Production ecology of Cricotopus sylvestris (Fabricius) (Diptera: Chironomidae) in a shallow estuarine cove

Cricotopus sylvestris was the predominant chironomid (80% composition by abundance) living on Myriophyllum spicatum in a cove of the Hudson River estuary. Annual production of C. sylvestris was conservatively estimated by the size‐frequency method to be 5.8 g·m ‒2 · yr ‒1 (dry weight). The annual ( P:B ) ratio for the species was 21.0, one of the highest values reported for chironomids. Laboratory‐reared larvae completed development in 10 days at 22° and 29°C and 28 days at 15°C, while development in the field was conservatively estimated to take 42 days. Production of C. sylvestris accounted for 31% of total chironomid production in the cove and 60% of the production of chironomid species associated with M. spicutum. The biomass of emerged adults of C. sylvestris was estimated to be 2 g·m ‒2 ·yr ‒1 , or 34% of the produced larval biomass. Cage experiments in the field and laboratory studies of feeding rates indicated that damselfly naiads consumed much of the larval biomass not removed by adult emergence. The larvae also were eaten by other invertebrates and fish.