Daily rhythm of feeding and prey size in four sympatric species of Plecoptera (Insecta) in a tropical Andean stream
Keywords:
Anacroneuria, Andes, Venezuela, stoneflies, stream, tropic relationshipsAbstract
We compared the daily feeding activity and size of prey consumed by Plecoptera nymphs of Anacroneuria chorrera,
A. cacute, A. paleta and A. tachira, species living in sympatry in the stream La Picón in Mérida, Venezuela. Samples were
taken from the stream bottom every four hours in three 24-hour cycles. From each sample were selected Plecoptera mature
nymphs. The head width of each nymph was measured and their stomach contents analyzed to determine the condition of
fullness of the stomach and estimate the average size of prey consumed. Stomach fullness results show that the four species
were fed continuously for 24 hours daily, although two of them, A. tachira and A. paleta, exhibited some degree of periodicity
in the daily rhythm of feeding. The size of prey ingested was associated with the size of nymphs of the four species. The
larger nymphs (A. chorrera) consumed the largest prey and smaller nymphs (A. paleta) fed on smaller prey. The species
A. tachira and A. cacute, with intermediate sizes between the two preceding species fed on prey with intermediate sizes also.
We concluded that daily feeding activity and size of consumed prey contribute to food niche separation of four Plecoptera
species in the stream La Picón.
Downloads
References
AFALLAN, J. D. 1982. Feeding habits and prey consumption of three setipalpian stoneflies (Plecoptera) in a Mountain stream. Ecology 63(1): 26-34.
ALLAN, J. D. 1983. Predator-prey relationships. Pp: 191- 229. In: Barnes, J. R. y G. W. Misnhall (eds.) Stream Ecology. Plenum Press. New York.
ALLAN, J. D. y M.M. CASTILLO 2007. Stream Ecology. Structure and Function of running waters. Springer 2a Ed. . 436 pp.
ALLAN, J. D. y A. S. FLECKER. 1988. Prey preferences in stoneflies: a comparative analysis of prey vulnerability. Oecologia 76:496-503.
ALLAN, J. D., A. S. FLECKER y N. L. MCCLINTOCK. 1987a. Prey size selection by carnivorous stoneflies. Limnology and Oceanography 32: 864-872.
ALLAN, J. D., A. S. FLECKER y N. L. MCCLINTOCK. 1987b. Prey preference of stoneflies: sedentary vs mobile prey. Oikos 49: 323-331.
BELLO, C. L. y M. I. CABRERA. 1999. Uso de la técnica microhistológica de Cavender y Hansen en la identificación de insectos acuáticos. Boletín
Entomológico Venezolano 14(1):77-79.
CRESSA, C. y B. STARK. 2003. Plecoptera. Pp: 478-488. In: Aguilera, M. l., A. Azocar y E. Gonzáles (eds.). Biodiversidad en Venezuela. Ministerio de ciencias y tecnología. Fundación polar. Tomo I. Caracas, Venezuela.
FENOGLIO, S. 2003. Feeding habits of Anacroneuria nymphs (Plecoptera Perlidae). Boll. Soc. Entom. It. 135: 15-17.
FENOGLIO S. y TIERNO DE FIGUEROA J. M. 2003. Observations on the feeding of adults of some Neoperla and Anacroneuria species (Plecoptera:
Perlidae) African entomology 11(1): 138-139
FENOGLIO S., BO T., PESSINO M. y G. MALACARNE. 2007. Feeding of Perla grandis nymphs (Plecoptera: Perlidae) in an Apennine first order stream (Rio Berga, NW Italy). Ann. soc. entomol. Fr. (n.s.) 43 (2) : 221-224
FULLER, R. L. y K. W. STEWART. 1977. The food habits of stoneflies (Plecoptera) in the Upper Gunnison River, Colorado. Environmental Entomology 6(2): 293- 302.
GAMBOA M., M. M. CHACÓN, S. SEGNINI. 2008. Diet composition of four Anacroneuria species (Plecoptera:Perlidae) from the Venezuelan Andes.
Submitted to proceedings of International Symposium of Plecoptera in Journal of Aquatic Insects. Germany. In press
GINES, H., MARCUZZI, G, y F. MARTIN. 1952 Observaciones sobre las condiciones de vida de la trucha de los andes de Mérida. II Congreso de
Ciencias Naturales y afines. Cuaderno N° 3. Mem. Soc. Cien. Nat. La Salle (Caracas) 12: 152 – 200.
HAWKINS, C. P. 1985. Food habits of species of Ephemerellid Mayflies (Ephemeroptera:Insecta) in streams on Oregon. American Midland Naturalist 113(2): 343-352.
JOHNSON J. H. 2006. Diel food habits of two species of Setipalpian stoneflies (Plecoptera) in tributaries of the Clearwater River, Idaho. Freshwater Biology 13(2):105-111.
KERANS, B. L., B. C. PECKARSKY y C. ANDERSON. 1995. Estimates of mayfly mortality: is stonefly predations a significant source?. Oikos 74: 315-323.
KRATZ, K. W. 1996. Effects of stoneflies on local prey populations: mechanisms of impact across prey density. Ecology 77(5):1573-1585.
MALDONADO, V. 2002. Biodiversidad de Plecópteros (Insecta: Plecoptera: Perlidae) en Venezuela. Trabajo de grado para optar a Doctor en Ciencias, Mención Ecología de la Universidad Central de Venezuela para optar por el título de. Caracas, Venezuela. 157pp.
MALDONADO, V., B. STARK, C. CRESSA. 2002. Descriptions and records of Anacroneuria from Venezuela (Plecoptera: Perlidae). Aquatic Insects 24(3):219-236.
MALMQVIST, B. y P. SJÖSTRÖM. 1980. Prey size and feeding patterns in Dinocras cephalotes (Plecoptera). Oikos 35:311-316.
MALMQVIST, B. y P. SJÖSTRÖM. 1984. The microdistribution of some lotic insect predators in relation to their prey and to abiotic factors. Freswater
Biology 14:649-656.
MOLLES, M. C. y R. D. PIETRUSZKA. 1983. Mecanisms of prey selection by predaceous stoneflies: roles of prey morphology, behavior and predator hunger. Oecología 57:25-31.
MOLLES, M. C. y R. D. PIETRUSZKA. 1987. Prey selection by a stonefly: the influence of hunger and prey size. Oecology 72:473-478.
PECKARSKY, B. L. 1980. Predator-prey interactions between stoneflies and mayflies: behavioral observations. Ecology 61: 932-934.
PECKARSKY, B. L. 1982. Aquatic insect predator-prey relations. BioScience 61:932-943.
PECKARSKY, B. L. 1984. Predator-prey interactions among aquatic insects. pp. 196-254 In Resh, V. H. and D. M. Rosenberg (eds.), Ecology of aquatic insects. Praeger Press, NY.
PECKARSKY, B. L. 2007. Predator-prey interactions. Pp:561-583. In: Hauer, F. R. and G. A. Lamberti (eds.). Methods in stream ecology. 2a Ed. Academic Press, USA.
PECKARSKY, B. L. y C. A. COWAN. 1995. Microhabitat and periodicity of predatory stoneflies and their mayfly prey in a western Colorado stream. Oikos 74: 513-521.
PECKARSKY, B. L., C. A. COWAN, M. A. PENTON y C. R. ANDERSON. 1993. Sublethal consequences of stream-dwelling predatory stoneflies on mayfly
growth and fecundity. Ecology 74:1836-1846.
PEFAUR, J.E. y SIERRA, N.M. (1998). Distribución y densidad de la trucha Oncorhynchus mykiss (Salmoniformes: Salmonidae) en los Andes
Venezolanos. Rev. Biol. Trop., 46(3), 1-8.
SEGNINI, S y H. BASTARDO. 1995. Cambios Ontogenéticos en la Dieta de la Trucha Arcoiris (Oncorhynchus mykiss) en un Río Andino Neotropical. Biotropica 27(4): 495-508.
SIEGEL S. y N.J. CASTELLAN. 1995 Estadística no paramétrica: aplicada a las ciencias de la conducta. 4ª ed. México.Trillas. 437 p.
SIEGFRIED, C. A. y A. W. KNIGHT. 1976. Prey selection by a setipalpian stonefly nymph, Acroneuria (calineuria) californica Bank (Plecoptera: Perlidae) Ecology 57:603-608.
SJÖSTROM, P. 1985. Territoriality in nymphs of Dinocras cephalotes (Plecoptera). Oikos 45: 353-357.
TAMARIS-TURIZO, C., TURIZO-CORREA R. y M C. ZÚÑIGA. 2007. Distribución espacio-temporal y hábitos alimentarios de ninfas de Anacroneuria
(Insecta: Plecoptera: Perlidae) en el río Gaira (Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia). Caldasia 29(2):375-385.
THORP R. A.; MONROE J.B.; THORP E. C.; WELLNITZ T y N. LEROY POFF. 2007. Food and habitat relationships of Claassenia Sabulosa (Plecoptera:
Perlidae) in the upper Colorado River, Colorado. Western North American Naturalist 67(1):57–62.
TIERNO DE FIGUEROA J. M. y A. SÁNCHEZ-ORTEGA. 2000. La luz y la emergencia de Capnioneura mitis y otras especies de plecópteros (Insecta. Plercoptera). Boletín de la Asociación Española de Entomología 24(1-2):19-24.
WALDE S..J. Y R. W. DAVIES. 1985. Diel feeding periodicity of two predatory stoneflies (Plecoptera). Canadian Journal of Zoology 63(4): 883–887.
Downloads
Published
Data Availability Statement
naIssue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2009 Maribet Gamboa, Maria M. Chacón, Samuel Segnini (Autor/a)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
