Natura Croatica Issue number: Natura Croatica, Vol. 19 No.1

Veličinska struktura ličinki vodenih kukaca tijekom naseljavanja

Authors: Renata Matoničkin Kepčija, Mirela Sertić Perić, Marko Miliša, Maria Špoljar, Zlatko Mihaljević, Ines Radanović, Ivan Habdija, Biserka Primc-Habdija

Authors and affiliation

  • Renata Matoničkin Kepčija University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Horvatovac 102a, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Mirela Sertić Perić Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Marko Miliša Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Maria Špoljar Department of Biology, Division of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Zlatko Mihaljević Department of Biology, Division of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Ines Radanović Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Ivan Habdija Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Biserka Primc-Habdija Department of Zoology, Division of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Colonization of aquatic insect larvae was investigated in a second order woodland stream using trays filled with natural substrate. Patterns of colonization differed significantly between seasons in terms of number of taxa, density and biomass of aquatic insect assemblages. Larvae in the first (out of five) size class made up 35.5% of all colonizers during the spring, highest share of 54.1 % during the summer, 40.8% and 17.5% during the autumn and winter, respectively. Many peak values in density during spring and summer matched with single-species mass colonization of first or second size classes, explained by »distributional drift« of newly-hatched insects, or direct oviposition on substrate. Size structure of the community did not change with time of exposition, although it reflected life histories of the aquatic insects, which led to seasonal changes in colonization patterns.

Keywords

woodland stream, seasons, life cycles, dispersal Matoni~kin Kep~ija, R., Serti} Peri}, M., Mili{a, M., [poljar, M., Mihaljevi}, Z., Radanovi}, I.,