Summary
Sampling experiments show that some terrestrial arthropod species which predominate on the flood plains of Eder Reservoir (Germany) survive long-term inundations in the egg stage under water, hatching immediately after the floods: the Collembola Isotoma viridis, Anurida tullbergi, Sminthurides malmgreni, Sminthurinus aureus, and Sminthurus nigromaculatus; the land mites Cheylostigmaeus pannonicus and Zerconopsis müstairi; and the ephydrid fly Scatella stagnalis. Some other dominant species seem to have the same survival strategy, because they show the same characteristic pattern of appearance in the study area (bdellid and oribatid mites, ephydrid and sphaerocerid flies).
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersen J (1968) The effect of inundation and choice of hibernation sites of Coleoptera living on river banks. Norsk Ent Tidskr 15:115–133
Beck L (1968) Zum jahresperiodischen Massenwechsel zweier Oribatidenarten (Acari) im neotropischen Überschwemmungs wald. Verh dtsch zool Ges 535–540
Beck L (1976) Zum Massenwechsel der Makro-Arthropodenfauna des Bodens in Überschwemmungswäldern des zentralen Amazonasgebietes. Amazoniana 6:1–20
Heimer W (1983) Auswirkungen von Wasserstandsschwankungen auf Diptera/Brachycera (Insecta) in Naturschutzgebieten der hessischen Rheinaue. Dissertation. Darmstadt
Hurka K (1956) Experimentaluntersuchungen zur Überschwemmung der Waldmaikäferengerlinge (Melolontha hippocastani F.). Beitr. Ent. 6:13–17
Irmler U (1981) Survival strategies of animals in the seasonally flooded Amazonian inundation forest (in German). Zool Anz 206:26–38
Krogerus H (1948) Ökologische Untersuchungen über Uferinsekten. Acta Zool Fenn 53:1–157
Palmen E (1949) Felduntersuchungen und Experimente zur Kenntnis der Überwinterung einiger Uferarthropoden. Ann Ent Fenn 14: (Suppl) 169–178
Schaerffenberg B (1943) Untersuchungen über die Wirkung des Wassers auf verschiedene Bodentiere. Zool Anz 144:115–119
Tamm J C (1982a) The annually inundated eulittoral ecosystem of the Eder Reservoir (West-germany) and its function as a man-made refuge—a study with emphasis on terrestrial aspects; Part I: Environmental conditions, vegetation and aquatic fauna (in German, English summary). Arch Hydrobiol Suppl 64:341–398
Tamm J C (1982b) The annually inundated eulittoral ecosystem of the Eder Reservoir (West-Germany) and its function as a man-made refuge—a study with emphasis on terrestrial aspects; Part II: Terrestrial fauna (in German, English summary). Arch Hydrobiol Suppl 64:484–553
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tamm, J.C. Surviving long submergence in the egg stage—a successful strategy of terrestrial arthropods living on flood plains (Collembola, Acari, Diptera). Oecologia 61, 417–419 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379645
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379645