Life cycle phenology of common detritivores from a temperate rainforest stream

• Published in: Hydrobiologia Vol. 455; no. 1-3; pp. 87 - 95
• Main Author: RICHARDSON, John S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.07.2001; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Insecta; Leaves; Life cycles; Phenology; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Rainforests; Canada; British Columbia; North America; America; Canada, British Columbia; Chironomidae; Growth rate; Insecta; Trichoptera; Rain forest; Plecoptera; Leuctridae; Temperate zone; Capniidae; Trophic group; Freshwater environment; Life cycle; Seasonal variation; Emergence; Stream; Interspecific comparison; Nemouridae; Saprophagous; Larva; Phenology; Arthropoda; Lepidostomatidae; Timing; Invertebrata; Diptera
• ISSN: 0018-8158; 1573-5117
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1011943532162

The timing of life cycles, including growth rates, was determined for eight common species of detritivorous insects in a second-order stream in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Six of the species (Zapada cinctipes, Z. haysi, Malenka californica, M. cornuta, Capnia sp., and Lepidostoma roafi) had simple, univoltine life cycles. The leuctrid stonefly Despaxia augusta has a 2-year life cycle, with an apparent egg diapause of about 6 months. The chironomid Brillia retifinis produced at least three generations per year. The major growth periods for the set of species considered here span the entire year. Adults of several species exhibited seasonal declines in size at emergence, but one species had larger adults as the emergence period proceeded. Closely related taxa had more similar life cycle timing than more distantly related species suggesting a degree of phylogenetic constraint in phenology of their life cycles. The influence of the timing of leaf drop on timing of life cycles for these animals does not fit with proposed scenarios based on fast and slow leaf processing rates.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]