Distribution patterns and habitat characterization of Simuliidae (Insecta: Diptera) in a low-order sandstone stream (Weidlingbach, Lower Austria)

A total of 1504 larval and 31 pupal Simuliidae were caught from March 2000 to February 2001 at the Weidlingbach, a fourth order tributary of the Danube near Vienna, Austria, using a modified box sampler (sampling area = 2116 cm²) at 12 sampling stations from source to mouth. From the six species collected, Prosimulium tomosvaryi (Enderlein) and two species of the Simulium ornatum-group (S. trifasciatum Curtis and S. ornatum Meigen) accounted for 97.5% of the total. Based on head width, instars 1–7 were collected in the S. ornatum-group and instars 2–7 in P. tomosvaryi; from two of the remaining species [Simulium (Nevermannia) cryophilum (Rubzov) and S. (N.) vernum Macquart], only pupae were sampled. The S. ornatum-group was most abundant on coarse substrates (median = 55.9 mm) exposed to high water velocity (median = 55.9 cm/s; range = 9–83 cm/s); the latter was also true for P. tomosvaryi although it favoured smaller sediment grain sizes (median = 32.4 mm). Species richness and population density increased from source to mouth. At sampling sites near the source Simuliidae were completely lacking. In headwaters only P. tomosvaryi was present, whereas the S. ornatum-group and Simulium (Simulium) argyreatum Meigen was collected exclusively near the mouth.     

Variability of the respiratory surface area of pupae in Simulium monticola species group (Diptera, Simuliidae)

The variability of the respiratory surface area of Simulium monticola Friederichs, 1920 and Simulium argyreatum Meigen, 1838 pupae was studied in detail. 333 pupae from Western Carpathian Mts. were investigated. According to the tubercles on thorax and head of the pupa of S. monticola, two morphological forms were distinguished (S. monticola 1 and S. monticola 2). Both were studied separately. In any species or form respectively we measured the lengths of all respiratory filaments and basal trunks, the widths of the basal trunks, the widths of the filaments on their proximal and distal end and the widths 0.25 mm from the proximal end. In all species (forms) differences in the size of the respiratory surface area between the first (April – June) and the second generation (August – October) were found. In S. monticola 1 the mean real respiratory surface area was significantly (p < 0.001) larger in spring (3.67 mm²) than in summer (2.19 mm²). In S. monticola 2 the mean real respiratory surface area was 3.45 mm² in spring, and it was significantly larger in females than in males (p = 0.034). In S. argyreatum the mean real respiratory surface area was 2.80 mm² in spring 2001 while in different summer generations it was significantly smaller: 1.58 mm² in 1999, 1.84 mm² in 2000 and 2.12 mm² in 2001. All these groups differed significantly from each other. Regression models could explain 64.5% (power model) of the real respiratory surface area in S. monticola 1 and 19.9% (various models) of the real respiratory surface area in S. argyreatum due to the variability of the adult size.