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THE ECOLOGY OF CHAOBORUS IN MYERS LAKE, INDIANA
Author(s) -
Stahl John B.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1966.11.2.0177
Subject(s) - benthic zone , ecology , ecological niche , larva , niche , nocturnal , biology , habitat
Two species of Chaoborus live in Myers Lake, Indiana, C. punctipennis (Say) and C. flavicans (Meigen). Their distributions and life cycles were studied to see if their ecological niches were sufficiently different to explain their coexistence. C. flavicans emerged earlier than most of the C. punctipennis in Myers Lake, but in two Ontario lakes they emerged at the same time, so differences in emergence time are not thought to be significant. Bathymetric distribution, time of nocturnal vertical migration, and the length at which the larvae become benthic were similar in both species. Although mature larvae of C. flaroicans were larger than those of C. punctipennis, young larvae of the same size lived together during the summer. Presumably larvae of the same size use the same food. Therefore, it is concluded that the niches of C. punctipennis and C. flavicans are similar; any differences are probably too small to explain their coexistence.