Diurnal variations in the Activity of Mirawara Purpurea Riek (Ephemeroptera, Siphlonuridae) in the Aberfeldy River, Victoria Australia

  • Ian C. Campbell

Abstract

Although Mirawara is a widespread genus in eastern Australia, the nymphs are frequently under-represented in benthic samples. Evidence is presented which indicates that Mirawara nymphs descend into the substrate during the day, returning to the surface at night to feed. Relatively large numbers of nymphs can be collected at night. Light intensity is probably the factor which controls the movements of the nymphs. The significance of these results for ecological studies is discussed.

Keywords

Diurnal Variation Aquatic Insect Gill Filament Invertebrate Fauna Benthic Sample 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Anderson, N.H. 1966. Depressant effect of moonlight on activity of aquatic insects. Nature (Lond.) 209: 319–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Bibra, E.E. and H.C.W. Riggs. 1971. Victorian River gaugings to 1969. State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, Melbourne.Google Scholar
  3. Bishop, J.E. 1969. Light control of aquatic insect activity and drift. Ecology 50: 371–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Bishop, J.E. 1973. Observations of the vertical distribution of the benthos in a Malaysian stream. Freshw. Biol. 3: 147–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Bishop, J.E. and H.B.N. Hynes. 1969. Downstream drift of the invertebrate fauna in a stream ecosystem. Arch. Hydrobiol. 66: 56–90.Google Scholar
  6. Chaston, I. 1968. Endogenous activity as a factor in invertebrate drift. Arch. Hydrobiol. 64: 324–334.Google Scholar
  7. Clifford, H.F. 1972. Comparison of samples of stream fauna collected during the day and at night. Limnol. Oceanogr. 17: 479–481.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Corkum, L.D. 1978. Is benthic activity of stream invertebrates related to behavioural drift? Can. J. Zool. 56: 2457–2459.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Elliott, J.M. 1967. Invertebrate drift in a Dartmoor stream. Arch. Hydrobiol. 63: 202–207.Google Scholar
  10. Elliott, J.M. 1968. Daily activity patterns of mayfly nymphs (Ephemeroptera). J. Zool. (Lond.) 155: 202–221.Google Scholar
  11. Harker, J.E. 1953. The diurnal rhythm of activity of mayfly nymphs. J. Exp. Biol. 30: 525–533.Google Scholar
  12. Harker, J.E. 1954. The Ephemeroptera of eastern Australia. Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 105: 241–268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Hynes, H.B.N. 1970. The ecology of running waters. Liverpool University Press, Liverpool.Google Scholar
  14. Jackson, P.D. 1978. Benthic invertebrate fauna and feeding relationships of brown trout, Salmo trutta Linnaeus, and river blackfish, Gadopsis marmoratus Richardson, in the Aberfeldy River, Victoria. Aust. J. Mar. Freshw. Res. 29: 725–742.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. L.C.C. 1973. Report on the Melbourne study area. Land Conservation Council, Victoria, Melbourne.Google Scholar
  16. M.M.B.W. 1975. Report on environment study into the Thomson Dam and associated works. Vol. I. Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, Melbourne.Google Scholar
  17. Macmillan, L.A. 1975. Longitudinal zonation of benthic invertebrates in the Acheron River, Victoria. B.Sc. (Hons.) Thesis, Zoology Department, Monash University.Google Scholar
  18. Moon, H.P. 1940. An investigation of the movements of freshwater invertebrate faunas. J. Anim. Ecol. 9: 76–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Müller, K. 1974. Stream drift as a chronobiological phenomenon in running water ecosystems. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 5: 309–323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Phillips, J.S. 1930. A revision of New Zealand Ephemeroptera. Part I. Trans. N.Z. Inst. 61: 271–333.Google Scholar
  21. Riek, E.F. 1955. Revision of the Australian mayflies (Ephemeroptera). I. Subfamily Siphlonurinae. Aust. J. Zool. 3: 266–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Siegel, S. 1956. Nonparametric statistics for the behavioural sciences. McGraw-Hill, New York.Google Scholar
  23. Smith, B.J., H.E. Malcolm and P.B. Morison. 1977. Aquatic invertebrate fauna of the Mitta Mitta Valley, Victoria. Victorian Nat. 94: 228–238.Google Scholar
  24. Stanford, J.A. and A.R. Gaufin. 1974. Hyporheic communities of two montana rivers. Science (Wash. D.C.) 185: 700–702.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Waters, T.F. 1962. Diurnal periodicity in the drift of stream invertebrates. Ecology 43: 316–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Waters, T.F. 1972. The drift of stream insects. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 17: 253–272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. Williams, D.D. and H.B.N. Hynes. 1974. The occurrence of benthos deep in the substratum of a stream. Freshw. Biot. 4: 233–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Plenum Press, New York 1980

Authors and Affiliations

  • Ian C. Campbell
    • 1
  1. 1.Zoology DepartmentMonash UniversityAustralia

Personalised recommendations