The effects of temperature on growth and development of water strider species (Heteroptera: Gerridae) of central British Columbia and implications for species packing

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Abstract
The duration of life-cycle stages and the effects of temperature on development were assessed with laboratory rearing studies for six species of water striders which occur sympatrically in British Columbia. Larval production and development are strongly temperature dependent in all species studied. Temperature thresholds for development differ, both among species and often among stages of particular species. Instars of Gerris species showed distinct optimum temperatures for laboratory survival which varied with developmental threshold. Low thresholds calculated for G. pingreensis lead to significant growth advantages for this species during early spring. Threshold differences between species and instars appear to be adaptations to seasonal temperature regimes and to usual habitats occupied by gerrids. These relationships lead to temporal separation of species and help explain the patterns of habitat occupation observed in the study area.

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