Ecological studies on the buprestid beetle Capnodis tenebrionis (Linnaeus, 1767) were carried out in the laboratory and the field. In particular, attention focussed on the effects of seven different temperatures at different times during the day on the movement and feeding activity of this beetle. Field experiments in an apricot orchard recorded the flight activity of C. tenebrionis, with particular reference to the effect of temperature and wind. The experiments highlighted the marked response of movement, feeding and flight activity to increase in temperature. The optimal temperature for feeding, movement and flight was 30°C and above with negative effects occurring at 45°C. Flight generally occurred in the middle of the day. Wind had a negative effect on flight activity. Wind speeds in excess of 4 m/s prevented the insect from taking off. The spread of this phytophagous beetle from one orchard to another is unquestionably influenced by the daily activity and flight behaviour of the adult.
We examined condition factor, hepatosomatic index and stomach fullness in brown trout to study if feeding intensity can be related to fish condition. Trout were collected at three locations during the summer in temperate rivers (Galicia, NW Spain). Our findings suggest that the feeding intensity is inversely related with the fish condition because the stomach fullness decreases with fish age and size and the condition factor is the lowest in young-of-the-year (YOY). In general, no significant differences among age classes were found in the hepatosomatic index, except in one river (the River Lengüelle) in which YOY shows the highest value. The high
feeding intensity of YOY during summer could be related with the increases in fish condition and survival in the later autumn and winter.