Distribution and drift dispersal dynamics of a caddisfly grazer in response to resource abundance and its ontogeny.

ABSTRACT: Stream grazers have a major impact on food web structure and the productivity of stream ecosystems; however, studies on the longitudinal (upstream versus downstream) and temporal changes in their drift dynamics and resulting distributions remain limited. Here, we investigated the longitudinal and temporal distributions and drift propensity of a trichopteran grazer, the caddisfly, Micrasema quadriloba, during its life cycle in a Japanese stream. The distribution of larvae significantly shifted downstream during the fifth instar larval stage during late winter; with periphyton abundance (i.e. their food source) showing similar shifts downstream. Therefore, our results show that the drift dispersal the caddisfly occurs in response to decline in available food resources (i.e. food-resou

SUBMITTER: Katano I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5319342 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature