Unexpected larval development in a highly-glaciated headwater
Stefan Schütz, University of Innsbruck (AT)
Glacier-fed alpine headwaters are inhabited by few insect species (mainly chironomid subfamily Diamesinae). Despite their regular occurrence, nothing is known about their life-cycle strategies in these relatively cold freshwaters. Over the summer months in 2015, samples were taken at the Schlatenbach in vicinity of the glacier Schlatenkees in the Hohe Tauern Nationalpark, and the benthic larvae biometrically analyzed. We observed unexpected development patterns, indicating more favorable living conditions for most key taxa closer to the glacier with larger larval size, biomass and biovolume.