Feeding habit of Notoperla archiplatae (Plecoptera) larvae in a North Patagonia Andean stream, Argentina

DÍAZ VILLANUEVA, V.; ALBARIÑO, R.J.

HYDROBIOLOGIA

Kluwer Academic Publishers

Año: 1999 vol. 412 p. 43 - 52

0018-8158

The feeding habit of Notoperla archiplatae (Plecoptera) larvae was assessed by means of the observation of mouthparts morphology and gut contents analysis. Larvae of different sizes were collected from the Ñireco stream, in the North Patagonian Andes. Mouthparts morphology was indicative of a phytophagous diet. Diet was composed mainly of diatoms; therefore, periphyton was sampled and compared with gut contents through an electivity index in order to determine if N. archiplatae selectively consumed certain diatom species. This analysis showed that the insects preferred erect diatoms, especially those with an arborescent habitus. Based on mouthpart morphology and gut content, N. archiplatae was assigned to the scrapers functional feeding group.Notoperla archiplatae (Plecoptera) larvae was assessed by means of the observation of mouthparts morphology and gut contents analysis. Larvae of different sizes were collected from the Ñireco stream, in the North Patagonian Andes. Mouthparts morphology was indicative of a phytophagous diet. Diet was composed mainly of diatoms; therefore, periphyton was sampled and compared with gut contents through an electivity index in order to determine if N. archiplatae selectively consumed certain diatom species. This analysis showed that the insects preferred erect diatoms, especially those with an arborescent habitus. Based on mouthpart morphology and gut content, N. archiplatae was assigned to the scrapers functional feeding group.