurred between species. If predation strategy is assumed to allow efficient exploitation of available food, predictions of the ideal habitat can be made. These predictions compared favorably with habitat selection found in field sampling and presented in earlier studies in the literature. Differences in predation behavior between these superficially similar species are probably adaptations to feeding in certain types of habitat.