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- Title
Energy budget of a natural population of Aphodius rufipes larvae (Scarabaeidae).
- Authors
Holter, P.
- Abstract
An energy budget has been made for Aphodius rufipes (L.) larvae in cow pats. Field data on temperature and population size were combined with laboratory measurements of ingestion, respiration, and production of second and third instars at 17°C, and variation with temperature of ingestion and respiration. Detailed investigations of a 1972-population gave the following estimates: ingestion 218 kcal; respiration 8.9 kcal; production 9.4 kcal per cow pat during larval feeding and growth (about 6 wk). Assimilation: 8.9 + 9.4 = 18.3 kcal per cow pat, or 390 kcal per m2 cow pat. In a 1974-population with high density, especially of the third instar, assimilation was roughly 800 kcal per m2 cow pat. Although these values are very high compared with energy flow in populations of other species, only modest fractions of the energy initially available were assimilated: 1.8% (1972) and 3.8% (1974). A large proportion of the dung in the cow pats was probably ingested, and egested, by the larval population.
- Subjects
BIOENERGETICS; ENERGY budget (Geophysics); DEVELOPMENTAL biology; TEMPERATURE; INGESTION; VITAL signs
- Publication
Oikos, 1975, Vol 26, Issue 2, p177
- ISSN
0030-1299
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/3543707