Life cycles of dominant mayflies (Ephemeroptera) on a torrent of the high Bolivian Andes

Abstract

Abstract:The mayflies of the temperate and cold zones have well-synchronized life cycles, distinct cohorts, short emergence and flight periods. In contrast, aquatic insects from the tropical zones are characterized by multivoltine life cycles, "non-discernible cohorts" and extended flight periods throughout the year. This report is the first observation of life cycle patterns made of two species of mayflies on a torrent in the high elevation Bolivian Andes. The samples were taken from four sites and four periods during a hydrological season. The life cycle of each species was examined using size-class frequency analysis and a monthly modal progression model (von Bertalanffy's model) to infer the life cycle synchrony type. These first observations showed a moderately synchronized univoltine life cycle for Andesiops peruvianus (Ulmer, 1920), whereas Meridialaris tintinnabula Pescador and Peters (1987), had an unsynchronized multivoltine life cycle. These results showed that the generalization of all aquatic insects as unsynchronized multivoltine species in the Andean region may not be entirely accurate since there is still a need to further clarify the life cycle patterns of the wide variety of aquatic insects living in this high elevation tropical environment. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (1): 275-287. Epub 2016 March 01.

PRODUCCIÓN SECUNDARIA DE DOS ESPECIES DE <i>ANACRONEURIA</i> (PERLIDAE) EN UN RÍO NEOTROPICAL

“…En una corriente ubicada en un páramo en el centro de Ecuador, estudiaron una especie no reconocida de Biol Colomb, 28(2) 263 -270 Mayo -Agosto 2023 Anacroneuria, donde la mayor frecuencia de organismos se presentó en las clases de tallas pequeñas (Turcotte y Harper, 1982); a diferencia de nuestro estudio, estos autores observaron un lento crecimiento, debido a la baja temperatura, toda vez que las especies de insectos acuáticos en ambientes tropicales tienen un rápido desarrollo y ciclos multivoltinos (Bishop, 1973;Molina y Puliafico, 2016). En otro páramo del norte de Ecuador, para el tricóptero Anomalocosmoecus illiesi Marlier, 1962, se observó una producción alta (3771,47 g/m 2 /a) y cohortes no reconocibles durante el año (Rios-Touma et al, 2022).…”

Effects of experimental warming on two tropical Andean aquatic insects

“…We collected two aquatic insect species reported as the dominant species in high-elevation Andean streams in the Neotropics in general [ 46 , 72 – 74 ], particularly in our fieldwork area [ 32 , 36 , 37 , 75 ]. The first was a hemimetabolous species, Andesiops peruvianus (Ulmer, 1920) ( Fig 4A ), which has altitudinal ranges from 1000 to 4300 meters a.s.l in South America [ 45 , 72 , 76 ].…”

“…Tropical lowland areas with warmer temperatures have more multivoltine aquatic insect species, and size classes might be dependent on seasonality [ 45 – 49 ]. Similarly, the life histories of taxa distributed in high-elevation watercourses in the tropics showed plastic voltinism, synchronized with seasonality and subsequent availability of resources [ 46 , 50 , 51 ]. For example, a study of Helycopsyche spp.…”

“…(a holometabolous caddisfly species) distributed in high-elevation streams in Ecuador found larger larvae in páramo areas than their counterparts from lower elevations that live in streams with an average 1°C higher temperature [ 50 ]. Hemimetabolous species, such as mayflies Andesiops peruvianus and Meridialaris tintinnabula , exhibited heterogeneous size classes in high-elevation mountains in Bolivia during a one-year study [ 46 ]. Sizes and growth in both hemimetabolous and holometabolous aquatic insects depended on temperature and hydrological conditions during larval development [ 46 , 50 , 52 ].…”

“…Hemimetabolous species, such as mayflies Andesiops peruvianus and Meridialaris tintinnabula , exhibited heterogeneous size classes in high-elevation mountains in Bolivia during a one-year study [ 46 ]. Sizes and growth in both hemimetabolous and holometabolous aquatic insects depended on temperature and hydrological conditions during larval development [ 46 , 50 , 52 ]. In terms of metabolism, it was observed that Baetidae mayflies had been seen to reduce their metabolic performance, show increased stress, and increase juvenile mortality when subjected to higher temperatures [ 53 ].…”