Stream beaches and sandbars in the southeastern United States harbor a diverse assemblage of arthropods. The biology of most of the species is little-known, and many, although quite common in this habitat, are perceived as rare or hard to collect. Input to the stream beach system largely from flooding and comes mainly from upstream. Species richness is related to particle size, frequency and intensity of flooding, amount of organic matter present, and stability of the sandbar or beach. Families or higher level taxa with relatively high species richness or with species characteristic of this habitat include Acarina, Carabidae, Collembola, Dolichopodidae, Ephydridae Gelastocoridae, Gryllotalpidae, Heteroceridae, Hydrophilidae, Lycosidae, Ptiliidae, Saldidae, Tetrigidae, and Tridactylidae. Factors degrading stream beach and sandbar habitats include forest practices which denude the watershed, pollution from fertilizers, pasture and feedlot runnoff, ATV traffic, and general increases in the toxic chemical load of stream waters.
Keywords: sandbar insects, psammophilous insects
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA