Larval I. cervula are aggressive towards conspecifics and exclude them from areas of food concentration. The effects of hunger, previous interactions, and familiarity with an area on dominance of larvae were determined. Dominance was defined as the ability of one animal to supplant another. At low levels of hunger (starved for 3 or 6 days) dominance of hungry animals was not significantly different from that of well-fed animals. At higher hunger levels (starved for 9 or 12 days) hungry animals were less dominant. Animals previously matched with a large animal tended to be less dominant than animals previously matched with a smaller animal. Dominance of animals moved from familiar areas to unfamiliar areas was not significantly different from dominance of animals allowed to remain in familiar areas. Thus, differences in hunger and outcome of previous interactions will help maintain the exclusion while familiarity with an area will have no effect.

Odonatologica

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Societas Internationalis Odonatologica

R.L. Baker. (1983). Spacing behaviour by larval Ischnura cervula Selys: effects of hunger, previous interactions, and familiarity with an area (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica, 12(3), 201–207.