Abstract

BOHOQUEZ, HUGO; REINOSO, GLADYS  and  GUEVARA, GIOVANY. Seasonal size distribution of Anacroneuria (Plecoptera: Perlidae) in an andean tropical river . Rev. Colomb. Entomol. [online]. 2011, vol.37, n.2, pp.305-312. ISSN 0120-0488.

Total body length and head capsule width (mm) were used as biometric characteristics in discriminating between size-frequency estimates of three Anacroneuria morphospecies, from 28 sampling sites along a tropical river subject to bimodal variations in water level in Central Colombia. A total of 344 specimens grouped into four size classes were collected. The highest abundance of Anacroneuria larvae was observed during the dry season and there was a higher abundance of small-sized individuals (body length <12mm). overall, the highest abundance of stonefy larvae was recorded between 1000 to 1600m.a.s.l. Conductivity and pH showed a significant correlation with the total abundance of preimaginal stonefies. Plecoptera size distribution patterns could be useful in assessing which stonefy size-spectra are susceptible to disturbance in tropical rivers and in evaluating their population dynamics.

Keywords : Neotropics; Andes; Biometry; Body Size; Tropics.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English     · English ( pdf )