Feeding and growth in the Antarctic collembolan Cryptopygus antarcticus

Burn, A.J.. 1981 Feeding and growth in the Antarctic collembolan Cryptopygus antarcticus. Oikos, 36 (1). 59-64. https://doi.org/10.2307/3544379

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3544379

Abstract/Summary

Variations in the rate of moulting and of faecal pellet production by Cryptopygus antarcticus (Willem), collected from Signy Island in the maritime Antarctic, were measured over temperatures of 0° to 20°C. Over the range 5° to 15°C total faecal pellet production between moults was similar; at 0°C there was little feeding activity, whilst mortality was high at 20°C. The temperature of maximum moulting frequency is lower for this species than for temperate Isotomidae, suggesting cold adaptation of its moulting behaviour. Growth of individual specimens at 10°C was measured from mandibles recovered from shed exuviae after each moult, using a linear relationship between body length and mandible length. At a body length of 1040-1134 μm, individuals either increased or decreased in size at subsequent moults. The results suggest that the minimum age of the largest specimens of Cryptopygus on Signy Island is probably 3-7 yr

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.2307/3544379
ISSN:	00301299
Date made live:	30 Jul 2019 09:22 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524574

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.2307/3544379

ISSN:

00301299

Date made live:

30 Jul 2019 09:22 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524574