Use of Chironomidae (Diptera) Surface-Floating Pupal Exuviae as a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol for Water Bodies

Summary

Rapid bioassessment protocols using benthic macroinvertebrates are often used to monitor and assess water quality. An efficient protocol involves collections of Chironomidae surface-floating pupal exuviae (SFPE). Here, techniques for field collection, laboratory processing, slide mounting, and identification of Chironomidae SFPE are described.

Abstract

Rapid bioassessment protocols using benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages have been successfully used to assess human impacts on water quality. Unfortunately, traditional benthic larval sampling methods, such as the dip-net, can be time-consuming and expensive. An alternative protocol involves collection of Chironomidae surface-floating pupal exuviae (SFPE). Chironomidae is a species-rich family of flies (Diptera) whose immature stages typically occur in aquatic habitats. Adult chironomids emerge from the water, leaving their pupal skins, or exuviae, floating on the water’s surface. Exuviae often accumulate along banks or behind obstructions by action of the wind or water current, where they can be collected to assess chironomid diversity and richness. Chironomids can be used as important biological indicators, since some species are more tolerant to pollution than others. Therefore, the relative abundance and species composition of collected SFPE reflect changes in water quality. Here, methods associated with field collection, laboratory processing, slide mounting, and identification of chironomid SFPE are described in detail. Advantages of the SFPE method include minimal disturbance at a sampling area, efficient and economical sample collection and laboratory processing, ease of identification, applicability in nearly all aquatic environments, and a potentially more sensitive measure of ecosystem stress. Limitations include the inability to determine larval microhabitat use and inability to identify pupal exuviae to species if they have not been associated with adult males.

Introduction

Biological monitoring programs, which use living organisms to evaluate environmental health, are often used to assess water quality or monitor success of ecosystem restoration programs. Rapid bioassessment protocols (RBP) using benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages have been popular among state water resource agencies since 1989¹. Traditional methods of sampling benthic macroinvertebrates for RBPs, such as the dip-net, Surber sampler, and Hess sampler², can be time-consuming, expensive, and may only measure assemblages from a particular microhabitat³. An efficient, alternative RBP for generating biological information about a particula....

Protocol

1. Preparation of Field Collection Supplies

1. Determine the number of SFPE samples that should be collected based on the study design and acquire one sample jar (e.g., 60 ml) for each sample.
2. Prepare two date and locality labels for each sample jar. Place one on the inside and affix the other to the outside of the jar. Ensure that each date and locality label includes the following information:  country, state, county, city, water body, GPS coordinates, date, and name of person(s) collecting the sample.
3. Gather other specific materials and equipment (see Table of Specific Materials/Equipment).

Results

Figure 1 illustrates the chironomid life cycle; immature stages (egg, larva, pupa) typically take place in, or closely associated with, an aquatic environment. Upon completion of the larval life stage, the larva constructs a tube-like shelter and attaches itself with silken secretions to the surrounding substrate and pupation occurs. Once the developing adult has matured, the pupa frees itself and swims to the surface of the water where the adult can emerge from the pupal exuviae. The exuviae fills with .......

Discussion

The most critical steps for successful SFPE sample collection, picking, sorting, slide mounting, and identification are: (1) locating areas of high SFPE accumulation within the study area during field collection (Figure 2A); (2) slowly scanning the contents of the Petri dish for detection of all SFPE during sample picking; (3) developing the necessary manual dexterity to dissect the cephalothorax from the abdomen during slide mounting (Figure 4A); and (4) recognizing key morphologic.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Ethanol	Fisher Scientific	S25309B	70-95%
Plastic wash bottles	Fisher Scientific	0340923B
Sample jar	Fisher Scientific	0333510B	Glass or plastic, 60-mL recommended
Testing sieve	Advantech	120SS12F	125-micron mesh size
Larval tray	BioQuip	5524	White
Stereo microscope
Glass shell vials	Fisher Scientific	0333926B	1-dram size
Plastic dropper	Thermo Scientific	1371110	30 to 35 drops/mL
Fine forceps	BioQuip	4524	#5
Petri dish	Carolina	741158	Glass or plastic
Multi-well plate	Thermo Scientific	144530	Glass or plastic
Glass microslides	Thermo Scientific	3010002	3 x 1 in.
Glass cover slips	Thermo Scientific	12-519-21G	Circular or square
Euparal mounting medium	BioQuip	6372B
Pigma pen	BioQuip	1154F	Black
Probe	BioQuip	4751
Kimwipes	Kimberly-Clark Professional™	34120