Composition and diversity of the order Ephemeroptera (Arthropoda: Insecta) of the Anaime River (Cajamarca-Tolima).
The order Ephemeroptera is a taxon of relatively primitive insects in the infraclass Palaeoptera, characterized by not folding their wings over their abdomens. They undergo simple metamorphosis with purely aquatic nymphs that inhabit lotic ecosystems on most continents; their greatest abundance and diversity occur in rocky-bottomed streams and rivers in the Neotropics.
The Ephemeroptera order is a diverse group in the Neotropics, very important at an ecological level and as a bio-indicator with a broad distribution in the department of Tolima. In this research, two samplings were carried out in contrasting climatic periods at three sampling stations in the upper, middle and lower parts of the Anaime river micro-basin. Biological material was collected using quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Organisms were determined up to the genus level, abundance, alpha and beta diversity were estimated at a temporal and spatial scale using the RStudio software. A total of 1145 organisms were collected, distributed in 3 families, Baetidae was the most abundant family, in contrast to Leptophlebiidae, which was the least abundant. Eight genera were identified, with Baetodes being the most abundant, while Mayobaetis and Prebaetodes were the least abundant. The highest relative abundance of organisms was found in leaf litter and mixed substrates, as opposed to sand and gravel. The order Ephemeroptera was represented by 43% of the families and 19% of the genera reported for Tolima. The highest diversity was observed in the upper and middle part of the micro-basin during the period of low rainfall, while the greatest abundance occurred in the lower part of the micro-basin during the period of high rainfall. The composition and diversity of the Ephemeropterans in the Anaime river micro-basin could have been influenced mainly by the climatic periods, altitude, and available substrates.
Keywords: Ephemeroptera, Aquatic macroinvertebrates, Neotropics, Climatic periods.
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