Large-scale manipulation of oviposition substrata affects egg supply to populations of some stream-dwelling caddisflies

A Macqueen; BJ Downes

Journal article

Large-scale manipulation of oviposition substrata affects egg supply to populations of some stream-dwelling caddisflies

A Macqueen, BJ Downes

Freshwater Biology | Published : 2015

DOI: 10.1111/fwb.12535

Abstract

Oviposition substrata are a crucial resource for many stream-dwelling insects and may have a strong effect on population densities. From February to March 2010, we conducted a large-scale experiment manipulating the density of oviposition substrata available to two taxa, Cheumatopsyche spp. and Ecnomus spp. in Hughes Creek (south-east Australia). These caddisflies oviposit on hard surfaces underwater. Hughes Creek has a sandy bed, and females rely predominantly on bark and wood as oviposition substrata. Bark density was manipulated in 25-m-long sites, creating a range of bark surface areas (SAs) spanning an order of magnitude, with appropriate controls. Estimates of the number of egg masses ..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Barbara Downes Author

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Grants

Awarded by Australian Research Council

Funding Acknowledgements

This research was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award (to AM) and grants to BJD from the Australian Research Council (Discovery Grants DP0772854 and DP120103145) and grants from the Holsworth Wildlife Trust. We wish to thank local landholders, especially the Strong family, for their hospitality and creek access. We are most grateful for the generous field assistance of Dan Rooke, William Bovill, Alena Glaister, Sara Dehm, Kate Barnard, Elise King, Keira Mason-Hill, Handoko Wahjudi, Jenny Frieden and Jill Lancaster. Jill also provided welcome feedback on the manuscript along with two anonymous referees.