Egg cannibalism and carnivory among three species of Toxorhynchites

In laboratory experiments, third and early fourth instar larvae of Toxorhynchites amboinensis, Tx. splendens and Tx. brevipalpis, previously starved 24 h, rapidly cannibalized eggs of their own species, or ate the eggs of other species present on the water surface in small containers. Toxorhynchites amboinensis and Tx. splendens larvae of either instar cannibalized eggs somewhat more rapidly than Tx. brevipalpis, probably because brevipalpis eggs distributed themselves around the edge of the container and were less accessible. When offered heterospecific eggs, fourth instar larvae of all three species ate them as efficiently as they cannibalized their own except that eggs of Tx. brevipalpis were eaten very slowly. Toxorhynchites amboinensis larvae were offered conspecific hatched eggs, and these also were consumed.