| Abstract [eng] |
Caddisflies (Insecta, Trichoptera) is one of the most important group of benthic components in temperate freshwater ecosystems. They are sensitive to changes of physical and chemical parameters in water bodies, so often used to assess the ecological status of the water body. The main objective of this work was to investigate the caddisfly fauna, diversity, species distribution and rarity in Lithuania, to evaluate the influence of environmental factors on the distribution and abundance of caddisflies in different habitats of Lithuanian rivers. The results obtained supplement the knowledge of the fauna, diversity and distribution of caddisflies and other benthic invertebrate animals of Lithuanian rivers. The determined patterns of caddisfly distribution and abundance are important in optimizing biodiversity conservation measures. The results are important for improvement of methods for biotic assessment of ecological status of Lithuanian rivers. For the first time 22 new species of caddisfly were discovered and the checklist of Lithuanian caddisfly was updated. The relation between Lithuanian caddisfly distribution and abundance was determined. Seasonal flight periods for caddisfly adults and the factors influenting the flight dynamics were estimated. The environmental factors influencing the distribution and abundance of caddisfly taxa (families, genera, species) in Lithuanian rivers were detected. The significance of caddisflies in the communities of benthic invertebrates of different Lithuanian rivers was evaluated. The bioindicative properties of caddisfly taxa in Lithuanian conditions were specified and recommendations for assessment of ecological status in Lithuanian running waters were proposed. |
