Psychoglypha sp. (Limnephilidae: Trichoptera) Growth in Orthofluvial Springbrooks of the Nyack Floodplain

Huang, Cherrie; Anderson, Michelle

This study researched the growth of Psychoglypha sp. in the different habitats of the Nyack floodplain. The floodplain is a shifting environment that produces many different habitats for macroinvertebrates, but little is understood about how floodplain features influences invertebrate growth and size. This study contributed to a greater understanding of invertebrate development in the floodplain by determining how Psychoglypha development is modified according to a habitat’s temperature characteristics. This study also provided missing invertebrate species length-weight regression data that would add to the available data provided by Benke et al 1999. These relationships have been used to estimate the mass of invertebrates from different geographical locations and/or to estimate the mass of taxa with similar body shapes (Johnston & Cunjak 1999). Such method is more rapid than direct mass determination, particularly for smaller invertebrates. Statistical tests were used to compare length-weight regressions between sites as well as between preservation methods (ethanol and freezing). Results indicated no significant differences in regressions between study sites but there are significant differences in preservation methods. The study also looked at how temperatures affect invertebrate growth, and results concluded that there are significant differences in growth between sites as well as indicating that an accumulation of degree days due to higher temperatures can lead to higher growth.

Psychoglypha sp. (Limnephilidae: Trichoptera) Growth in Orthofluvial Springbrooks of the Nyack Floodplain

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