Pollution status of a tropical forest river using aquatic insects as indicators

Aquatic insects inhabiting Okhuo River, in a tropical forest near Benin City, Southern Nigerian, were studied between January and December 2006 to determine the taxa composition, diversity, EPT index, relative proportions of the various groups and hence the pollution level of the waterbody. Three stations were selected and sampled monthly using the kick sampling technique. A total of 3235 individual aquatic insects belonging to 24 taxa distributed among 23 genera in six orders were collected. The insect orders occurred in the following order of dominance: Ephemeroptera > Odonata > Coleoptera > Diptera > Plecoptera > Tricoptera. Based on the diverse composition of the community dominated by organisms intolerant of organic enrichment, and the high diversity and EPT index, water quality in Okhuo River is not significantly degraded. Community composition varies seasonally, with a trend toward a declining proportion during the rainy season and increasing proportions during the dry season. Aquatic insect composition in Okhuo River compares favourably with those in similar, relatively undisturbed forest streams and rivers in Nigeria, but the diversity and proportional distribution of taxa vary considerably between streams.     

深圳大鹏半岛主要河流底栖动物群落结构及水质生物学评价

2013年5月对深圳大鹏半岛4条主要河流(葵涌河、王母河、鹏城河和东涌河)的大型底栖动物群落结构进行了调查,并利用香农-维纳多样性指数和生物指数(BI)对河流水质进行了生物学评价。在大鹏半岛主要河流的15个样点共采获大型底栖动物35种,隶属3门7纲21科,其中水生昆虫26种,约占底栖动物种类数的74%。但底栖动物的种类组成与分布极不均匀,EPT(蜉蝣目+襀翅目+毛翅目)等对水质变化较敏感的类群主要分布于葵涌河的源头及受人为干扰活动较少的东涌河,而耐污能力较强的摇蚊科幼虫、霍甫水丝蚓和颤蚓等则为葵涌河中、下游样点、王母河和鹏城河的优势物种。生物指数(BI)相较于香农-维纳多样性指数,更适用于水质评价。结果显示,除葵涌河源头、鹏城河和东涌河样点的水质处于清洁至轻污染外,其余大部分样点处于中污染至重污染状态。推测大鹏半岛的王母河及葵涌河中、下游河段的生活污水及工业废水已对底栖动物的群落结构与河流水质造成了一定的影响。     

Effects of stream size on taxa richness and other commonly used benthic bioassessment metrics

Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected from natural substrates in disturbed and undisturbed South Carolina upper coastal plain streams to determine if taxa richness and other bioassessment metrics were significantly related to stream size as predicted by the River Continuum Concept (RCC). Linear, quadratic, and lognormal regression models indicated that stream width was positively related to total number of taxa; number of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa; and total number of organisms. Linear regression showed that the expected number of taxa at undisturbed sites ranged from 35 in 2.0 m wide streams to 64 in 16.0 m streams. Comparable values were 8–20 for EPT and 109–261 for number of organisms. Stream width was inversely related to biotic index values indicating a decrease in average organism tolerance with increasing stream size. ANCOVA showed that the effects of stream size were similar for disturbed and undisturbed sites. Rank correlations and multidimensional scaling (MDS) showed that Lepidoptera and Trichoptera were more abundant in larger streams and Annelida in smaller streams. Stream size related changes in benthic macroinvertebrate community composition are often ignored in bioassessment protocols; however, failure to adjust metrics for stream size can lead to erroneous conclusions. Adjustments are possible by analyzing regression residuals stripped of stream size related variance, dividing the area beneath the maximum taxa richness line into equal size units for metric scoring, or scaling metrics based on predicted reference values. Electronic supplementary material Electronic supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users.     

Spatio-temporal changes of benthic macroinvertebrates in a cold Arkansas tailwater

This paper investigates spatial, seasonal and long-term changes in benthic macroinvertebrates in riffles of a cold tailwater. Cold tailwaters initially disrupt previously existing macroinvertebrate assemblages, but little is known about the long-term biological effects of a stable cold thermal regime. Assemblages at an upstream and downstream site of the Little Red River, Arkansas were investigated almost 30 years apart (1971 and 1999). Based upon published literature demonstrating the stability of benthic assemblages within unaltered environments, we predicted that the assemblages would be similar for each variable investigated. The benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages can be characterized as low diversity, with a total of 17 taxa identified. Isopods and Diptera comprised ~80% of all individuals. Other than chironomids, insects and particularly EPT taxa were poorly represented. Recent macroinvertebrate densities were significantly greater compared to the historical study period for the downstream site. Assemblage comparisons revealed moderate differences between study periods. Macroinvertebrate density was significantly greater upstream than downstream in the 1971 study period, yet taxa richness was significantly greater downstream for both study periods. Faunal composition was significantly different for upstream and downstream sites. Seasonal differences in numerical standing crop were identified for the 1971 upstream and 1999 downstream data sets. Low to moderate levels of seasonal, spatial and historical variation among benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages were attributed to environmental (temperature and flow) stability. The lack of aquatic insects other than chironomids over a 30-year period is indicative of the extreme constraints placed upon insect development within this cold regulated river.     

Benthic macroinvertebrates along the Czech part of the Labe and lower section of the Vltava rivers from 1996–2005, with a particular focus on rare and alien species

In the Czech part of the Labe River and the lower part of the Vltava River, we examined if the benthic macroinvertebrate composition changed from 1996 to 2005 due to expected improvements in water quality resulting from socioeconomic changes in the Czech Republic since the 1990s. Special attention was given to rare and alien species. The four biological metrics used (Number of taxa, BMWP, Number of sensitive taxa, and Number of EPT taxa) demonstrated that there was indeed an improvement in water quality as well as a slight improvement of the Labe microhabitats during the investigated period. An increasing Number of taxa over time was observed at most sites. Two main concurrent ecological processes are recently in progress in the Labe: a recovery of native species and an expansion of alien species, some of which are considered invasive. The caddisfly Setodes punctatus and the beetle Pomatinus substriatus, considered as regionally extinct in the Czech Republic until 2005, were rediscovered during our investigations. Findings of the crustacean Hemimysis anomala (invasive) and the chironomids Stenochironomus sp. and Lipiniella sp. were the first records of these taxa in the Czech Republic.     

Study on the effects of arsenic pollution on the communities of macro-invertebrate in Xieshui River

In 2006 and 2007, five sampling stations were set up in Xieshui River and its tributaries to study the macro-invertebrate communities, and measure physicochemical parameters and contents of different forms of arsenic. A comparative analysis and multivariate statistical methods were used to explore the effects of arsenic pollution on the macro-invertebrate communities. In this study, sixty species were identified, including 39 aquatic insects, 10 mollusks, 5 oligochaetes, 1 crustacean, and 5 others. Results of the comparative analysis indicated that the macro-invertebrate communities at the station with serious arsenic pollution tended to be simple and showed a significant decreasing in density, biomass, and biodiversity in comparison with the other stations. Arsenic pollution also had a major effect on the dominant species and groups. For instance, EPT taxa disappeared at the station with serious arsenic pollution, and chironomids that belong to the genus Cardiocladius were very tolerant to high concentrations of arsenic. Results of the functional feeding groups (FFGs) analysis indicated that the predators were more tolerant to arsenic pollution, while the scrapers, filterers, and collectors were relatively sensitive to arsenic pollution. Results of a non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) analysis showed that when the concentration of inorganic arsenic decreased to the range between the criteria continuous concentration (CCC) and the criteria maximum concentration (CMC), the effects of inorganic arsenic on the macro-invertebrate communities seemed to be insignificant. Results of a BVSTEP (Bio-Env Step-Wise Procedure) analysis showed that water temperature, rotifer density, trivalent arsenic, pentavalent arsenic, and total inorganic arsenic greatly influenced species appearance, while rotifer density and various forms of arsenic had a considerable impact on the species composition.     

EPT昆虫群落分布与环境因子的相关性

为了研究EPT昆虫与水环境因子的相关性,在2006年6-7月和9-10月分季在丹江口水库两条主水源河流上分设5个采样点,对EPT昆虫和水质采样检测。结果共检测到EPT昆虫780头,为12科16种(或种团),水质理化指标7项。简单相关分析与复相关分析都表明,氮浓度、磷浓度、生化需氧量与EPT昆虫密度呈极显著正相关（P<0.01）,与EPT昆虫的种数呈极显著负相关（P<0.01）。典型相关分析表明,EPT昆虫组与环境因子组有极显著的正相关（P<0.0001）,EPT昆虫组主要目为蜉蝣目和襀翅目,环境因子组主要因子为氮浓度、磷浓度、生化需氧量。由此得出：即使在低污染、低营养程度的水环境下,EPT昆虫与环境因子也表现出群体的显著相关性,环境因子对EPT昆虫分布有重要影响。     

Salinity and the distribution of Cladocera in Warri River,Nigeria

Hydrobiological investigations of the water quality and plankton of Warri River started in 1981, shortly before the commissioning of the Delta Steel Plant on the banks of the river at Aladja. The 150 km of river gradates from pure freshwater through brackish to marine and so provides a suitable habitat for a study of the limits of migration of any group of zooplankton. The Cladocera of Warri River consists of two bosminids, thirteen chydorids, three daphniids, three macrothricids, one moinid, and two sidids. All except the sididPenilia sp. are well known freshwater forms, which are limited in longitudinal distribution to areas with salinity below 2.5‰. Penilia sp. found in Warri River were restricted to the truely brackish-water areas with salinity values of 7‰ −8‰. In this respect they represent the first reported brackish water Cladocera in Africa. They also differ fromPenilia avirostris Dana found in marine habitats in certain morphological details, and so the Warri RiverPenilia may be a new taxon.     

A trait-based approach to assess the vulnerability of European aquatic insects to climate change

Aquatic insects are the dominant taxon group in most freshwater ecosystems. As temperature is the main driver of their life cycle development, metabolic activity, and geographic distribution, these macroinvertebrates are particularly suitable for large scale and comparative studies of freshwater community responses to climate change. A dataset of bio-ecological traits of 1,942 Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa was used to analyze (1) the relationships among traits, (2) the potential vulnerability of EPT species to climate change, and (3) the geographical occurrence patterns of these potentially endangered species at the scale of European ecoregions. By means of a fuzzy correspondence analysis (FCA), two gradients emerged: (1) a longitudinal gradient, describing successive upstream–downstream features, and (2) a biogeographical gradient, separating endemic and micro-endemic species from widely distributed taxa. Moreover, aquatic insects of southern European ecoregions emerged as those most endangered in terms of potential vulnerability to climate change. Comparative multi-taxon studies provide important new insights into freshwater ecosystem functioning and responses to climate change, and could be the first step toward developing integrative monitoring or assessment tools (e.g., trait-based indicators at the species level) by means of non-arbitrary statistical methods.     

Longitudinal and seasonal pattern of insect emergence in alpine streams

Prevailing water sources and/or regional climate are known to have an important influence on hydromorphology and chemistry of high alpine streams, affecting biology and phenology of aquatic insects considerably. Seven reaches in two different stream types (glacial and non-glacial) in the European Central Alps were investigated along a longitudinal gradient above the tree line to elucidate community structure and emergence patterns of aquatic insects. Aquatic insect emergence was dominated by chironomid taxa in both streams (95.0% in the glacial vs. 90.5% in the spring-fed stream). Emergence rate was much higher in the non-glacial stream, with Chironomidae 638.9 ind. m⁻² d⁻¹ and EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) 20.3 ind. m⁻² d⁻¹ (annual mean), compared to the glacial stream (Chironomidae 132 ind. m⁻² d⁻¹ and EPT 7.0 ind. m⁻² d⁻¹). Whereas, in the glacial stream a richer and more diverse species composition was found at lower elevations, emergence rate and emerging taxa numbers were higher at higher altitude in the non-glacial stream. Seasonal comparisons also showed a significant difference between the two streams. In the glacial stream maximum emergence was in April/May, whereas, in the non-glacial stream in July. A comparison with similar studies carried out in alpine streams showed that abundance and biomass of emerging insects were relatively low in the glacial stream. The continuous emergence throughout the summer is another example of insect life-cycle adaptation to the harsh environmental conditions in glacial streams: most likely, emergence during the warmer summer months, where the probability of experiencing favourable climate conditions on land is higher than for the rest of the year, was an evolutionary advantage for many glacial stream taxa.     

The influence of habitat structure and flow permanence on invertebrate communities in karst spring systems

The macroinvertebrate fauna of five karst (limestone) springbrook systems with contrasting physical habitat and discharge patterns were investigated to examine the role of flow permanence and habitat structure on macroinvertebrate community composition. Clear physical differences were identified between perennial and intermittent springs and individual sampling stations. However, flow permanence, water temperature and the input of leaf litter exerted a greater influence on the aquatic invertebrate community than habitat structure. Perennial sites were characterised by a greater abundance of macroinvertebrates and greater Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) richness than intermittent sites. The fauna of all of the springbrook systems examined were dominated by relatively common and ubiquitous taxa (e.g. Gammarus pulex) although a number of taxa displaying life cycle adaptations to ephemeral aquatic habitats (e.g. Limnephilus auricula and Stenophylax permistus) were recorded at intermittent sites.     

永定河流域大型底栖动物群落分布格局及其影响因子

人类干扰造成了全球河流生态系统的普遍退化。流域尺度的水生生物分布特征及其影响因素研究对于河流生态系统的保护与恢复具有重要意义。本研究以永定河流域大型底栖动物群落为研究对象,分别于2017年春季(3月)、夏季(7月)、秋季(11月)开展全流域尺度的大型底栖动物调查。研究表明: 永定河流域以摇蚊科为主,优势类群包括直突摇蚊属、摇蚊属、雕翅摇蚊属以及多足摇蚊属。聚类分析表明,大型底栖动物群落结构存在显著的空间差异性,按照群落相似性可分为2组: 组1主要包含桑干河和东洋河水系,以直突摇蚊为主要优势种;组2主要包含洋河、妫水河以及永定河干流部分河段,以雕翅摇蚊为主要优势种。单因素方差分析表明,组2生物量、Shannon指数、Margalef指数、Pielou均匀度指数以及物种丰富度均显著高于组1,指示了该区域内更好的生态状况。大型底栖动物的季节差异显著,夏季的密度、生物量和各多样性指数均显著低于春季和秋季。典范对应分析显示,影响永定河大型底栖动物空间分布的环境因子主要包括水温、铵氮、pH、溶解氧和总磷。从水文因子的角度,流量和流速与主要生物参数存在显著相关性。组2中流速和流量与大型底栖动物密度和EPT%存在显著的正相关关系,表明急流生境有利于EPT(蜉蝣目、襀翅目、毛翅目)敏感类群的生存;但流量和流速与多样性指数呈负相关关系,表明过高流量和流速的生境条件不利于大型底栖动物多样性的维持。总之,水环境因子、水文因子都显示出了对大型底栖动物群落结构和多样性特征的影响,表明永定河流域生态系统受到多类型人为活动的影响。减少水质污染、适度恢复部分河段的流量是永定河流域生态系统修复的重要环节。     

Development of a regional macroinvertebrate index for large river bioassessment

Large river bioassessment protocols lag far behind those of wadeable streams and often rely on fish assemblages of individual rivers. We developed a regional macroinvertebrate index and assessed relative condition of six large river tributaries to the upper Mississippi and Ohio rivers, Midwest USA. In 2004 and 2005, benthic macroinvertebrates, water chemistry, and habitat data were collected from randomly selected sites on each of the St. Croix, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Scioto, Wabash, and Illinois rivers. We first identified the human disturbance gradient using principal components analysis (PCA) of abiotic data. From the PCA, least disturbed sites showed strong separation from stressed sites along a gradient contrasting high water clarity, canopy cover, habitat scores, and plant-based substrates at one end and higher conductivity and nutrient concentrations at the other. Evaluation of 97 benthic metrics identified those with good range, responsiveness, and relative scope of impairment, as well as redundancies with other metrics. The final index was composed of Diptera taxa richness, EPT taxa richness, Coleoptera taxa richness, percent oligochaete and leech taxa, percent collector-filterer individuals, predator taxa richness, percent burrower taxa, tolerant taxa richness, and percent facultative individuals. Each of the selected metrics was scored using upper and lower thresholds based on all sites, and averaging across the nine metric scores, we obtained the Non-wadeable Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Condition Index (NMACI). The NMACI showed a strong response to disturbance using a validation data set and was highly correlated with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination axes of benthic taxa. The cumulative distribution function of index scores for each river showed qualitative differences in condition among rivers. NMACI scores were highest for the federally protected St. Croix River and lowest for the Illinois River. Other rivers were intermediate and generally reflected the mixture of land use types within individual basins. Use of regional reference sites, though setting a high level of expectation, provides a valuable frame of reference for the potential of large river benthic communities that will aid management and restoration efforts.     

Macroinvertebrate community response to large-woody debris additions in small warmwater streams

Half-logs are a common restoration tool used to provide cover for fish in degraded streams. These structures may also provide a stable substrate for biofilm production and aquatic macroinvertebrate colonization. Half-logs (N = 108) were installed into nine streams of the upper Wabash River basin, Indiana, in July 2003 to examine changes in aquatic macroinvertebrate community composition and functional guilds under varying land-use types. Following installation, half-logs were colonized and showed statistically significant increases in both relative abundance and taxa richness of macroinvertebrates over time. The number of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa collected from half-logs, as a percentage of total community composition, was positively related to the percentage of canopy coverage across streams and the relative abundance of shredder taxa utilizing half-logs decreased significantly with increasing canopy coverage. Forest streams exhibited significantly lower relative abundances of individuals colonizing half-logs (mean = 14.9 taxa/0.25 m²) than fallow field and agricultural streams (mean = 29.5 and 33.1, respectively). The percentage of pollution-tolerant taxa using half-logs was highest in fallow field streams (mean = 18.4%), followed by forest and agriculture systems (mean = 15.9% and 13. 9%, respectively). These results indicate that half-logs were colonized by aquatic macroinvertebrates and exhibited changes in community composition and functional feeding guilds over time and across land-use types. The extent of colonization and use of half-logs was largely dependent upon the pre-existing in-stream habitat quality and the predominant land-use type. Handling editor: R. Bailey     

应用底栖动物完整性指数B-IBI评价溪流健康

B-IBI指数是溪流生态系统健康评价常用指标之一。据安徽黄山地区溪流的33个底栖动物样点数据(11个参照点,22个受损点),对21个生物参数进行分布范围、Pearson相关性和判别能力分析,确定B-IBI指数由总分类单元数、EPT分类单元数、前3位优势分类单元%、粘附者%、敏感类群%和BI指数构成。分别用3分制、4分制和比值法统一各参数量纲,B-IBI指数值即为累加各构成指数的分值或比值。B-IBI箱线图分析表明,上述3种方法计算出的B-IBI值有较高判别能力(IQ=3),能很好地判别参照水体和受损水体,且3者之间具高相关性(r>0.90)。分别依据参照样点和所有样点B-IBI值建立健康评价标准,比较3分制、4分制和比值法对评价结果的准确性,表明用比值法统一各参数量纲并依据所有样点的B-IBI值建立的健康评价标准的准确性优于3分制和4分制法。建立了适合祁门县溪流生态系统健康评价B-IBI标准B-IBI>3.59健康,2.7～3.59亚健康,1.8～2.69一般,0.9～1.79差,B-IBI<0.9极差。祁门县21个样点的水体,14个健康,6个亚健康,1个一般。B-IBI与电导率(r=-0.62,p<0.01)和生境质量(r=0.65,p<0.01)显著相关。     

城市溪流中径流式低坝对底栖动物群落结构的影响

调查了浙江省安吉县内具径流式低坝的城市溪流(6个样点)和参照溪流(3个样点)的底栖动物群落,目的是了解城市溪流底栖动物群落结构退化规律和径流式低坝(2—3 m)对城市溪流底栖动物群落组成与结构的影响。结果表明,参照样点的底质组成以大石块(35.92%)和卵石(33.66%)为主,城市溪流以砾石为主(57.97%)。城市溪流水温和电导率显著高于参照溪流,TN和TP高于参照溪流。底栖动物总分类单元数和EPT分类单元数显著低于参照溪流。城市溪流河道内水坝上下游之间的流速(P=0.273)和宽深比(P=3.92)无显著差异。坝下游水体中的TP高于坝上游,电导率、溶解氧、pH值和水温在坝上下游之间几乎一致。除BI指数坝下游高于坝上游外,坝上下游间底栖动物总分类单元数、EPT分类单元数以及多样性指数、优势度和均匀度指数没有显著差异。但坝下游的耐污类群比例显著高于坝上游,敏感类群比例则显著低于坝上游。与坝上游相比,坝下游捕食者比例上升和集食者比例下降。NMDS结果进一步表明,城市溪流内水坝的建设导致坝上下游底栖动物群落物种组成明显改变。     

新疆伊犁河不同生境大型底栖动物群落及其影响因素

于2014和2015年7月对新疆伊犁河支流喀什河和巩乃斯河共14个采样点的大型底栖无脊椎动物进行了调查研究, 比较分析了自然、受损、坝下和保护区4种生境的大型底栖动物群落结构特征。共采集大型底栖动物14435头, 属10目39科81属(种), 其中水生昆虫、软体动物、寡毛类分别占93.8%、2.5%和3.7%。对不同生境大型底栖动物群落结构特征进行了分析比较, 结果表明: 自然生境在物种数、优势物种数、EPT物种数、密度和物种多样性方面均高于其他3种生境, 而坝下生境均最低, 保护区生境底栖动物群落结构优于受损生境和坝下生境。冗余分析(RDA)结果共解释了物种数据累计方差的54.1%, 流速、电导率、水温和海拔是影响伊犁河底栖动物分布的主要因素(F=2.28—4.34, P<0.05)。     

亚热带城市河流底栖动物完整性评价——以流溪河为例

根据2016年前、后汛期及枯水期流溪河14个断面底栖动物群落组成数据(4门8纲22目52科94属103种),采用底栖动物完整性指数(B-IBI),首次对亚热带地区河流进行健康评价。经筛选(32个候选指标),流溪河B-IBI体系由5个核心指标(总生物量,敏感类群个体%,EPT、摇蚊和耐污类群单元数)组成,评价标准为:健康3.24,亚健康3.24—2.43,一般2.43—1.62,差1.62—0.81,极差0.81,评价结果为:健康位点数占14.3%、亚健康50.0%、一般21.4%、差14.3%、无极差。总体上,B-IBI值反映流溪河上游健康状况较好,以EPT分类单元数和敏感类群个体%贡献最高,下游健康状况恶化,以耐污类群单元数贡献最高。此外,上游支流健康状况要优于上游干流,而下游则情况相反。相关性分析显示,B-IBI值与溶解氧呈极显著正相关(P0.01),与电导率、氨氮、总氮和总磷呈显著负相关(P0.05),反映流溪河当前健康水平受水体污染影响严重。核心指标与环境因子间CCA分析显示,前2主轴对环境因子解释度达68.1%,且对上、下游及干、支流有明显的梯度划分,说明所建B-IBI在流溪河有较高适用性。对比不同温度带研究结果发现,B-IBI体系受人为干扰和水体污染影响更加明显,体现其评价功能不受地理区域影响。     

Aquatic Coleoptera Distribution and Environmental Relationships in a Large Patagonian River

The benthic coleopteran assemblages of the Chubut River basin were studied in order to assess the main factors affecting species composition and distribution along the upper, middle and lower catchments. A total of 13 sampling sites were selected and sampled seasonally. Eight taxa and 1,601 individuals were collected during the study. Richness was higher in the main channel of Chubut River at the upper basin than at the middle basin. Beetles were completely absent at the lower basin. Mean monthly density per sites varied from 0 to 85 ind m^–2. Stethelmis kaszabi had a more restricted distribution whereas Hemiosus dejeanii, Austrelmis sp. and Austrolimnius spp. were more frequent and abundant. Austrelmis sp. appears as the most tolerant species, especially to higher TSS, ammonia, and conductivity values. Luchoelmis cekalovici was absent in stations associated with urban areas. A Canonical Correspondence Analysis shows that conductivity, total suspended solids, wet width, water temperature and pH were the most important variables structuring beetle assemblages. Land use related variables such as NH₄, TP, and NO₃ were less important but still significant. An increase in TSS affected negatively the coleopteran community; this could be related to both hydrogeological characteristics and agricultural activities (including overgrazing). This is the first approach to the knowledge of the ecological range of distribution of the coleopteran species in Patagonian rivers. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)