Abstract
Laboratory investigations of chironomid burrowing behavior indicated that the penetration of sediment substrates by larvae consists of two components: searching for a penetration site and actual sediment penetration. Physical characteristics of the sediment and of the animals themselves were found to affect the time required for each. When the ratio of sediment particle diameter to larval head capsule width approached 1.0 the time spent in locating a penetration site increased dramatically. The probability of successfully penetrating a sediment in the presence of current was investigated and found to depend upon the square root of current velocity and upon penetration time. A statistical model of erosion probability suggests that body size has a significant influence on immigration rates of chironomid larvae into specific types of sediment substrate.
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