Blackfly (Diptera: Simuliidae) abundance in a lake outlet: test of a predictive model

A mathematical model based on assumptions of proportionality of filter-feeding insect larvae and their food supply and of the ability of the larvae to substantially reduce the sestonic food supply was developed. The predictions of the model were tested by censusing simuliid blackfly larvae in the outlet stream of a mesotrophic lake. Observed trends in simuliid density agree closely with the predictions. Two seston components (diatoms, detritus) increase downstream contrary to prediction. Potential predators of simuliids were censumed. Isoperla spp. decreased with increasing distance below the lake while the perlid stoneflies Calineuria and Hesperoperla seemed to be excluded from the outfall region.     

Blackfly (Diptera, Simuliidae) communities and species richness estimation in Carpathian montane streams

The present work gives the result of blackfly fauna research of the Slovenský raj (West Carpathians, Slovakia). Our aim was to describe the composition of blackfly communities, find indicator species for communities, describe environmental factors affecting communities and determine the potential changes in species richness. Research was carried out in 2007 and 2008. The presence of 22 species of blackflies was confirmed at 20 sites in the area of Slovenský raj. 12 species were recorded for the first time in this area. The potential for further increase in diversity was calculated by a nonparametric estimation of species richness. Two main groups of sites with their typical blackflies communities were indentified using a TWINSPAN analysis. The presence of Simulium ornatum, S. variegatum and S. argyreatum was typical in larger streams in broad valleys. The absence or low abundance of these species was typical for smaller streams in canyons. Based on the species composition of blackflies communities, we identified 6 groups of sites: 1. anthropogenically disturbed submountain rivers (typical species: Simulium ornatum, S. reptans, S. equinum), 2. undisturbed metarhithral (typical species: Simulium bertrandi, S. codreanui, S. costatum, S. vernum, S. argenteostriatum, S. degrangei, S. argyreatum, S. variegatum), 3. undisturbed hyporhithral (typical species: Simulium trifasciatum, S. tuberosum), 4. undisturbed epirhithral (typical species: Prosimulium hirtipes, P. rufipes), 5. hypocrenal (typical species: Simulium cryophilum, S. monticola) and 6. anthropogenically disturbed epirhithral (typical species: Simulium brevidens, S. maximum). The most important environmental factors explaining differences in species composition like altitude, flow speed, pH, conductivity, oxygen saturation, sulphates concentration and presence of riparian vegetation were identified by the CCA analysis.     

贵州蚋属一新种 (双翅目：蚋科)

 记述采自贵州雷公山的蚋属一新种, 显著蚋Simulium (Simulium) prominentum, 新种 。根据其蛹和幼虫的特征显著而命名, 对其幼期形态进行描述并与其近缘种作分类讨论。     

Agricultural land use and black fly (Diptera,Simuliidae) species richness and species assemblages in tropical streams,Northeastern Thailand

Habitat degradation through agricultural land use is the major factor threatening lotic ecosystems. Although black flies are major components of these ecosystems, the impact of agricultural land use on species diversity and species assemblages has been largely ignored in tropical streams of the Oriental region. The objectives of this study are to examine patterns of species distribution and species richness and to compare black fly species richness and species assemblages in forest and agricultural streams in Thailand. A total of 143 collections were made from 70 stream sites between June 2007 and May 2008. Whereas 19 black fly species found in these collections were all found in forest sites, only 13 species were found in agricultural sites. High species richness was associated with larger, faster, and cooler streams with larger streambed particles and the presence of riparian trees. Logistic regression analyses revealed that stream size, velocity, and riparian vegetation are among the most important factors determining patterns of spatial distribution. The results are largely consistent with studies in other zoogeographic regions, suggesting the existence of general rules for black fly species distributions. Comparisons of the physicochemical conditions between forest and agricultural streams indicated that streams in agricultural areas are warmer, with higher conductivity and fewer riparian trees. Species richness was significantly higher in forest than in agricultural streams (t = 3.61, P < 0.001). Streams in forest areas were predominantly occupied by S. siamense (73%) but other species were also found at a relatively high frequency (>20%) of the sampling sites. In contrast, streams in agricultural areas were predominantly occupied by S. aureohirtum (>80%) among the sole black fly species at 27% of the sites. The results indicate that agricultural land use has a significantly detrimental impact on black fly diversity and species assemblages. Handling editor: D. Dudgeon     

贵州蚋属一新种(双翅目：蚋科)

记述采自贵州雷公山的蚋属一新种, 显著蚋Simulium (Simulium) prominentum, 新种。根据其蛹和幼虫的特征显著而命名, 对其幼期形态进行描述并与其近缘种作分类讨论。     

青海特蚋亚属一新种(双翅目:蚋科)

Simulium (Tetisimulium) xiaodaoense sp. nov. is described based on the female specimens collected from Qinghai, China. This species is assigned to the subgenus Tetisimulium, and is closely related to S. (T.) tachengense An and Mahe, 1994 and S. (T.) wutaishanense An and Yan, 2003. However, it is clearly differentiated from them by the structure of gonapophyses, genital fork, genital plate, paraproct and cercus of the female. All the specimens are kept in the Medical Entomology Collection Gallery, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing.     

贵州纺蚋亚属二新种(双翅目： 蚋科)

记述了采自贵州雷公山自然保护区的纺蚋二新种,清水纺蚋Simulium (Nevermannia) qingshuiense sp. Nov.和桥落纺蚋S. (N.) qiaolaoense sp. Nov.,二者均以其产地命名。文中对其成虫、蛹和幼虫形态进行了全面描述,并与其近缘种进行分类讨论。模式标本存放在贵阳医学院生物学教研室。     

Diversity, distribution and larval habitats of North Swedish blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae)

1. Blackfly species richness and community structure were analysed at fifty-six sites in northern Sweden in two seasons. The sites were situated in a wide range of streams and rivers from small springbrooks, bog streams and lake-outlet streams to medium-sized forest rivers and large rivers draining montane regions.
2. Thirty-nine blackfly species were found, with between two and thirteen species per site. Neither species richness nor abundance could be related to the environmental variables measured.
3. An analysis of labral fan size of blackflies indicated a clear trend for the prevalence of larvae with small fans in large rivers and larvae with larger fan size in small streams. Similarly, fan size related to current velocities so that large fans were associated with slow current velocities and small fans with high velocities.
4. A strong relationship existed between species composition and habitat, as seen in ordination by non-metric multidimensional scaling. The relationship found between fan size and habitat size-related variables, such as channel width, depth, velocity and substratum particle size, along with longitude and altitude, in partial least squares regression analysis offered an explanation of the species composition–habitat relationship.
5. In addition to testing that distributions of blackfly larvae reflect morphological traits, we tested two general hypotheses pertaining to distribution patterns: (a) that blackfly communities show bimodal distributions; and (b) that their distributions are nested. Neither of these two hypotheses was supported by our observations. However, widespread blackfly species were locally more abundant than those found at relatively few sites, thus showing a positive abundance–occupancy relationship.     

Scale, time, space, and predictability: species distributions of preimaginal black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae)

This study examines species-specific distributions of preimaginal black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) over two large spatial scales (within and across ecoregions) and two seasons (spring and summer). The study area in the western two-thirds of South Carolina, United States, was divided into three ecoregions (Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills). The mean correct classification of species distributions among stream sites was 81.3%. Predictability of species distributions varied with spatial scale, location, and time. Species occurrence was not independent of ecoregion; distributions of 12 of the 13 species examined at this scale were predictable on the basis of changes in water column (temperature, percentage dissolved oxygen) and channel characters (velocity, streambed-particle size). However, with the exception of the Mountains during the summer, predicting species distributions within ecoregions was far less successful than predicting distributions across these regions; predictability was particularly poor in the Sandhills. Seasonal effects on predictability were most pronounced in the Mountains. As stream sites became more homogeneous, predictive capability declined. Species-level identifications, aided by cytogenetic techniques, were of paramount importance in recognizing the association between species distributions and stream conditions, emphasizing that considerable ecological information is lost when species are not considered. This study emphasizes the critical role of taxonomic resolution, linked with spatial and temporal scale of observation, in elucidating patterns of species assemblages. It also demonstrates that predictability of species distributions at a fixed scale can vary with geographic location and time. Received: 2 May 1997 / Accepted: 22 September 1997     

Global diversity of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in freshwater

Black flies are a worldwide family of nematocerous Diptera whose immature stages are confined to running waters. They are key organisms in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, but are perhaps best known for the bloodsucking habits of adult females. Attacks by black flies are responsible for reduced tourism, deaths in wild and domestic birds and mammals, and transmission of parasitic diseases to hosts, including humans. About 2,000 nominal species are currently recognized; however, certain geographical regions remain inadequately surveyed. Furthermore, studies of the giant polytene chromosomes of larvae reveal that many morphologically recognized species actually consist of two or more structurally indistinguishable (yet reproductively isolated) sibling species. Calculations derived from the best-known regional fauna—the Nearctic Region—reveal that the actual number of World black fly species exceeds 3,000. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Guest editors: E.V. Balian, C. Lévêque, H. Segers & K. Martens Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment     

Some boundary layer characteristics of microhabitats occupied by larval black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae)

Microhabitats occupied by larvae of 12 species or complexes of black flies at 30 sites in western Canada were investigated for fluid flow parameters. An attached boundary layer was a feature of almost all microhabitats occupied by larvae of black flies. Although not measured directly, acceleration of water resulting from flow around an object appeared to alter flow characteristics and make microhabitats more favourable. This predictability in the flow characteristics of microhabitats occupied by larvae of black flies implies that the contagious dispersion of these larvae is a response to the heterogeneity of flow over a stream bed. It is suggested that microhabitats characterized by suitable flow characteristics may constitute a resource that limits population size. Larvae occupied microhabitats with both laminar and turbulent boundary layers, and were found in microhabitats with a wide range of water velocities. Mainstream flow parameters investigated were; water velocity, water depth, and whether flow was subcritical, critical or supercritical. Boundary layer parameters investigated were; whether flow was laminar or turbulent, and the point at which separation from the substratum occurred.     

河南省蚋属一新种(双翅目:蚋科)

记述采自河南1新种:河南纺蚋Simulium (Nevermannia) henanense, sp. nov.。根据其外生殖器的形状、幼虫和蛹的特征,本新种隶属于Simulium (Nevermannia)的宽足蚋组vernum-group。其蛹的特征与中国的 S. (N.) xinbinense 和西马来西亚的 S. (N.) kurtaki 相似,但是与后2种在雌虫股节的颜色、幼虫后颊裂和直肠腮的形状迥异,可资鉴别。模式标本存放于贵阳医学院生物学教研室。正模:♀,河南焦作云台山白龙潭,海拔 1 060 m,东经113°25',北纬35°14',韦静采;副模:1♀,12蛹,18幼虫,同正模。     

陕西省蚋属一新种记述(双翅目:蚋科)

Simulium (Simulium) liubaense, sp. nov. is described based on the female specimens collected from Liuba, Shaanxi Province, China. This species is assigned to the variegotum-group of the subgenus Simulium, and is closely related to S. (S.) jingfui Cai and An, 2008, S. (S.) taiwanicum Takaoka, 1979, S. (S.) hackeri Edwards 1928, S. (S.) chamlongi Takaoka and Suzuki, 1984. However it is clearly differentiated from them by the structure of cibarium, genital fork, genital plate, paraproct and cercus of the female. All the specimens are kept in the Medical Entomology Collection Gallery, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing.     

Patterns of species richness for blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions

Abstract.  1. Patterns of simuliid species richness were examined over a variety of scales at 532 stream sites in the Nearctic (394) and Neotropical (138) regions. In Nearctic streams, species richness of immature blackflies both within and across ecoregions and over two seasons was examined. Stream variables at each site included seston, width, depth, velocity, discharge, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, water temperature, dominant streambed-particle size, canopy cover, and riparian vegetation. These variables were subjected to a principal component analysis and derived principal components were related back to richness, using regression analysis. At the level of the stream reach, richness was not highly correlated with single-point measurements of stream conditions.
2. Using data from both Nearctic and Neotropical sites, the effect of regional richness on local richness was examined. As regional richness increased, local diversity reached an asymptote in which further increases in regional richness were not matched by increases in local richness. Hence, simuliid communities are best described as saturated (type II) communities, consistent with the current view of lotic communities as non-equilibrium systems.
3. The well-established pattern of greater species richness in tropical regions was not observed in this study. To the contrary, blackfly richness is higher in temperate streams than in tropical streams at both local and regional scales.     

Quantitative aspects of sperm transfer in Simulium decorum (Diptera: Simuliidae)

The mean number of sperm ejaculated into the spermatophore by the male black fly, Simulium decorum Walker, was 4048, as determined from 43 counts. The completeness and rate of sperm transfer were estimated by counts from the spermatophore and female spermatheca at selected times after copulation ended. The beginning of transfer occurred at the earliest about 4 min after copulation, but could be delayed until 30 min. Transfer rate was interpreted as constant at about 73 sperm/min and was usually completed by about 55 min after copulation. All spermatozoa appeared to be moved to the single spermatheca.     

Species richness and spatial distribution of blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in streams of Central Amazonia, Brazil

1. The spatial distribution and species richness of blackflies were evaluated at 58 stream sites in Central Amazonia, Brazil. Samples were taken along a north–south axis of approximately 130 km and a east–west axis of approximately 220 km.
2. Based on stream-site characteristics, the occurrence of larvae of the six most frequently collected species was highly predictable (79.3–91.5% accuracy in prediction of occurrence). The predictive value of stream size and the presence of impoundments agrees with results of similar work in the Holarctic Region, suggesting a general responses of blackflies to environmental parameters.
3. Although only 19.0% of interstream variation in species richness was explained by a regression model, results suggested that species richness was greater in larger, cooler, faster, covered streams with rocky beds than in smaller, warmer, slower, open streams with sandy bottoms. Overall, the species richness of blackflies (11 species in total) was lower than in the temperate zone suggesting, for some taxa at least, that aquatic communities do not follow the terrestrial pattern of greater species richness in the tropics.     

Assessment of a silhouette trap for sampling zoophilic blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae)

A collapsible animal-type silhouette trap was designed to catch zoophilic female blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) which feed on the head or ventral surface of cattle. The trap was assessed for its ability to sample attacking blackflies by comparison with simultaneous manual catches from a bait cow, in an enzootic bovine onchocerciasis area in North Wales. In thirteen 1-hour collections, the trap provided a representative sample of the blackfly population in terms of the relative abundance of species. There was a strong correlation between the catch sizes from both methods (r = +0.73), and the body site feeding preferences for all species were similar with both trap and cow. There was no significant difference between the Onchocerca spp. infection rates of flies caught by either method.     

Size selection of latex beads by blackfly larvae (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the laboratory

In laboratory experiments, blackfly larvae collected from a lake outlet, a woodland and a meadow stream were tested for size selection of latex beads of < Ito > 100 μm diameters. 3 suspensions of varying proportions for each size category were supplied to these blackfly larvae in common experiments. Comparisons between the size frequency distributions of particles supplied and the particle compositions in the larval guts showed intra- and interspecific differences and were quantified by calculating Jacobs' electivity index. In all species selection of larger particles increased with the larger larval instars. Although there was a positive selectivity of small particles in some cases, the ingested proportion of large particles increases volumes and biomasses of gut content and may be more important for larval growth than small particles.     

西藏蚋属一新种（双翅目：蚋科）

记述西藏自治区蚋属Simulium蚋亚属Simulium 1新种,以陈汉彬教授的名命名为汉彬蚋Simulium(Simulium) hanbini sp. nov.。该新种与Simulium (Simulium) jingfui Cai & An, 2008及Simulium (Simulium)liubaense Liu & An, 2009相似,但该蚋爪无基齿,拉氏器较长,食窦的形状也不同。模式标本保存在北京军事医学科学院医学昆虫标本馆。