Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia
http://www.alb.periodikos.com.br/article/doi/10.1590/S2179-975X8424
Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia
Original Article

Distribution of functional feeding groups of aquatic and semi-aquatic insects on macrophytes in an artificial lentic system in southern Brazil

Distribuição dos grupos funcionais de alimentação de insetos aquáticos e semiaquáticos em macrófitas em sistema lêntico artificial no Sul do Brasil

Thaiz Ramos; Silvia Rafaela Alves Pereira; Leandro Juen

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S2179-975X8424 Acta Limnol. Bras. (Online), vol.37, e22, 2025
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Abstract

Aim: To understand the distribution of functional feeding groups (FFGs) of aquatic and semiaquatic insects associated with macrophytes in a lentic system, we tested whether the abundance of FFGs varied across sampling periods and analyzed the variation of environmental variables related to FFG composition.

Methods: We evaluated the distribution of FFGs in four samplings conducted in March, May, July, and September of 2022, during different seasons of the year. The sampling locations were three sites in the Ponte Lake, located in the Porto Alegre Botanical Garden, southern Brazil. Relative abundances (%) were calculated for each family and for each FFG per sampling period. In this study, each seasonal sampling was considered a sample, and the three lake points were treated as subsamples. Data analysis was performed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance, and the Chi-square test (χ2).

Results: The two-axis PCA explained 90.47% of the variation. The variables that most contributed to the formation of the first axis were temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen, with a positive relationship, while turbidity contributed most to the second axis, with a negative relationship. The χ2 test confirmed differences in FFG abundances among the sampling periods. We collected 4.872 specimens, representing 24 families distributed across five orders. Collector-gatherers were the most abundant in the study (N = 3.126), with higher abundance in autumn (N = 899), followed by predators (N = 1.385), more abundant in summer (N = 582), and collector-filterers (N = 359), also more abundant in summer (N = 158).

Conclusions: These findings contribute to a better understanding of how environmental factors drive the diversity of functional feeding groups in lentic systems and highlight the ecological role of macrophytes as complex mesohabitats that are essential for the structuring of aquatic insect communities.

Keywords

 aquatic macroinvertebrates; aquatic plant; lake; feeding habit

Resumo

Objetivo: Entender a distribuição dos grupos funcionais de alimentação (GFAs) de insetos aquáticos e semiaquáticos associados a macrófitas em um sistema lêntico, testamos se a abundância dos FFGs variou entre as coletas e analisamos a variação das variáveis ambientais relacionadas à composição dos FFGs.

Métodos: Avaliamos a distribuição dos FFGs em quatro coletas nos meses de março, maio, julho e setembro de 2022, em diferentes estações do ano. Os locais de amostragem foram três sítios no Lago da Ponte, localizado no Jardim Botânico de Porto Alegre, Sul do Brasil. Foram calculadas as abundâncias relativas (%) para cada família e para cada FFGs por período. Nesse estudo, cada coleta por período sazonal foi considerada uma amostra e as subamostras os três pontos do lago. Para análise de dados utilizamos a Análise de Componentes Principais (PCA), Análise de Variância Multivariada Permutacional e o teste de Qui-Quadrado (χ2).

Resultados: A PCA em dois eixos explicou 90.47%, as variáveis que mais contribuíram para a formação do primeiro eixo foram temperatura, pH e oxigênio dissolvido, com relação positiva e do segundo eixo foi a turbidez, com relação negativa. Com χ2 confirmamos a diferença nas abundâncias dos FFGs entre os períodos. Coletamos 4.872 espécimes, representando 24 famílias distribuídas em 5 ordens. Coletor-catador foi o mais abundante no estudo (N=3.126) e mais abundante no outono (N=899), seguido por predador (N=1.385) mais abundante no verão (N=582). E coletor-filtrador (N=359) mais abundante no verão (N=158).

Conclusões: Essas descobertas contribuem para uma melhor compreensão de como os fatores ambientais impulsionam a diversidade de grupos funcionais de alimentação em sistemas lênticos e ressaltam o papel ecológico das macrófitas, como meso-habitats complexos e essenciais para estruturação das comunidades de insetos aquáticos.

Palavras-chave

macroinvertebrados aquáticos; planta aquática; lago; hábito alimentar

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Submitted date:
09/23/2024

Accepted date:
07/21/2025

Publication date:
10/14/2025

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