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Secondary production of Apedilum elachistum townes (Diptera: Chironomidae) in simulated reservoir wetlands

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Abstract

The chironomid fauna living on an exotic macrophyte, Eurasian water milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), was studied quantitatively for a year in experimental ponds constructed to simulate reservoir wetlands. A total of 10 species, 2 Orthocladiinae, 5 Chironominae, and 3 Tanypodinae, were recorded. Of these 10 chironomid species, Apedilum elachistum comprised 79% of all chironomid larvae collected on the plants. Annual production of A. elachistum was estimated by the size-frequency method to be 9.9 g dry mass/m2/yr for milfoil surface area, which is among the highest production estimates reported for a single species. Annual production/biomass was 79/yr. Laboratory-reared larvae required an average of 23 days at 15°, 16 days at 20°, and 11 days at 25 °C to complete their development from first instar to imago.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 76203, Denton, Texas, USA

    Pinar Balci & James H. Kennedy

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  1. Pinar Balci
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Balci, P., Kennedy, J.H. Secondary production of Apedilum elachistum townes (Diptera: Chironomidae) in simulated reservoir wetlands. Wetlands 22, 669–676 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1672/0277-5212(2002)022[0669:SPOAET]2.0.CO;2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1672/0277-5212(2002)022[0669:SPOAET]2.0.CO;2

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