Stonefly life histories were studied March, 1987 through May, 1990 in the Rio Conejos, Colorado. Adult presence phenology and intensity were monitored daily in the summers of 1988 and 1989 and were coupled with monthly benthic samples to assess nymphal growth. Eggs of several species were reared. Thirty-one species were collected, with several multi-species assemblages occurring in Capnia, Utacapnia, Taenionema, Suwallia, Triznaka, Isogenoides and Isoperla. Sufficient data were obtained to reveal partial or complete life histories of 13 species, five of which have not been previously reported. New information included the 9- to 10-mo egg diapause and semivoltine life histories of Isogenoides zionensis Hanson, Pteronarcella badia (Hagen) and Pteronarcys californica Newport. Additionally, Isoperla phalerata (Smith) had univoltine-slow growth, and L quinquepunctata (Banks) was univoltine-fast. Previously unstudied emergence periods are presented for Triznaka signata (Banks), Suwallia wardi Kondratieff and Kirchner and S. pallidula (Banks). The later two species temporally segregated emergence in both years. Isoperla fulva Claassen emerged in June, and was temporally segregated from its congeners. Regression analysis of cumulative percentage catch revealed two adult presence patterns. Eight species had slopes <7%/d (extended pattern), and only two, I. zionensis and P. cal'fornica, had slopes >7 %/d (synchronous pattern). Several stoneflies were more abundant in Massey Creek, a tributary of the Rio Conejos. The emergence and diversity of mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies was studied there. During May-August, 1989, 46 species were collected using sweepnetting and emergence traps. Chloroperlid stoneflies were abundant, with Suwallia nr. lineosa (Banks) contributing 37% of the total catch. Slopes of adult presence ranged from 1.7 %/d for Epeorus alberta (McDunnough) to 6.2%/d for Rhyacophila pellissa Ross. Separation of patterns was more difficult here, but < 4%/d was used as a criterion for extended emergers. A cluster analysis of 17 species produced three clusters that corresponded to stream temperature as a cue for emergence.

Data on the life cycle of Hydropezrla crosbvi were collected from January, 1974, to March, 1976, in Clear Creek, Denton County, Texas. Laboratory investigation helped in establishing instar number, egg incubation and description, and first instar descriptions. Adult Hydroperla crosbyi emerge in February - March when water temperature increases to a mean of 15 C. Eggs undergo a diapause, hatching when decreasing water temperature reaches 18 C in October - November. Maximum growth occurs when water temperatures are coldest. Male and female nymphs undergo ca. 12 and 14 instars, respectively. Larvae of Simuliidae and Chironomidae are the preferred food items of nymphs throughout the growth season.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1997. / Restricted until November 1998. Bibliography: leaves 172-179.

The stonefly genus Isogenoides is revised following a holomorphological approach utilizing traditional morphology and behavioral lines of evidence. Species keys are provided for all life stages. One species, I. krumholzi (Ricker) is considered a synonym of I. doratus (Frison). Detailed species descriptions are provided for males, females, nymphs and ova. Distributions are updated utilizing all known published accounts and materials examined. The vibrational communication (drumming) behavior is reported for males and all but one species for females. The signals were species-specific and ranged in complexity from ancestral sequenced duets to derived grouped exchanges. I. olivaceus is least specialized, having mostly sequenced duets, and I. zionensis most specialized, displaying ancestral sequenced, derived grouped and complex derived exchanges containing both sequenced and grouped elements. Laboratory egg incubation experiments over a 2-4 year period show that Isogenoides has a great capacity for extended, sometimes-asynchronous diapause and hatching. The eggs of six species were incubated at a single, ca. simulated San Miguel River, Colorado, seasonal temperature regime. Direct hatch within two weeks occurred only for I. zionensis (Leopard Creek, Colorado) with small numbers hatching again after one, two, and four years. Eggs of I. doratus and I. varians hatched after an over summer, 3-5 month diapause, and I. varians again in August the next year. Populations of I. colubrinus, I. elongatus, I. frontalis and San Miguel River, I. zionensis began hatching after a 9-11 month diapause and again during spring-summer temperatures in 2nd through 4th years. I. zionensis in the San Miguel River, Colorado, exhibited a semivoltine life cycle over the two-year study period. Adults emerged in June-July when stream temperature reached ca. 11-17°C. Reared females at Quartz Creek, Pitkin, Colorado, deposited up to three egg batches. Mean fecundity of females was 691 egg/female. Oviposition in the field was observed and described. Nymphal growth was exponential from June to December, followed by slow growth until April, then declined until emergence. The greatest growth occurred between July and December as stream temperature decreased to minimum and maximum size was obtained in March while stream temperature began to increase.

A thorough autelogical investigation of Zealuctra claasseni, Zealuctra hitei, and Perlesta placida life cycles was made with emphasis on special adaptive features to the harsh, dry climate of the southwestern United States. Z. claasseni was collected from a tributary of the Red River in Cooke County, Texas, and Z. hitei was collected from the upper reaches of North Pecan Creek in Wise County, Texas, Dec., 1974-Jun., 1978. Both streams were intermittent (except a 0.3 km stretch of the Red River tributary below a spring) running only during fall-winter 1974-1975 and 1976-1977.

Despite a number of recent studies focused on the issue, patterns of stream insect dispersal in temperate streams of North America remain poorly understood. Movement of benthic invertebrates is notoriously difficult to measure directly using traditional means; however, genetic markers provide an ideal method for estimating stream insect dispersal. In this study, the control region of mitochondrial DNA was used to study gene flow and dispersal among populations of the stonefly <i>Peltoperla tarteri</i> in the Southern Appalachians. The control region of <i>P. tarteri</i> is approximately 1270 base pairs (bp) in length, 81% AT-rich, and contains variable numbers of a 74 bp tandem repeat containing the sequence motif "5'-GGGGGC-3". Many stream insects have long life cycles that result in the simultaneous existence of multiple cohorts throughout the larval development period. If larval development is fixed, genetic isolation among cohorts may confound genetic estimates of dispersal. Although larval head width data indicated that <i>P. tarteri</i> is semivoltine in southwestern Virginia, low levels of genetic differentiation among cohorts suggested that larval development of <i>P. tarteri</i> is not fixed and that some individuals complete development in one or three years rather than two. This 'cohort splitting' would result in individuals from distinct cohorts maturing at the same time and mating with one another. Such developmental plasticity may allow some individuals to avoid adverse environmental conditions. The extent and likely mechanism of dispersal was determined by comparing levels of population genetic differentiation within drainages to that among drainages. While there was no consistent relationship between genetic and geographic distance, genetic differentiation was generally high within and among drainages. Nested clade analysis indicates that historical fragmentation and range expansion coupled with contemporary gene flow explain the present day pattern of genetic variation in <i>P. tarteri.</i> In order for these historical patterns to have such a strong influence on present day genetic structure, both larval and adult dispersal must be restricted. However, the genetic data suggest that larval dispersal is more frequent than adult dispersal. / Ph. D.

Adult stonefly emergence, nymphal growth, drift and microdistribution were examined in Battle Branch, a secondorder, spring-fed stream, from November, 1982 to May, 1984. Adults of 22 species emerged successionally, with specific adults present every month. Searching emergent objects and the stream margin was best for collection of winter and early spring emerging species. Sweeping the streamside and light trapping were most efficient for late spring and summer emerging species. Nymphal growth for nine abundant species generally fit double log or semilog models. Drift was low, but did show a post-sunset pulse. Generally, leaf material was found to be significantly related (p<O.001) to density, diversity and biomass of stoneflies in Battle Branch.

In the summers 1997, 1998 and 1999, over 100 aquatic invertebrate kick samples were collected in the Northwest Miramichi River of northeastern New Brunswick to examine the effects of chronic heavy metal exposure on the aquatic predatory Plecoptera community. In the group of predators, Neoperla (Plecoptera) was numerically dominant and gut content identifications were used to determine food chain and life cycle stages. Neoperla diet analysis indicated the Chironomidae (Diptera) as the dominant prey with predation upon Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera influenced by the life cycle stage of the predator. Gut content totals were analysed for predatory diet changes due to heavy metal contamination exposure. The Neoperla community indicated a prey shift from a Chironomidae based diet to one including a higher percentage of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera earlier in the predators life history when compared with upstream control sites. Neoperla diets maintained their shift from the control station diets as the downstream movement of heavy metal contaminated water mixed and dissipated within the study area.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2006. / Description based on contents viewed Jan. 26, 2007; title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-105).

No description available.