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Caddisflies growth and size along an elevation/temperature gradient

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Abstract

Temperature influences biological systems ranging from biochemical reactions to ecosystem processes. Some traits such as growth, development, and body size are related to temperature. Here, we ask the question whether the size of trichopteran changes along a ~ 1200 elevation gradient, as a predictor of temperature. Additionally, we measured in laboratory growth rates of the caddisfly Schizopelex festiva under three temperature regimes. Specimens of Hydropsyche ambigua, Hydropsyche siltalai, and Rhyacophila adjuncta were smaller at low than at high elevations. For each increase in 2 °C (downwards 400 m in the mountain), there was a 6.6 ± 2.3% decrease in size. Under laboratory conditions, specimens of Schizopelex festiva grew faster at 20 °C (34.7 ± 6.5 µg mg−1 day−1) than at 15 and 10 °C (18.9 ± 4.1 and 16.7 ± 2.3 µg mg−1 day−1, respectively). We conclude that caddisflies are sensitive to temperature along elevation gradients; we predict that ongoing global warming may affect aquatic insects body size and other related parameters such as survival and fitness.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to Olímpia Sobral for field work support.

Funding

This study was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to MARE and by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) through a scholarship granted to Gláucia Bolzan Cogo (PDSE Process no.: 88881.132244/2016-01).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecology and Evolution Department, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima 1000, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, 97105-900, Brazil

    Gláucia B. Cogo & Sandro Santos

  2. Departamento de Zooloxía, Xenética e Antropoloxía Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Jesús Martínez

  3. MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Largo Marquês de Pombal, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal

    Manuel A. S. Graça

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  1. Gláucia B. Cogo
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Correspondence to Gláucia B. Cogo.

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Cogo, G.B., Martínez, J., Santos, S. et al. Caddisflies growth and size along an elevation/temperature gradient. Hydrobiologia 847, 207–216 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-019-04082-3

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