Estudo da assembleia de Chironomidae (Insecta, Diptera) em nascentes Neotropicais

Abstract

Chironomidae is the richest insect family in species and abundance in springs and other freshwater ecosystems. However Chironomids are scarcely studied. The first chapter deals with a scientometric approach in order to meet the current level of scientific knowledge produced recently for Chironomidae that can be found in springs. The evaluation of the world literature shows a reduced number of publications on the subject, mainly compared to other freshwater ecosystems. Most of publications in the subject are from either Europe, the remaining areas are yet to be better worked on. The second chapter presents the results of surveys carried out in different watersheds of Minas Gerais State and its main goal was to determine the factors that influence the distribution of Chironomid larvae. Some taxa considered common in the study were Caladomya, Corynoneura, Chironomus, Endotribelos. Our results highlight a preponderant role for the environmental factors (granulometry, dissolved oxygen, pH, vegetation cover, altitude) in determining the composition of Chironomidae assemblages. The results of this research emphasize the need for greater attention to the springs, considering their importance for aquatic biodiversity.