A new species ofSmicrideaMcLachlan (Trichoptera:Hydropsychidae) from Venezuela and its role in travertine biogenesis

Abstract

We collected an undescribed hydropsychid caddisfly, Smicridea (Smicridea) travertinera, n. sp., from 2 sites in Venezuela. One of the sites, Quebrada El Charo, flowed over extensive calcareous formations of travertine, which were covered with retreats and capture nets of the new species. Smicridea travertinera was the most abundant aquatic insect colonizing travertine. We describe the adult male, the retreat and net, and gut contents. The retreat consisted of an aperture in the travertine with a capture net. Retreat-making behavior appears to cause both the biogenesis and erosion of the travertine formations.

Interactions between geomorphology and ecosystem processes in travertine streams: Implications for decommissioning a dam on Fossil Creek, Arizona

“…Fish densities, estimated from snorkel surveys, indicated significantly higher fish densities in the reach with travertine terraces relative to the riffle/run reach. described in the Introduction, Hydropsyche sp., a dominant caddisfly in travertine reaches in Fossil Creek, may benefit in the same manner as Smicridea travertina (Paprocki et al, 2003), by using travertine to strengthen its silk net which is used to capture food particles.…”

“…Caddisflies of the genus Cheumatopsyche build retreats out of travertine and organic material and construct silken capture nets that promote CaCO 3 deposition (Drysdale, 1999). Another caddisfly, Smicridea travertinera, builds retreats into travertine deposits and actively manipulates CaCO 3 crystals (Paprocki et al, 2003). Other aquatic insects are involved in the biogenesis of freshwater tufa terraces (Humphreys et al, 1995).…”

Comparisons of Macrophyte Breakdown, Associated Plant Chemistry, and Macroinvertebrates in a Wastewater Dominated Stream

“…However, hydropsychid collector-filterer caddisflies (Smicridea) appeared responsible for breaking down material by physically modifying the stem substrates on which they resided. Hydropsychid caddisflies have been implicated in the collapse of bridges from biting out depressions in wood pilings (FLINT, 1996) and may even create depressions in much harder surfaces such as travertine (PAPROCKI et al, 2003). Net-spinning caddisflies, may, along with capture of small particles in the Wash also produce particles as they gouge litter.…”

Intraspecific models and spatiotemporal context of size–mass relationships in adult dragonflies

“…In general, new taxonomic descriptions published in J-NABS appeared within the context of comprehensive revisionary syntheses (e.g., Wiggins and Richardson 1989, Blahnik 1995, Moulton and Harris 1999, de Pinho et al 2009), often including phylogenetic analyses (Whitlock andMorse 1994, Lugo-Ortiz andMcCafferty 1996). Many of these papers included the descriptions of immature stages (e.g., Stark and Ray 1983, Wrubleski and Roback 1987, Ramirez and Novelo-Gutierrez 1999, observations of novel life stage information or habitat (Epler and de la Rosa 1995, Burian 2002, Paprocki et al 2003, Morse and Lenat 2005, and keys to regional faunas (Glover and Floyd 2004).…”