Summary
From June 1968 to late May, 1969 collections of more than 20,600 immature Trichoptera were made from the St. Vrain River of Colorado. Agapetus sp., Arctopsyche grandis, Brachycentrus americanus, Ecclisomyia maculosa, Hydropsyche sp., Hydropsyche occidentalis, Helicopsyche borealis, Leptocella sp., Neothremma alicia, Rhyacophila acropedes, and Sortosa sp. were taken at eight sites ranging from 1565 to 3200 m in altitude. The Trichoptera of the St. Vrain exhibited a distinct altitudinal zonation with Zone I (1565 m) dominated by Leptocella, Hydropsyche sp., and Helicopsyche borealis; Zone II (1750 to 2350 m) was dominated by Brachycentrus americanus and Hydropsyche occidentalis; Zone III (2350 m) was considered a transitional area. In Zone IV (2650 m) and Zone V (2950 to 3250 m ) Neothremma alicia and Arctopsyche grandis were the most successful genera, respectively. Temperature is proposed as the major variable controlling attitudinal zonation.
Standing crop productivity of Trichoptera was determined from timed collections and expressed as population density (number of organisms collected per 30 minutes) and organic biomass (dry organic matter represented by organisms collected per 30 minutes). Intermediate altitudes (2300 m) exhibited the lowest productivity but greatest species diversity. Highest productivity occurred below 1600 m but organic biomass was surprisingly high above 2900 m. Changes in productivity in relation to altitude are discussed in relation to temperature, food availability, severe flooding, and other variables. Productivity on a yearly basis was found to be greatest in spring and at minimum levels during autumn and early winter. The holometabolous life cycle of Trichoptera, temperature, and current seem to be the major governing factors of seasonal productivity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armitage, K. B. - 1958 - The ecology of the riffle insects of Firehole River, Wyoming. Ecology, 39: 571–579.
Brues, C. T. - 1924 - Observations on animal life in the thermal waters of Yellowstone Park, with a consideration of the thermal environment. Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts Sci., 59: 371–487.
Buscemi, P. A. - 1961 - Ecology of the bottom fauna of Parvin Lake, Colorado. Trans. Amer. Microscop. Soc., 80: 266–307.
Cummins, K. W. - 1962 - An evaluation of some techniques for the collection and analysis of benthic samples with special emphasis on lotic waters. Amer. Midl. Nat., 67: 477–504.
Denning, D. G. - 1937 - The biology of some Minnesota Trichoptera. Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., 63: 17–44.
Denning, D. G. - 1950a - Records and descriptions of Nearctic caddisflies. Part I. Bull. Brooklyn Ent. Soc., 45: 97–104.
Denning, D. G. - 1950b - Records and descriptions of Nearctic caddisflies. Part II. J. Kansas Ent. Soc., 23: 115–120.
Denning, D. G. - 1954 - New Species of western Trichoptera. J. Kansas Ent. Soc., 27: 57–64.
Denning, D. G. - 1956 - Several new species of western Trichoptera. Pan-Pac. Ent., 32: 73–80.
Dodds, G. S. & Hisaw, F. L. - 1924 - Ecological studies of aquatic insects. II. Size of respiratory organs in relation to environmental conditions. Ecology, 5: 262–271.
Dodds, G. S. & Hisaw, F. L. - 1925a - Ecological studies on aquatic insects. III. Adaptations of caddisfly larvae to swift streams. Ecology, 6: 123–137.
Dodds, G. S. & Hisaw, F. L. - 1925b - Ecological studies on aquatic insects. IV. Altitudinal range and zonation of mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies in the Colorado Rockies. Ecology, 6: 380–390.
Frison, T. H. - 1935 - The stoneflies, or Plecoptera, of Illinois. Bull. Illinois State Natur. Hist. Surv., 20: 281–471.
Gaufin, A. - 1959 - Production of bottom fauna in the Provo River. Utah. Iowa State Coll. J. Sci., 33: 395–419.
Hazzard, A. S. - 1935 - Instruction for lake and stream survey work. U. S. Bur. Fish., 34 pp. (mimeographed).
Hynes, H. B. N. - 1961 - The invertebrate fauna of a Welsh mountain stream. Arch. Hydrobiol., 57: 344–388.
Knight, A. W. & Gaufin, A. R. - 1966 - Altitudinal distribution of stoneflies (Plecoptera) in a Rocky Mountain drainage system. J. Kansas. Ent. Soc., 39: 668–675.
LaVelle, J. - 1968 - Primary and secondary production in the headwaters of the Arkansas River. Ph. D. thesis, University of Colorado, Boulder. 78 pp.
Lloyd, J. T. - 1921 - The biology of the North American caddis fly larvae. Bull. Lloyd Library. Bot. Pharm., Mat. Med., 21: 177–179.
Macan, T. T. - 1950 - Ecology of fresh-water Mollusca in the English lake district. J. Animal Ecol., 19: 124–146.
Macan, T. T. - 1955 - Littoral fauna and lake types. Verh. Internatl. Ver. Limnol., 12: 608–612.
Mecom, J. O. - 1970 - Unusual case building behavior of Hydropsche occidentalis larvae (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) Ent. News, 81: 33–35.
Muttkowski, R. A. - 1929 - The ecology of trout streams in Yellowstone National Park. Roosevelt Wildl. Ann., 2: 155–240.
Neel, J. K. - 1968 - Seasonal succession of benthic algae and their macro-invertebrate residents in a head-water limestone stream. Part II.. Water Pollution Cont. Fed., 40: 10–30.
Noyes, A. A. - 1914 - The biology of the netspinning Trichoptera of Cascadilla Creek. Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer., 7: 251–272.
Pennak, R. W. - 1943 - Limnological variables in a Colorado mountain stream. Amer. Midland Natur., 29: 186–199.
Pennak, R. W. - 1945 - Some aspects of the regional limnology of northern Colorado. Univ. Colorado Studies, Ser. D, 2: 263–293.
Pennak, R. W. & Van Gerpen, E. D. - 1947 - Bottom fauna production and physical nature of the substrate in a northern Colorado trout stream. Ecology, 28: 42–48.
Pennak, R. W. - 1953 - Fresh-water invertebrates of the United States. 769 pp. Ronald Press, New York.
Pennak, R. W. - 1955 - Comparative limnology of eight Colorado mountain lakes. Univ. Colorado Studies, Ser. Biol., 1: 15–23.
Pennak, R. W. - 1958a - Regional lake typology in northern Colorado, U.S.A. Verh. intern. Ver. Limnol., 13: 264–283.
Reynoldson, T. B. - 1958 - The quantitative ecology of lake-dwelling triclads in northern Britain. Oikos, 9: 94–183.
Ross, H. H. - 1944 - The caddis flies, or Trichoptera, of Illinois. Bull. Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv., 23: 1–326.
Scott, D. - 1958 - Ecological studies on the Trichoptera of the River Dean, Cheshire. Arch. Hydrobiol., 54: 340–392.
Smith, S. D. - 1968 - Rhyacophila of the Salmon River. Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer., 61: 655–674.
Usinger, R. L. - 1956 - The aquatic insects of California. 508 pp. Univ. of Calif. Press, Berkeley.
Waters, T. F. - 1961 - Standing crop and drift of stream bottom organisms. Ecology, 42: 532–537.
Waters, T. F. - 1962 - Diurnal periodicity in the drift of stream invertebrates. Ecology, 43: 316–320.
Young, W. - 1969 - The ecological distribution of Hydracarina in North Central Colorado. Amer. Mid. Nat., 82: 367–401.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mecom, J.O. Productivity and Distribution of Trichoptera Larvae in a Colorado Mountain Stream. Hydrobiologia 40, 151–176 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00016789
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00016789