Aquatic insects dealing with dehydration: do desiccation resistance traits differ in species with contrasting habitat preferences?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Desiccation resistance shapes the distribution of terrestrial insects at multiple spatial scales. However, responses to drying stress have been poorly studied in aquatic groups, despite their potential role in constraining their distribution and diversification, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.

Methods

We examined desiccation resistance in adults of four congeneric water beetle species (Enochrus, family Hydrophilidae) with contrasting habitat specificity (lentic vs. lotic systems and different salinity optima from fresh- to hypersaline waters). We measured survival, recovery capacity and key traits related to desiccation resistance (fresh mass, % water content, % cuticle content and water loss rate) under controlled exposure to desiccation, and explored

SUBMITTER: Pallares S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5012287 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature