The effect of metal enrichment on chironomid communities was examined in streams receiving mine drainage from metal mining operations in New Brunswick, Canada. At five sites receiving mine drainage, metal concentrations were significantly (p < 0.05) elevated in water (Zn), periphyton (Cd, Co, Cu, and Zn), and chironomid tissue (Cu, Cd, and Zn) relative to five paired reference locations. Metal ...

The larva, pupa and male of a new Neotropical chironomid species, Ablabesmyia tucuxi Neubern et Fusari sp. n., are described and illustrated. The larvae were found in freshwater sponge colonies of Drulia uruguayensis Bonetto et Ezcurra de Drago, 1968 and Oncosclera spinifera (Bonetto et Ezcurra de Drago, 1973) in Brazilian savanna streams. The morphological characteristics of the larval head an...

The larva, pupa, male and female of a new Neotropical chironomid species, Oukuriella pesae, are described and illustrated. The larvae were found in freshwater sponge colonies of Oncosclera navicella (Carter, 1881) in Amazonian streams. The morphological characteristics of the larval head and the presence of fine particles in the larval gut contents suggest that the larvae probably feed on the s...

Insect larvae are reported to be a major component of the simple but highly productive trophic web found in Lake Magadi (Kenya, Africa), which is considered to be one of the most extreme aquatic environments on Earth. Previous studies show that fish must display biochemical and physiological adjustments to thrive under the extreme conditions of the lake. However, information for invertebrates i...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Indigenous larvivorous fishes bear potential for regulating vector mosquitoes through trophic interactions. The mosquito prey preference of five indigenous larvivorous fishes in the presence of alternative food items was assessed to highlight their use in mosquito vector management. METHODS Laboratory experiments were carried out using the larvivorous fishes Ambassis (...

First, experiments were tested for a new method concerning analyses of crop contents in liquosomatophagous animals. Disc-electrophoretic separations of the crop contents of Helobdella stagnalis yielded protein patterns typical for the number of bands and for the relative mobilities in these Chironomid larvae, on which H. stagnalis were fed. Additionally, slowly migrating bands occurred in the s...

The Oomycete fungus Crypticola clavulifera was pathogenic for laboratory-reared and field-collected larval Diptera, including the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti, Ae. notoscriptus, Anopheles farauti No. 1 and 3, Culex annulirostris, Cx. quinquefasciatus and the chironomid midge Chironomus tepperi. Zoospores were produced in water held at 15, 20 and 25 degrees C and were pathogenic for Ae. aegypti larv...

The external morphology of the fourth-instar larva Antarctic endemic chironomid midge Belgica antarctica is described. Larvae were collected from Jougla Point (Wiencke Island) and an un-named island close to Enterprise Island, off coast western Peninsula. Light microscopy was used examine document photographically structures mouthparts (mandible, mentum, premandible, labrum), antennae, pecten e...