Effects of previous diet and frequency of feeding on development of larval damselflies

SUMMARY. 1. Food availability during instar F‐3 affected duration of instar F‐3 of larval Ischnura vertiealis (Say) maintained in the laboratory but did not affect the increase in head width at the moult to instar F‐2. 2. Food availability during instar F‐2 altered both duration in instar F‐2 and weight per unit head width of newly moulted F‐l larvae, but not the increase in head width at the moult to instar F‐1. 3. Food availability during instar F‐3 had no effect on instar duration, weight per unit head width, or increase in head width of F‐2 larvae at the moult to instar F‐l. 4. Survival of larval Coenagrion resolution (Hagen) reared in the laboratory was dependent on mean number of Daphnia offered per day. In addition, larvae fed less frequently, but on the same mean number of Daphnia per day. had lower survival rates than larvae fed more frequently.