Habitat separation among Chironomidae (Diptera) in Big Springs

Habitat separation among Chironomidae was determined for five habitats in Big Springs, W Kansas). The habitats investigated were: spring source, spring run, a large pool, splash zones, and saturated soils/small seeps. The highest species richness was in the pool habitat (45 species), dominated by Chironomini. Orthocladiinae dominated all other habitats, with the spring run having second highest species richness (20 species), followed by the spring source and splash zones (each with 13 species) and the saturated soils and seeps (11 species). Only three taxa, Tanytarsus spp., Corynoneura spp. and Thienemanniella spp., were found in all five habitats. Results suggest that patterns of longitudinal zonation in the composition of chironomids along spring spring and spring run gradients are strongly influenced by physical variations that occur as groundwater merges into a stream. -from Authors