Resumo

MONTALTO, Luciana; CAPELLO, Soledad  e  PAGGI, Analía C.. First record and ecological features of Goeldichironomus petiolicola (Diptera: Chironomidae) mining Eichhornia crassipes in the Middle Paraná River floodplain, Argentina. Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. [online]. 2012, vol.71, n.1-2, pp.137-144. ISSN 0373-5680.

The first records from Argentina of larvae of Goeldichironomus petiolicola Trivinho-Strixino & Strixino mining in Eichhornia crassipes (Martius) Solms petioles in wetlands of the Paraná River floodplain were analyzed. G petiolicola larvae and pupae were collected seasonally during 2005 from stands of E. crassipes and bottom sediment samples in floodplain habitats. Larvae inside E. crassipes petioles were reared with the purpose of obtaining their complete life cycle. G. petiolicola was the most abundant chironomid species living inside E. crassipes petioles; the III and IV instar larvae and pupae were found during all the seasons while the I and II instar larvae were not found. The highest average densities of G. petiolicola larvae inside the E. crassipes petioles were recorded in Autumn-Winter (588.5 ind.kg^-1 dw - 778.7 ind.kg^-1 dw). This suggests that they have better conditions for survival, allowing the individuals to develop more slowly until the next flooded period with higher temperatures. The r (Dyar) value obtained was 1.66. We conclude that G. petiolicola mines into E. crassipes petioles mainly when the plants begin their senescence process and does not cause important damage to them.

Palavras-chave : Chironomidae; Eichhornia crassipes miner; Larval ecology; Wetlands.

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