Chironomid larvae inhabiting bromeliad phytotelmata in a fragment of the Atlantic Rainforest in Rio de Janeiro State

Abstract

A study of chironomids (Diptera, Chironomidae) occurring in phytotelmata of Bromeliaceae was carried out in a fragment of the Atlantic Rain Forest in an area of the city of Magé, Pau Grande, one of the metropolitan areas of Rio de Janeiro City, during a period of 13 months between September 2006 and September 2007. Eight samplings were performed at intervals of 1 ½ months and the content of the phytotelmata of the bromeliad species Neoregelia concentrica (Vellozo) L.B. Smith, 1934 and Aechmea nudicaulis (Linnaeus) Grisebach, 1864, were examined. A taxonomical inventory and evaluation of the numerical abundance of Chironomidae larvae were performed in 50 specimens of the bromeliads, being 13 individuals of N. concentrica and 37 of A. nudicaulis. Three taxa of Chironomidae belonging to three distinct subfamilies were recorded: Polypedilum sp., Orthocladiinae genus A and Monopelopia sp. A total of 293 individuals of Chironomidae, were recorded, being 9 Polypedilum sp., 233 Orthocladiinae genus A, and 51 Monopelopia sp., the latter representing the first record of Monopelopia in phytotelmata in Rio de Janeiro State. Considering all samples, a mean density of 3.32 ± 2.62 chironomid larvae per phytotelmata was recorded. There was a positive relationship between the chironomid abundance and both precipitation and the volume of water in the phytotelmata. Apparently there is no preference by the chironomids regarding the colonistion of the bromeliad species.

Effects of Seasonality and Dispersal on the Ciliate Community Inhabiting Bromeliad Phytotelmata in Riparian Vegetation of a Large Tropical River

“…; Inger ; Little and Hebert ; Reid and Janetsky ; Sodré et al. ; Suárez‐Morales et al. ; Thienemann ; Torales et al.…”

Rainfall influence on species composition of the ciliate community inhabiting bromeliad phytotelmata

“…Most of the research developed on phytotelmata emphasizes macro-organisms like insect larvae, arachnids, oligochaetes, and amphibians (Thienemann 1934;Inger 1966;Torales et al 1972;Frank et al 1976;Little and Hebert 1996;Reid and Janetsky 1996;Sodré et al 2010;Suárez-Morales et al 2010) with little attention to the microorganisms composing this microhabitat. Recent studies on ciliates inhabiting bromeliads' phytotelmata are focused on taxonomic aspects, describing a great number of new genera and species (Foissner 2003a, b, Foissner and Wolf 2009, Foissner 2010, Foissner and Stoeck 2011, Dunthorn et al 2012, Foissner 2013), but neglecting the ecological relationships of these organism with their environment.…”

“…Since the beginning of the 20th century, researchers have been investigating the communities of the tank bromeliads and recorded several animal species such as rotifers, oligochaete, arthropods, and chordates (Picado 1912;Thienemann 1934;Inger 1966;Torales et al 1972;Frank et al 1976;Little and Hebert 1996;Reid and Janetsky 1996;Sodré et al 2010;Suárez-Morales et al 2010), as well as microbial eukaryotes such as ciliates (Picado 1912;Laessle 1961;Maguire 1971;Maguire and Belk 1967;Vandermeer et al 1972;Foissner et al 2003;Dunthorn et al 2012).…”

The influence of physical instream spatial variability on Chironomidae (Diptera) assemblages in Neotropical streams

“…Another characteristic is its wide geographic distribution and different preferences for specific microhabitats (e. g. litter, fine sediment, rocks, mosses, macrophytes among others) Nessimian, 1998, 2001;Sodré et al, 2010). High diversity and fast colonization of Chironomidae make them an ideal faunal group for testing ecological theories using an experimental approach.…”