Food Habits of Hellgrammite Larvae, Corydalus cornutus (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), in the Brazos River, Texas1

Stewart, Kenneth W.; Friday, Gary P.; Rhame, Roy E.

doi:10.1093/aesa/66.5.959

Cited by 34 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…This stretch of the Brazos River has been under investigation by several workers recently and detailed descriptions of the study riffle were given by Stewart et al (1973), Vaught & Stewart (974), Cloud (1973), and Rhame (I973).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The vertical distribution of macrobenthos within the substratum of the Brazos river, Texas

Poole

Stewart

1976

Hydrobiologia

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Vertical stratification samplers were developed for sampling the grave-sand substrate of a Brazos River, Texas riffle. Fifteen of 25 species recovered, occurred below Io cm. Mean percentages of total organisms recovered were 66.4%, 20%, 6.1% and 7.5% per lo cm level, respectively, from the surface down. Dominant insects were Neochoroterpes mexicanas naiads and chironomid, Simulium, Cheumatopsyche and Stenelmis larvae. Seasonal population peaks of these five groups in the top o cm correspond with observed emergence peaks. The smaller size classes were generally predominant in the o-Io cm level. Larvae of Stenelmis were the most evenly distributed among the various to cm levels in all size classes. A movement of Cheumatopsvche and Neochoroterpes to lower levels was observed following a large flood, suggesting an escape response to increased silt load and scouring.Dissolved oxygen ranged from saturation at the surface down to 0.4-0.7 ppm at 30-40 cm, indicating that it was possibly limiting at lower levels. Maximum temperature difference between io cm levels was only 3 C. Flow was negligible below Io cm.The vertical stratification sampler recovered significantly greater populations in the surface 20 cm, but not in the total 40 cm. than a modified Hess sq. ft. sampler.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The vertical distribution of macrobenthos within the substratum of the Brazos river, Texas

Poole

Stewart

1976

Hydrobiologia

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“…The fish studies can be further divided into investigations of single species (usually associated with fish life histories) or more commonly, of coexisting species; the latter investigations usually examine diets of congeners (e.g., Adamson and Wissing, 1977;Allan, 1978), or may characterize diets of entire fish communities (Zaret and Rand, 1971;Johnson and Johnson, 1982). Studies on the food habits of predacious macroinvertebrate predators are similar in scope and design to the fish studies, ranging from individual species to studies of co-occurring predators in a stream community (Tartar and Krumholz, 1971;Stewart et al, 1973;Winterbourn, 1974;Devonport and Winterbourn, 1976;Hildrew and Townsend, 1976;Seigfried and Knight, 1976;Fuller andStewart, 1977, 1979;Kovalak, 1978;Allan, 1982;Johnson, 1981Johnson, , 1983. These studies provide a wealth of information on what is eaten by different species and often give some information on prey selection or avoidance, usually based on comparisons of diet composition with samples of prey availability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding ecology of three predacious aquatic insects and two fish in a riffle of the Speed River, Ontario

Fuller

Hynes

1987

Hydrobiologia

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The food habits of two fish (Etheostoma flabellare and Rhinichthys atratulus) and three predacious aquatic insects (Nigronia serricornis, Paragnetina media and Agnetina capitata) were examined for one year in a riffle of the Speed River, Ontario. Adult E. frabellare fed primarily on net-spinning caddisflies whereas juvenile E. flabellare relied heavily on chironomids. Rhinichthys atratulus had a more varied diet composed of chironomids, Antocha larvae (Tipulidae) and net-spinning caddisflies. Two of the aquatic insect predators consumed large numbers of net-spinning caddisflies; however, I? media contained large percentages of Hydropsyche and Cheumatopsyche whereas N. serricornis fed primarily on non-hydropsychid net-spinners. The diet o? A. capitata was composed largely of chironomids and mayflies. Schoener's diet overlap index ((Y) suggested that large E. J'abellare and I? media had similar diets; however, E. flabellare ingested much larger prey than I? media. Adult E. flabellare contained a significantly greater proportion of larger prey items in comparison with benthic samples whereas similar comparisons with other predators showed no selection for larger prey. These data demonstrate that E. flabellare was size selective given the range of prey sizes available whereas the other predators were not. Also, there was little dietary overlap among the fish and invertebrate predators suggesting a partitioning of resources.

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“…Larval Elmidae and cased caddis larvae, principally Sericostomatidae, although numerically important components of the benthos, were rarely taken by either predator. In this respect S. prasina and A. diversus resemble some other carnivorous plecopteran and megalopteran larvae whose food habits have been studied in detail (Mackereth, 1957;Stewart, Friday & Rhame, 1973). Although gut contents of 1373 insects were examined, no instances of cross-predation between A. diversus and S. prasina were found.…”

Section: Foodmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The North American species C. cornutus has been studied by Stewart et al (1973) who found that like A. diversas, it had a diverse diet which changed little with increasing larval size, and was dominated by species present in the environment in large niunbcrs and with high availability.…”

Section: Foodmentioning

confidence: 99%

The feeding relationships of two invertebrate predators in a New Zealand river

Devonport

Winterbourn

1976

Freshwater Biology

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SununaryThe size frequency distributions and foods of the larvae of Archichatdlodes diversus (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) and Stenoperia prasina {Plecoptera: Eustheniidae) were studied for a year in the Glenttd River, South Island, New Zealand. These two species are the largest invertebrate predators inhabiting .streams and rivers in New Zealand, where they are the only carnivorous members of their respective orders. Both species occttpied the same habitat with A. diversus being slightly more abundant in most months. Many small larvae occurred within the sediments of the stream bed, whereas more larger larvae were found on stones lying on the surface. A wide size range of larvae was present throughout the year and the median size (in terms of head width) of hoth .species was similar in most months. Larval growth could not be determined from field data and the life cycles of both species can be described as non-seasonal. Quantitative sampling in 5 months provided estimates of population densities. These were maximal in December when valties of 1361 m'^ for ^-diversus and UAjm^for S. prasina were obtained. Larval Chironomidae and mayflies of the genus Deleatidium were the most frequently taken prey of both predators in all months, and no strong relationship between size or species of predator and size of prey was found. Caseless trichopteran larvae formed a less important component of the diets of both species and detritus was ingested by some individuals. No instances of cannibalism and only one example of crosspredation by each predator was seen. Diel sampling inNovember showed that large Deleatidium larvae were relatively more abtmdant in the guts of insect predators attd in nocturnal drift samples than in the benthos. This st4ggests that tbeir greater activity at night may increase their susceptibility to predation by nocturnal feeders.No clear ecological segregation of the two species with respect to habitat or prey utilization was found and there was no obviotis interspecific competition for food, which appeared to be abundant at all times. Finally, the prevalence of non-seasonal life cycles in New Zealand aquatic insects is discussed in relation to the low degree of speciation in several grottps.

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Food Habits of Hellgrammite Larvae, Corydalus cornutus (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), in the Brazos River, Texas1

Cited by 34 publications

References 0 publications

The vertical distribution of macrobenthos within the substratum of the Brazos river, Texas

The vertical distribution of macrobenthos within the substratum of the Brazos river, Texas

Feeding ecology of three predacious aquatic insects and two fish in a riffle of the Speed River, Ontario

The feeding relationships of two invertebrate predators in a New Zealand river

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