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Studies examining phylogenetic community structure have become increasingly prevalent, yet little attention has been given to the influence of the input phylogeny on metrics that describe phylogenetic patterns of co-occurrence. Here, we examine the influence of branch length, tree reconstruction method, and amount of sequence data on measures of phylogenetic community structure, as well as the phylogenetic signal (Pagel's lambda ) in morphological traits, using Trichoptera larval communities from Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. We find that model-based tree reconstruction methods and the use of a backbone family-level phylogeny improve estimations of phylogenetic community structure. In addition, trees built using the barcode region of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) alone accurately predict metrics of phylogenetic community structure obtained from a multi-gene phylogeny. Input tree did not alter overall conclusions drawn for phylogenetic signal, as significant phylogenetic structure was detected in two body size traits across input trees. As the discipline of community phylogenetics continues to expand, it is important to investigate the best approaches to accurately estimate patterns. Our results suggest that emerging large datasets of DNA barcode sequences provide a vast resource for studying the structure of biological communities.

Distribution records for caddisflies (Trichoptera) collected during the summers of 2011-2013 in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, U.S.A. are presented. Fourteen families, 34 genera, and 59 species are listed, based on adult, pupal and larval records. Exceptional species records are noted and brief comments are given.

Abstract Tropical biomes such as Brazilian Cerrado and Amazon Forest have a great diversity of fungi and insects. Interactions between these organisms can be beneficial to both partners. In streams, these interactions contribute to litter decomposition. Studying the digestive tract (DT) of shredder insects as a habitat for fungal microorganisms is an opportunity to obtain fungal strains with biotechnological potential, which may help to understand the symbiotic relationships between these organisms in tropical forests. This study investigated the fungal community in the DT of larvae of Triplectides (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) collected in low-order streams in the Cerrado and Amazon Forest biomes in Brazil. Forty-nine fungal isolates were obtained and identified among 32 species and 12 genera. The genus Roussoella was only found in the DT of insects in Amazon Forest streams, while 7 genera only occurred in the DT of insects in Cerrado streams. The genus Penicillium (40%) was the most frequent. In the Cerrado, 78% were producers of CMCase, more than two-fold that in the Amazon Forest (35%). And 62% were producers of xylanase, in the Cerrado and 71% in the Amazon Forest. In this context, the fungal community in the DT of Triplectides larvae may play an important role in the insect diet by breaking down lignocellulosic material. Resumo Biomas tropicais como o Cerrado brasileiro e a Floresta Amazônica apresentam uma grande diversidade de fungos e insetos. As interações entre esses organismos podem ser benéficas para ambos os parceiros. Em riachos, essas interações contribuem para a decomposição da serapilheira. O estudo do trato digestório (TD) de insetos como um habitat para microrganismos fúngicos é uma oportunidade para obtenção de linhagens fúngicas com potencial biotecnológico, podendo trazer luz para o entendimento das relações simbióticas entre esses organismos em florestas tropicais. Esse estudo investigou a comunidade fúngica do TD de larvas de Triplectides (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) coletados em riachos de baixa ordem nos biomas Cerrado e Floresta Amazônica no Brasil. Foram obtidos 49 isolados fúngicos e identificados entre 32 espécies de 12 gêneros. O gênero Roussoella foi encontrado apenas no DT de insetos em riachos da Floresta Amazônica, enquanto sete gêneros ocorreram apenas no DT de insetos em riachos do Cerrado. O gênero Penicillium (40%) foi o mais frequente. No Cerrado, 78% foram produtoras de CMCase, mais que o dobro da Floresta Amazônica (35%). E 62% foram produtoras de xilanase, no Cerrado, e 71% na Floresta Amazônica. Nesse contexto, a comunidade fúngica do TD de larvas Triplectides pode desempenhar um papel importante na dieta de insetos por quebrar o material lignocelulósico.

Given the persistence of microplastics in the environment and their potential toxicity to ecosystems, understanding of likely microplastic accumulation ‘hotspots’ in rivers is urgently needed. To contribute to this challenge, this paper reports results of a microplastic survey from a heavily urbanised catchment, the River Tame and four of its tributaries, which flows through the city of Birmingham, UK. All sediment sampled was found to contain microplastics with an average abundance of 165 particles kg−1. While urban areas generally have a greater abundance of microplastics as compared with rural, there is no simple relationship between microplastic numbers and population density or proximity to wastewater treatment sites. The greatest change in microplastic abundance was due to the presence of a lake along the course of the River Tame—i.e., flow velocities are reduced on entering the lake, which promotes the deposition of fine sediment and potentially microplastics. This suggests that the greatest concentrations of microplastics will not be found in-channel but rather on the floodplain and other low velocity environments such as meander cutoffs. We also identified a new mechanism of microplastic fixation in freshwater environments through ecological engineers, specifically caddisflies, that incorporated microplastics into their casing. These results highlight the need to explore further hydrodynamic and ecological impacts on microplastics fate and transport in rivers.

Spatial pattern comprehension, dynamism of energy, and transfer of matter in running freshwater systems are significant for the functional composition of aquatic communities. Recently, the trait-based approach has become the center of functional assessment. The trait-based approach can complement structural bioassessment tools and has the advantage of combining ecological features and biological characteristics rather than only the use of a taxonomic-based approach. In the current study, we explored the differential responses of EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) traits in selected stream sites in the northwestern Rif of Morocco. A Surber sampler with a 500-µm mesh size and dimensions of 20 × 20 cm was used to collect EPT samples at the sites. Physicochemical and hydromorphological parameters, including temperature, pH, BOD5, NO-3, Cl−, depth, and current velocity, were used to characterize the water quality of the sampled sites. We used 54 trait modalities belonging to 11 trait classes to describe the collected EPT at the family level. We conducted RLQ model and fourth-corner test to examine the interaction between the EPT traits assemblage and habitat predictors at the 36 sampled sites along the stretch of the study area. The RLQ ordination revealed that the distribution patterns of EPT traits differed significantly over the 36 sites. Thus, we expected that the EPT traits assemblage would reflect the degree of the detected environmental pressures. The RLQ model indicated that elevated nutrient levels and conductivity were the key factors explaining most of the variability in functional traits at the downstream sampled sites. EPT traits such as life cycle duration, food preferences, maximal potential size, and substrate preference were positively associated with sites exhibiting notable deterioration. Baetidae and Leptophlebidae in S2, S3, and S20 favored these trait assemblages. The fourth-corner test revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in the relationship between the EPT traits and selected physicochemical and hydromorphological parameters.

Knowledge about the caddisfly fauna of Kosovo has expanded significantly in recent years; however, new species continue to be described from less-studied regions. In this paper, we describe a new species, sp. nov., from the Lumbardhi i Deçanit River in the Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains of Kosovo. The new species is closely related to Olah, 2010 and Sykora, 1962, but differs in the shapes of segment IX, coxopodites, harpago, phallicata and the basal plate process. sp. nov. represents the sixth recorded species of the genus Curtis, 1834, in Kosovo. The species was found in a small, isolated population within a region highly impacted by anthropogenic activities, especially the construction of hydropower plants. sp. nov. was found in sympatry with some species rarely encountered in Kosovo, such as McLachlan, 1871, Schmid, 1970 and Ibrahimi, Bilalli & Kučinić, 2021. Ongoing human activities have placed increasing pressures on the river's ecosystem, further emphasising the conservation importance of identifying and protecting these rare and specialised species within Kosovo's freshwater habitats.

DNA barcoding was intended as a means to provide species-level identifications through associating DNA sequences from unknown specimens to those from curated reference specimens. Although barcodes were not designed for phylogenetics, they can be beneficial to the completion of the Tree of Life. The barcode database for Trichoptera is relatively comprehensive, with data from every family, approximately two-thirds of the genera, and one-third of the described species. Most Trichoptera, as with most of life's species, have never been subjected to any formal phylogenetic analysis. Here, we present a phylogeny with over 16 000 unique haplotypes as a working hypothesis that can be updated as our estimates improve. We suggest a strategy of implementing constrained tree searches, which allow larger datasets to dictate the backbone phylogeny, while the barcode data fill out the tips of the tree. We also discuss how this phylogeny could be used to focus taxonomic attention on ambiguous species boundaries and hidden biodiversity. We suggest that systematists continue to differentiate between ‘Barcode Index Numbers’ (BINs) and ‘species’ that have been formally described. Each has utility, but they are not synonyms. We highlight examples of integrative taxonomy, using both barcodes and morphology for species description. This article is part of the themed issue ‘From DNA barcodes to biomes’.

Plastics are to date considered one of the main detrimental drivers for the health of aquatic ecosystems, both in marine and inland waters. Regarding the latter habitat, it seems surprising how the plastic effects on benthic invertebrates are neglected since macroinvertebrates have a long tradition in the water quality assessment activities. In this context, we propose timely indoor observations on the exposure of caddisfly Odontocerum albicorne and mayfly Ephemera danica to various microplastic polymers (ABS, PET, PP, PS, PVDF). Three different experimental designs were performed on caddisflies and mayflies by exposing their larvae to natural and microplastic substrates. Our findings highlighted how microplastics affected both caddisflies in rebuilding its own case (after having removed the natural one) and mayflies burrowing. Particularly, all caddisflies rebuilt cases using the microplastic polymers provided instead of natural items only. Moreover, we provide the first evidence that mayflies burrow mainly in microplastic substrates rather than in natural ones. Our research highlights that macroinvertebrate larvae would use naturally occurring microplastics and this could be of particular concern in freshwaters with high contamination by plastics. Indeed, larvae appear to not necessarily perceive microplastics as a direct stressor. Further studies ought to be conducted to understand the chronic perturbation on larvae fitness and for example, on drift behaviour. Also, further investigations are needed to understand the potentialities of using plastics by benthic macroinvertebrates.

Environmental change threatens freshwater biodiversity through altered temperature and precipitation patterns. Available data is frequently insufficient to determine impacts at the species level leading to misinterpreted species' vulnerability. Conversely, phylogenetic relationships, current distributions and ecological traits of the caddisfly subfamily Drusinae are well known. Thus, species distribution models (SDMs) were set up for 47 Drusinae species to assess individual and trait-specific climate change (CC) vulnerability. Species were grouped by larval feeding guild, stream zonation preference and level of endemism. Models were calibrated with predictors describing climate, topography and geology at a spatial resolution of 1 km and were projected for five general circulation models under four future climate scenarios. To limit dispersal, distribution projections were restricted to a maximum of 500 km until the year 2080. Relative predicted range change fluctuated between -100% and 197%, with extinction predicted for five species. Altitudinal shifts varied between -2% and +15%, with distribution centroids shifting between 28 km and 119 km. Our results identify stream zonation, a non-phylogenetic trait, as the best indicator of CC vulnerability. Furthermore, two important conclusions are highlighted: monitoring is best done at the species level while the biodiversity of springs and low order streams requires considerably more attention.

The Neotropical caddisfly (Trichoptera) fauna is cataloged from a review of over 1,000 literature citations through 2015 (partial 2016) to include 3,262 currently recognized, valid species-group names in 25 families and 155 extant genera. Fourteen subspecies are included in the total as well as 35 fossil species and 1 fossil genus. The region covered includes all of Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. Genus-group and species-group synonyms are listed. For each nominal species, information on the type locality, type depository, sex of type, distribution by country, and other pertinent taxonomic or biological information is included. Summary information on taxonomy, phylogeny, distribution, immature stages, and biology are provided for each family and genus where known. An extensive index to all nominal taxa is included to facilitate use of the catalog. The glossosomatid species Rueda Martín & Gibon, is transferred to .