A primary occupation of many insect stream ecologists is the documentation of empirical relationships between insects and stream attributes, which provide insight into the mechanisms that structure species assemblages. Using waterscorpions (Nepidae: Hemiptera) as study animals, the spatial distribution of these insects was examined among 26 stream sites throughout the lower Mobile / Tensaw Delta, Mobile, AL. Our objective is to examine factors that can explain waterscorpion distributions in order to provide insight into the basic ecology of these organisms. Stream variables measured at the time of collection included water depth, temperature, conductivity, pH, stream width and dissolved oxygen. Collections were conducted in the fall (October, 2000) and again in the spring (May, 2001). Waterscorpion distribution was found to be correlated with water chemistry.
Species 1: Hemiptera Nepidae Ranatra nigra (waterscorpions)
Keywords: aquatic, ecology
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA