Annual Production by Caddisflies and Mayflies in a Western Minnesota Plains Stream

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Abstract
Annual production was estimated for five species of caddisflies and mayflies, comprising major components of the insect community, in the Redwood River, a second- to third-order plains stream in western Minnesota. Estmates were made at two sites, one above and one below an impoundment. At the upstream site, annual production (g∙m−2, wet weight) and annual P/B ratios (in parentheses) were Hydropsyche bifida, 8.3 (6.9); Cheumatopsyche pettiti, 5.5 (7.0); Stenonema nepotellum, 3.4 (5.7); Stenacron interpunctatum canadense, 0.8 (7.0); and Caenis simulans, 4.7 (4.2); with total annual production of 22.7 g∙m−2. At the downstream site, annual production and P/B ratios were H. bifida, 34.3 (4.4); C. pettiti, 68.5 (4.4); S. interpunctatum canadense, 24.1 (6.1); and C. simulans, 2.8 (4.4); with total annual production of 129.7 g∙m−2. These species comprised 27.5% of the total insect standing stock at the upstream site and 75.9% downstream. The hydropsychid production at the downstream site was apparently sustained by the drift of zooplankton from the impoundment, resulting in considerably higher production by hydropsychids than reported in woodland streams.Key words: production, Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, plains stream, benthos, size–frequency method

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