Date of Award

Spring 2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biological Sciences

Program/Concentration

Biology

Committee Director

Robert K. Rose

Committee Member

Lawrence E. Hurd

Committee Member

Deborah A. Waller

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.B46 G3495 2012

Abstract

My study, conducted on the Wildlife Refuge located on Virginia's Eastern Shore, focused on the life history, ecology, and intra- and interspecies interaction of Tenodera sinensis and T. angustipennis. Field methods included capture-mark-recapture, species, sex, and developmental life stage identification, and recorded key developmental milestones. Also, to analyze food-limiting growth, a laboratory cohort was fed ad lib, with lab and field cohorts measured bi-weekly and their mean weekly growth was compared.

When compared to a lab cohort, Tsinensis field mantises were shown not to be growth limited by the abundance of prey. In 2011, the dates of several developmental stages were recorded earlier in the life cycle of T. sinensis than in 2010. T. angustipennis had a very different developmental pattern between 2010 and 2011 with some key life-history dates occurring earlier in 2010 and some occurring later in 2010. Males of both species were shorter than females in 2010, but they were not significantly different in 2011. The rates of growth for both species were lower in 2011 than in 2010. There were several similarities and differences in the size classes of Tenodera. T. sinensis was more abundant in 2010 from June, when the species were first distinguishable, until October; whereas in 2011, T. sinensis was only more numerous than T. angustipennis until the beginning of July, when the two species became nearly 50:50 in proportions of mantises caught. In both years, T. sinensis and T. angustipennis maintained a 50:50 sex ratio until the end of the life cycle when females became more abundant. The mean weights of females of both species were not significantly different between years. Both species shared a short period of time in the fall when they oviposited a larger number of oöthecae.

In conclusion, the Tenodera mantises had several ecological and behavioral inconsistencies when compared with populations found in other parts of eastern US. The life cycles of both T. sinensis and T. angustipennis had variation between species and within the species.

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DOI

10.25777/ks9t-kt51

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