Adjustment of a Formulated Sediment for Sediment Testing with Caenorhabditis elegans (Nematoda)

The OECD soil, which is standardised for use in the sediment toxicity with the midge Chironomus riparius revealed inhibition of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in body growth length and egg production of 41.0% and 84%, respectively. 18 formulated sediments were tested to optimise the sediment composition for growth and reproduction of C. elegans. Their components were chosen to simulate native sediments, whereby different quantities and different clay minerals were tested. The mixture that we found to be optimal in our experiments consisted of 5% sphagnum peat, 70% calcitic sand, 0.5% dolomite limestone, 4.5% iron(III) oxide, and a clay combination of 1.5% chlorite and 18.5% aluminium(III) oxide. When applying this mixture to C. riparius, the new formulated sediment improved also growth in comparison to the OECD sediment.     

TOXICITY OF TWO HERBICIDES 2,4 -D DIMETHYLAMINE AND BENSULFURON METHYL TO RICE FIELD CHIRONOMUS KIIENSIS (TOKUNAGA) ( DIPTERA: CHIRONOMIDAE)

1 INTRODUCTIONRice field is a unique man -made wetland envi-ronment where many varieties of aquatic insects oc-curred ( Ali, Ahmad, 1988; Yamazaki,et al,2001a; Che Salmah, Abu Hassan, 2002). Duringrice cultivation in Malaysia, herbicides are used in-tensi…     

Energy contents of some New Zealand freshwater animals

Energy contents of several freshwater animal species collected from Lake Ellesmere, Canterbury, were determined by bomb calorimetry. Values are shown to vary seasonally and between size classes. Because of this variability the use of a single energy value of an organism in an energetics study is not recommended.     

Predation of the beetle Rhantus sikkimensis (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) on the larvae of Chironomus Meigen (Diptera: Chironomidae) of the Darjeeling Himalayas of India

The dytiscid beetle Rhantus sikkimensis, Regimbart, 1899 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), a member of the freshwater insect communities of the Darjeeling Himalayas, were noted to predate on the coexisting larvae of Chironomus sp. Meigen. Evaluation of predation by R. sikkimensis on Chironomus sp. larvae, in the laboratory, revealed that a single adult morph of R. sikkimensis could kill and consume on an average 10–90 and 10–78 numbers of small and large Chironomus sp. larvae, respectively, per day, depending on the prey density. The attack rate ranged between 520 and 537, and the handling time ranged between 4.3 and 8.6 depending on the size of the preys. The predation varied with respect to predator density also, with a maximum of 151 larvae killed by three predators per day. Two indices of predation, ingestion rate (IR) ranging between 13.33 and 74.15 larvae/day/predator and clearance rate (CR) ranging between 19.67 and 39.99 L prey/day/predator, varied with the prey size and predator density, significantly, when the predation was observed for 9 consecutive days, at two predator densities. It was also noted that R. sikkimensis predated on an average 9.8 larvae of Chironomus sp. and 1 larva of Culex sp., when the larvae of both the species are present together as preys, showing a preference for the Chironomus sp. larvae.     

蓝藻水华对羽摇蚊(Chironomus plumosus)幼虫N2O排放通量的影响

底栖动物是湖泊生态环境的重要组成部分,在泥水界面氮循环中扮演着重要的作用,是一个潜在的N_2O排放源,但其在富营养化湖泊中N_2O排放机制还不清楚.通过室内微宇宙实验,采用气相色谱和现代分子生物学相结合的技术,研究蓝藻存在时底栖动物摇蚊幼虫排放N_2O特征及其内在生物学机制.结果显示底栖动物羽摇蚊幼虫(Chironomus plumosus)肠道是N_2O排放的主要场所,约占活体释放通量的77%.蓝藻存在时羽摇蚊幼虫的N_2O排放通量减少60%左右,肠道内细菌多样性明显下降,肠道中β-变形菌相对丰度增加21%,δ-变形菌相对丰度减少62%,从而改变肠道内细菌群落结构;同时肠道内nir S基因多样性显著增加,出现较多的nir S型反硝化菌的表型,硝酸盐的还原作用得到增强.研究结果有助于揭示富营养化湖泊底栖动物摇蚊幼虫的环境效应,丰富湖泊氮素生物地球化学循环的新过程.     

Egg masses and larvae of the polychaete Nereis falcaria (note)

Larvae from polychaete egg masses obtained from the south Wellington coast were reared to identifiable juvenile worms and were found to be Nereis falcaria (Willey, 1905). Egg masses and larvae closely correspond to those previously recorded by Kirk (1907) from an unknown polychaete.