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THE WING LENGTH OF SWELTSA REVELSTOKA (PLECOPTERA: CHLOROPERLIDAE)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

D.B. Donald
Affiliation:
Canadian Wildlife Service, 9942–108 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J5

Abstract

Functional wing length (wing length/head-capsule width) of female Sweltsa revelstoka (Jewett) from streams was measured for 19 sites that have been free of Wisconsin glacial ice for about 15 000 years and possibly longer, and from 23 sites that have been ice free for about 10 000 years. At the former sites brachypterous populations were common and there was a significant negative relationship between functional wing length and elevation, and a positive relationship between functional wing length and stream size. In the area that deglaciated more recently, populations were not or only slightly brachypterous and there was no significant relationship between wing length and elevation or between wing length and stream size. Functional wing length was not related to body size. These analyses indicate that the brachypterous condition is probably genotypic in origin. I suggest that streams were colonized by macropterous forms shortly after deglaciation, and that brachyptery takes several millennia to develop at small, high-elevation streams.

Résumé

La longueur d'ailes fonctionnelle (longueur d'ailes – largeur de la capsule) de la femelle de Sweltsa revelstoka (Jewett) a été mesurée à 19 sites qui ne sont plus couverts par les glaces du Wisconsin depuis 15 000 ans ou plus et à 23 sites n'étant plus couverts de glace depuis environ 10 000 ans. Aux premiers sites, les populations brachyptères étaient communes et aucune relation n'a pu être établie entre l'altitude et la longueur d'ailes fonctionnelle, tandis qu'un lien entre celle-ci et la taille des cours d'eau a été noté. Dans les régions où les glaces ont subsisté plus longtemps, les populations n'étaient que légèrement brachyptères ou ne l'étaient pas du tout et il n'y avait pas de lien entre la longueur d'ailes et l'altitude ou la taille des cours d'eau. La longueur d'ailes fonctionnelle ne variait pas en fonction de la taille du corps. Ces analyses indiquent que le brachyptérisme est probablement un caractère génotypique. Cela conduit à l'hypothèse suivante : les cours d'eau auraient été colonisés par des macroptères peu après la disparition des glaces et le brachyptérisme aurait pris plusieurs millénaires à se développer chez les insectes peuplant des petits cours d'eau situés à une grande altitude.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1985

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