Temporal analysis of clonal structure in a moss bdelloid population

Clonal structure of a population of Macrotrachela quadricornifera (Rotifera, Bdelloidea) from a terrestrial moss in Northern Italy, was investigated over a 16 month period. Every month, 40–60 specimens of M. quadricornifera were collected from about 0.1 m² of moss. The individual animals were homogenized and their isozyme phenotypes analyzed by electrophoresis on vertical polyacrylamide gel. One enzyme, phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), was used as a marker to distinguish the different clones present in the sample. A few clones were established from the rotifers sampled and patterns of esterases and , and malic enzyme were studied. Nine electrophoretic patterns for PGI were seen. One was dominant, a second was almost always present, but in lesser amounts. The remainder were present occasionally.There seemed to be no seasonal replacement of the clones and the composition of the population appeared to be unaffected by variations in temperature. Relative humidity seemed to be the more important factor in regulating the number of electromorphs of the rotifer population.