Callibaetis fluctuans
(Walsh, 1862)
small minnow mayfly
Callibaetis fluctuans is a small minnow mayfly in the Baetidae, native to North America. It inhabits permanently inundated wetlands and exhibits a multivoltine with multiple cohorts per year. The is a , with amorphous detritus comprising over 80% of its diet. It serves as an important secondary producer in wetland .
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Callibaetis fluctuans: //kælɪˈbeɪtɪs ˈflʌktuənz//
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Habitat
Permanently inundated wetlands; collected across a range of water depths and vegetation types in a mitigated wetland setting.
Distribution
Southeastern Canada, the continental United States, and Alaska. Documented in a mitigated wetland at Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA.
Diet
Amorphous detritus comprises greater than 80% of the diet across all seasons; detritus consumption of 3675 mg·m−2·yr−1 supports observed production levels.
Life Cycle
Multivoltine with at least three cohorts annually; fast larval growth occurs during spring and fall, with slower growth in an cohort.
Ecological Role
Secondary producer with total production of 208.0 mg·m−2·yr−1 (AFDM, ash-free dry mass) and a production-to- ratio of 12.6; detritus accounts for 70% of total production.
More Details
Production Study Significance
This was one of the first studies to provide production estimates for an aquatic insect in a permanently inundated wetland, based on quantitative benthic collected January through December 1994.