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Selective feeding by shredders on leaf-colonizing stream fungi: comparison of macroinvertebrate taxa

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Summary

Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the effects of fungal species composition of leaf detritus on the feeding of distantly related macroinvertebrate shredders. Preferences of shredders representing three orders of insects (Diptera: Tipulidae; Plecoptera: Pteronarcidae; Trichoptera: Limnephilidae and Calamatoceridae) and one each of gastropods (Basommatophora: Planorbidae) and crustaceans (Amphipoda: Gammaridae) were compared. Shredder preferences were based on consumption of leaves separately colonized by one of eight species of aquatic hyphomycetes. The feeding patterns of the invertebrates ranged from lack of feeding to heavy consumption of fungal-colonized leaves. Where consumption occurred, rank orders of preference and degree of selectivity differed among invertebrate shredders. Differences in preferences together with relationships between degree of selectivity and the relative mobility and digestive specializations exhibited by shredders suggest that the exploitation of fungal-colonized leaf detritus by different taxa is affected by phylogenetic constraints. Our results suggest that fungal species composition affects the feeding of a variety of shredders and that fungal species composition may be as important as degree of conditioning in determining food selection by shredders.

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Author notes

  1. T. L. Arsuffi

    Present address: Marine Institute, University of Georgia, 31327, Sapelo Island, GA, USA

  2. K. Suberkropp

    Present address: Department of Biology, University of Alabama, P.O. Box 1927, 35487, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, 88003, Las Cruces, NM, USA

    T. L. Arsuffi & K. Suberkropp

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Arsuffi, T.L., Suberkropp, K. Selective feeding by shredders on leaf-colonizing stream fungi: comparison of macroinvertebrate taxa. Oecologia 79, 30–37 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378236

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378236

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