Feeding Preference of Pteronarcys pictetii (Plecoptera: Insecta) from a Small, Acidic, Woodland Stream

Abstract

Laboratory experiments evaluated leaf preference, using the stonefly, Pteronarcys pictetii Hagen, and differentially incubated red titi leaves, Cyrilla racemiflora L., from naturally acidic streams in northwestern Florida. Leaves were incubated from 0-8 weeks in the field and provided as food to P. pictetii nymphs in the laboratory. Incubated leaves were strongly preferred over non-incubated leaves, with a tendency for increased preference with increased incubation length. This tendency paralleled a decrease in leaf ash-free dry weight, an increase in fungal colonization of the leaves, and an increase in leaf protein through microbial colonization. Plate counts revealed low numbers of bacteria on leaf surfaces throughout the study. These findings generally agree with those from similar studies in aquatic systems of higher pH.