Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Peculiar hyporheic habitat of some Rhyacophila species (Trichoptera; Rhyacophilidae) in Japanese mountain streams

  • Research paper
  • Published:
Limnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We investigated the distribution patterns of Rhyacophila larvae at 2 habitat scales in mountain streams in central Honshu. One was at a rapid glide within a stream reach and the other was in microvertical layers within each rapid and glide. Cobbles were predominant in rapids, whereas sand and gravels were predominant in glides. Mean sediment particle size was smaller in glides, but evenness of sediment size and porosity were greater. A total of 9 species of Rhyacophila larvae were collected from rapids. On the other hand, in glides, only 4 species, R. nipponica, R. shikotsuensis, R. kawamurae, and R. transquilla, were collected, but they were more abundant than in rapids. The larvae of R. transquilla were found mainly in upper layers of the stream bed, whereas the other 3 species, R. nipponica, R. shikotsuensis, and R. kawamurae, occurred both in upper and lower layers. The latter 3 species belong to R. nigrocephala species group, the larvae of which share several common morphological and behavioral characters adapted to hyporheic habitat, such as slender body shape and vermicular movement. It is suggested that higher porosity in glides provides more microhabitat for them, and small-sized sediment particles are appropriate for their burrowing and creeping movement in hyporheic habitat.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bisson PA, Montgomery DR (1996) Valley segments, stream reaches, and channel units. In: Hauer FR, Lamberti GA (eds) Methods in stream ecology. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 23–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Céréghino R (2002) Shift from a herbivorous to a carnivorous diet during the larval development of some Rhyacophila species (Trichoptera). Aquat Insect 24(2):129–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Church M (1994) Channel morphology and typology. In: Calow P, Petts GE (eds) The river handbook. Blackwell Scientific Publishers, Oxford, pp 126–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummins KW (1964) Factors limiting the microdistribution of larvae of caddisflies Pycnopsyche lepida (Hagen) and Pycnopsyche guttifer (Walker) in a Michigan stream (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). Ecol Monogr 34:271–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dudgeon D (1999) Tropical Asian streams. Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong

    Google Scholar 

  • Edington JM, Hildrew AG (1995) Caseless caddis larvae of the British Isles. Freshwater Biological Association, Cumbria

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliott JM (2005) Ontogenetic shifts in the functional response and interference interactions of Rhyacophila dorsalis larvae (Trichoptera). Freshw Biol 50:2021–2033

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flint OS Jr (1962) Larvae of the caddis fly genus Rhyacophila in eastern North America. Proc US Natl Mus 113:465–493

    Google Scholar 

  • Hattori T (2005) Rhyacophilidae. In: Kawai T, Tanida K (eds) Aquatic insects of Japan: manual with keys and illustrations (in Japanese). Tokai University Press, Kanagawa, pp 414–437

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins CP, Kershner JL, Bisson PA, Bryant MD, Decker LM, Gregory SV, McCullough DA, Overton CK, Reeves GH, Steedman RJ, Young MK (1993) A hierarchical approach to classifying stream habitat features. Fisheries 18:3–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hildrew AG, Edington JM (1979) Factors facilitating the coexistence of hydropsychid caddis larvae (Trichoptera) in the same river system. J Anim Ecol 48:557–576

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holzenthal RW, Blahnik RJ, Prather AL, Kjer KM (2007) Order Trichoptera Kirby, 1813 (Insecta), Caddisflies. Zootaxa 1688:639–698

    Google Scholar 

  • Kawamura S (1982) Sediment Hydraulics 1 (in Japanese). Morikita Publishers, Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi T (1941) The Sakawa organic cycle and its bearing on the origin of the Japanese Islands (in Japanese). J Fac Sci Univ Tokyo 2:5–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuranishi RB (1993) Oviposition behavior of Rhyacophila kiyosumiensis Kuranishi (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae) in a small mountain stream, central Japan. In: Otto C (ed) Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Trichoptera. Umeå, Sweden, August 1992. Backhuys, Leiden, pp 261–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuranishi RB (1999) A checklist of the Rhyacophilidae (Trichoptera) in Japan. In: Malicky H, Chantaramongkol P (eds) Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Trichoptera, Chiang Mai, January 1998. Chiang Mai University Press, Chiang Mai, pp 185–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Lavandier P, Céréghino R (1995) Use and partition of space and resources by two coexisting Rhyacophila species (Trichoptera) in a high mountain stream. Hydrobiologia 300:157–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin ID (1985) Microhabitat selection and life cycle patterns of two Rhyacophila species (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae) in a southern Ontario stream. Freshw Biol 15:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin ID, Mackay RJ (1983) Growth rates and prey selection of two congeneric predatory caddisflies (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae). Can J Zool 61:895–900

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merritt RW, Cummins KW, Berg MB (2008) An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America fourth edition. Kendall/Hunt Publisher, Iowa

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Land, Infrastructure Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Japan (2009) Water Information System. Online: available at http://www1.river.go.jp/

  • Minshall GW (1984) Aquatic insect-substratum relationship. In: Resh VH, Rosenberg DM (eds) The ecology of aquatic insects. Praeger Publishers, New York, pp 358–400

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakano A, Tanida K (1999) Species richness of Trichoptera in mountain streams in Japan: some practical and statistical tests to reveal the diversity in mother community. In: Malicky H, Chantaramongkol P (eds) Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Trichoptera. Chiang Mai, January 1998. Chiang Mai University Press, Chiang Mai, pp 273–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohkawa A, Hattori T (2007) The caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the University Forest in Hokkaido, the University of Tokyo. I. Rhyacophilidae. In: Proceedings of the 12th international symposium on Trichoptera, Mexico City, June 2006. The Caddis Press Ohio, Ohio, pp 263–274

  • Philipson GN (1954) The effect of water flow and oxygen concentration on six species of caddis fly (Trichoptera) larvae. Proc Zool Soc Lond 124:547–564

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollard RA (1955) Measuring seepage through salmon spawning gravel. J Fish Res Board Can 17:706–741

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross HH (1956) Evolution and classification of the mountain caddisflies. University of Illinois Press, Urbana

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmid F (1970) Le genre Rhyacophila et la famille des Rhyacophilidae (Trichoptera). Mem Soc Entomol Can 66:1–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwoerbel J (1961) Über die lebensbedingungen und die besiedlung des hyporheischen lebensraumes. Arch Hydrobiol 25:182–214

    Google Scholar 

  • Shimizu T, Inada K, Uthida S (2005) Plecoptera. In: Kawai T, Tanida K (eds) Aquatic insects of Japan: manual with keys and illustrations (in Japanese). Tokai University Press, Kanagawa, pp 237–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith SD (1968) The Rhyacophila of the Salmon River drainage of Idaho with special reference to larvae. Ann Entomol Soc Am 61:655–674

    Google Scholar 

  • Sumi Y (1967) Method of inorganic sediment analysis 3 (in Japanese). Geol Rep 156:30–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Takemon Y, Hirayama Y, Tanida K (1999) Species composition of hyporheos in a bar-island of Japanese mountain stream. Jpn J Limnol 60:413–416

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanida K (1984) Larval microlocation on stone faces of Hydropsyche species (Insecta: Trichoptera), with a general consideration on the relation of systematic groupings to the ecological and geographical distribution among the Japanese Hydropsyche species. Physiol Ecol Jpn 21:115–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanida K (1985) Trichoptera. In: Kawai T (ed) An illustrated book of aquatic insects of Japan (in Japanese). Tokai University Press, Tokyo, pp 167–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanida K (1991) Trichoptera adults collected in the upper area of the Yoshinogawa River (Nara, Central Japan), a preliminary report (in Japanese with English summary). Biol Inl Wat 6:32–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanida K, Takemon Y (1995) Micro-habitat structure and benthic animal assemblages in different stream order of natural mountain stream in Japan (in Japanese). Proc Int Conf Ecol Syst Enhanc Technol Aquat Environ 1:95–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanida K, Yamashita K, Rossiter A (1985) A portable current meter for field use. Jpn J Limnol 46:219–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanida K, Uenishi M, Vshivkova TS (1995) Trichoptera adults collected in the upper area of the Yoshino-gawa River (Higashi-yoshino-mura, Nara, central Japan) 2 (in Japanese with English summary). Biol Inl Wat 10:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Thut RN (1969) Feeding habits of larvae of seven Rhyacophila (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae) species with notes on other life-history features. Ann Entomol Soc Am 62:894–898

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiggins GB (1996) Larvae of the North American caddisfly genera (Trichoptera) second edition. University of Toronto Press, Toronto

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams DD (1984) The hyporheic zone as a habitat for aquatic insects and associated arthropods. In: Resh VH, Rosenberg DM (eds) The ecology of aquatic insects. Praeger Publishers, New York, pp 430–455

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Professor T. Oishi for granting us free accommodations at the field station of Nara Women’s University at Higashi-yoshino Village, Nara Prefecture. We are also indebted to Dr. T. Fujitani and Dr. H. Doi for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. Thanks are also due to Mr. J. M. Shields of the BEC Service for his critical reading of the manuscript and many valuable suggestions for improving our English text.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Ecology and Systematics, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8570, Japan

    Akikazu Taira & Kazumi Tanida

Authors
  1. Akikazu Taira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kazumi Tanida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Akikazu Taira.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 3.

Table 3 Larval head width (mm) of 7 Rhyacophila species
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Taira, A., Tanida, K. Peculiar hyporheic habitat of some Rhyacophila species (Trichoptera; Rhyacophilidae) in Japanese mountain streams. Limnology 12, 25–35 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10201-010-0318-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10201-010-0318-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation