Hatching Success of Mayfly Eggs at Low pH

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Abstract
Eggs of the mayflies Leptophlebia cupida, Habrophlebia vibrans, Stenonema femoratum, and Baetis flavistriga were reared in soft water at several pH levels (4.0, 4.5, 5.0, and 6.5) in the laboratory. The proportion of eggs undergoing eclosion did not vary with pH. However, in B. flavistriga, significant mortality of nymphs occurred before the hatch was complete at pH 4.0 (91%) and 4.5 (12%). Hatching rate of H. vibrans was significantly retarded at pH 4.0, 4.5, and especially at pH 5.0, but was unaffected in the other three species. The effects of elevated [H+] on these species are in agreement with their relative acid sensitivity inferred from field surveys.