Downstream Drift of the Mayfly Baetis flavistriga as a Passive Phenomenon

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Abstract
Drift of B. flavistriga McDunnough nymphs apparently was a passive process which resulted from increased exposure to water currents during periods of increased foraging. The diel pattern of drift was nocturnal and ecologically significant, with approximately 16.15 kcal of energy drifting daily. Drift was independent of emergence and the density of nymphs in the substrate. Nymphs apparently did not drift because of hunger or long-term food deprivation, since drifting and nondrifting nymphs, collected at the same time of day, had similar gut-content weight and caloric content. A diel pattern of feeding was significantly correlated with diel drift.