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Trophic Behavior of Two Perlidae Species (Insecta, Plecoptera) in a River in Southern Spain
Author(s) -
Bo Tiziano,
Fenoglio Stefano,
LópezRodríguez Manuel Jesús,
Tierno de Figueroa José Manuel
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international review of hydrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 1434-2944
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.200711034
Subject(s) - biology , niche , detritus , ecology , trophic level , nymph , predation , baetidae , chironomidae , ecological niche , invertebrate , larva , habitat
Two Perlidae species, Dinocras cephalotes and Perla bipunctata , were studied in a river in Spain with the objectives of: a) describing their diets; b) detecting differences between size classes; c) analyzing niche breadth; and d) assessing the degree of niche overlap between both species and size classes. Dinocras cephalotes and Perla bipunctata nymphs fed mainly on Baetidae and immature Chironomidae. We did not detect significant differences in the quantity of ingested detritus, algae, and leaf pieces. Niche breadth was very low, although both species presented a high niche overlap. P. bipunctata seems to select some prey items throughout its nymphal development, whereas D. cephalotes augments its diet with other prey items as it grows. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)