Should I dive or should I float? Behavioural plasticity of Aedes mariae pupae under predation threat

Cordeschi, Giulia; Mastrantonio, Valentina; Bisconti, Roberta; Giardiello, Nicole; Canestrelli, Daniele; Porretta, Daniele

doi:10.1186/s13071-025-06875-z

Should I dive or should I float? Behavioural plasticity of Aedes mariae pupae under predation threat

Author(s)

Cordeschi, Giulia

Mastrantonio, Valentina

Bisconti, Roberta

Giardiello, Nicole

Canestrelli, Daniele

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Date Issued

2025

Type

article

Volume

18

Issue

1

Start Page

224

DOI

10.1186/s13071-025-06875-z

Journal

PARASITES & VECTORS

Abstract

The pupal stage in holometabolous insects is a critical transition between larval and adult forms, during which feeding ceases and survival depends on stored energy reserves. Mosquito pupae exhibit active diving behaviour in response to threats, which is energetically costly due to their positive buoyancy. Whether pupae are able to adjust diving behaviour according to environmental conditions, balancing predator avoidance and energy expenditure, remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated how water salinity affects the diving behaviour of Aedes mariae pupae, a species inhabiting Mediterranean rock pools characterised by highly variable salinity conditions.

Handle

http://hdl.handle.net/2067/53681