Microhabitat use and seasonality of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) in two streams in eastern Cuba

Abstract

We identified groups of mayfly species that share microhabitats in eastern Cuban streams by sampling during rainy and dry seasons in four microhabitats in pools (cobbles, sand, leaf litter and bank vegetation) and one microhabitat (cobbles) in riffles. A total of 20 species and three morphospecies were found. Species similarity in habitat use was analysed using k-means clustering. Overall, the highest number of individuals was collected in cobbles in riffles, followed by cobbles in pools. Five species groups, labelled from I to V, were identified based on their primary microhabitat use. Two groups (I and V) included species with a generalist pattern of habitat use, but differing in seasonality. Species in remaining groups tend to concentrate in specific microhabitats. Species of groups II and IV use mostly cobbles in riffles and in pools, respectively, while species in group III concentrate in sand during the rainy season. Our results allowed to identify the species most vulnerable to alterations of the hydrologic regimen.

Keywords:

• Assemblage composition
• tropical streams
• heterogeneity
• k-means

Acknowledgements

The first author would like to thank the family of Prof. Dr Carlos Naranjo for opening her home for a long period of time to identify mayflies. Many thanks also to the Nodarse family for their support in the field. Also, many thanks to Idea Wild for providing the equipment and laptop needed for this study. Finally, we would like to thank the reviewers and editor for their time and useful suggestions that markedly improved the manuscript.

Author contributions

PLC conceived the original research project, research methodology and scope, collected field data, processed samples, and wrote the original draft. LMGL contributed into the conception of the paper structure, supervision, writing, revision, and formatting, as well as, into the results analysis and bibliography management. GMLI conceived the paper structure, analysed and interpreted the data, and contributed into the supervision, writing of the original draft, revision, and formatting.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The University of Alicante funded the research stays of PLC in the Ecology department through the ‘Proyecto Habana’.