article Subject Matter of Experiments and Observations of Water Animals in School
Aquarium XVII (Alderflies, Megaloptera)
Lubomír Hanel
information
year: 2023
issue: 2
fulltext: PDF
online publishing date: 6/12/2023
DOI: 10.14712/25337556.2023.2.3
ISSN (Online): 2533-7556
Toto dílo podléhá licenci Creative Commons Uveďte původ 4.0 Mezinárodní License.
abstract
Adult alderflies (Sialidae) have a body length of less than 25 mm, long filamentous antennae, and four large dark wings of which the anterior pair is slightly longer than the posterior. The females lay a vast number of eggs on grass stems near water. When the larvae are born they drop into the water or the ground nearby it and make their way into their new aquatic biome. The aquatic larvae are flat bodied and cryptic in color. Sialidae larvae are found in many habitats, ranging from small springs to large rivers and ponds. They usually occur where the substrate is soft and where dead leaves and other detritus have accumulated. Larvae may dig into the substrate to a depth of several centimeters. The larvae are active, armed with strong sharp mandibles, and breathe by means of seven pairs of abdominal branchial filaments (tracheal gills). At the end of the abdomen is located a long tapered median filament that is covered with long hair-like sensilla, which are used to detect external stimuli. Larvae crawl along the bottom; they are non-selective predators that feed on insect larvae, annelid worms, crustaceans and mollusks. Cannibalism can occur if the population density in an area is high. Pupae are found on the land in soil and moss. Alderfly pupae are exarate, meaning that the developing wings, legs, antennae and mouthparts are attached only at the base end and do not develop in a cocoon. This contribution describes the conditions for rearing larvae and some ideas for experiments and observations in a school aquarium.
keywords
school aquarium, Insecta, Megaloptera, Sialidae, rearing, observations
fulltext (PDF )
References
Aspöck U., Aspöck H. 1999: Kamelhälse, Schlammfliegen, Ameisenlöwen. Wer sind sie? (Insecta, Neuropterida: Raphidioptera. Megaloptera, Neuroptera). Stapfia 60, zugleich Kataloge des OÖ. Landesmuseums, Neue Folge Nr. 138: 1–34.
Elliott J. M. 1977: A key to the larvae and adults of British freshwater Megaloptera and Neuroptera with notes on their life cycles and ecology. Freshwater Biological Association Scientific Publication, 35: 1–52.
Hanel L. 2002: Podzimní nález společenstva bezobratlých živočichů na břehu vypuštěného rybníka. Vážky 2002. Sborník referátů V. celostátního semináře odonatologů v Labských pískovcích. ZO ČSOP Vlašim, 172–174.
Lellák J., Kořínek V., Fott J., Kořínková J., Punčochář P. 1972: Biologie vodních živočichů. Skriptum Univerzity Karlovy v Praze, Fakulty přírodovědecké, SPN, Praha, 230 str.
Monserrat V. J. 2014: Los megalópteros de la Península Ibérica (Insecta, Neuropterida, Megaloptera, Sialidae). Graellsia, 70, 2: e009. https://doi.org/10.3989/graellsia.2014.v70.111.
New T. R., Theischinger G. 1993: Pupation and the Pupa, pp. 79–84. In: Kükenthal W. et al. [ed.] Handbook of Zoology, Megaloptera (Adlerflies, Dobsonflies), Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110857177-014.
Seitz W. 1941: Zur Frage des Extremitätencharakters der Tracheenkiemen von Sialis flavilatera L. im Rahmen allgemeiner biologischer Untersuchungen. Zeitschrift für Morphologie und Ökologie der Tiere, Berlin, 37: 214–275. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408261
Soldán T., Bojková J. 2017: Megaloptera (střechatky), 168. In: Hejda R., Farkač J., Chobot K. [eds]: Červený seznam ohrožených druhů České republiky, Bezobratlí, Příroda 36.
Zelený J. 2005: Střechatky (Megaloptera), 160. In: Farkaš J., Král D. et Škorpík M. [eds.]: Červený seznam ohrožených druhů České republiky. Bezobratlí. Agentura ochrany přírody a krajiny ČR, Praha, 760 str.
Zelený J., Sedlák E. 1980: Řád střechatky – Megaloptera, 156–159. In: Rozkošný R. 1980: Klíč vodních larev hmyzu. Československá akademie věd. Praha.