Life History and Ecology of 



Chauliodes rastricornis Rambur and C. pectinicornis (Linnaeus) 



(Megaloptera: Corydalidae) in Greenbottom Swamp, 



Cabell County, West Virginia 



Pamela S. Dolin and Donald C. Tarter 



Department of Biological Sciences, 



Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia 25701 



ABSTRACT. — Life history and ecology of two congeneric fishflies, 

 Chauliodes rastricornis Rambur and C. pectinicornis (Linnaeus), were 

 investigated from March 1978 to September 1980 at Greenbottom 

 Swamp, Cabell County, West Virginia. Frequency histograms of head 

 width indicate both species are univoltine. Larval C. rastricornis showed 

 greatest growth (66%) between June and October, while C pectinicornis 

 had two growth periods, from July to October (106%) and April to June 

 (17%). Larvae of both species ingested organic detritus, copepods, and 

 algae during the winter months, and ostracods, rotifers, cladocerans, and 

 immature insects during the warmer seasons. Chauliodes rastricornis 

 pupated from April to May and emerged at dusk from May to June; peak 

 emergence was on May 9. Chauliodes pectinicornis pupated in June and 

 emerged at night during July. The chi-square test showed a significant 

 difference (0.05 level) from the 1:1 sex ratio in adults of C. rastricornis. 

 Total counted eggs ranged from 922 to 1612 (x = 1 166) and 967 to 1500 

 (x = 1250) eggs per female in C. rastricornis and C pectinicornis, respectively. 



INTRODUCTION 



Several authors, including Moody (1877), Brimley (1908), Cuyler 

 (1956, 1958), Hazard (1960), Baker and Neunzig (1968), Watkins et al. 

 (1975), Tarter and Watkins (1974), Tarter et al. (1976) and Tarter et al. 

 (1977), have reported ecological and taxonomical studies of members of 

 the genus Chauliodes. 



Chauliodes rastricornis Rambur is known from 24 eastern states 

 and Ontario, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia (Davis 1903; Hazard 1960; 

 Parfin 1952; Tarter et al. 1976), and Chauliodes pectinicornis (Linnaeus) 

 from 26 eastern states and Quebec (Davis 1903; Hazard 1960; Tarter et 

 al. 1976). These species are often sympatric. Chauliodes larvae inhabit a 

 variety of lentic waters including marshes, swamps, swamp channels, 

 ponds, small lakes, woodland pools, and sinkholes (Cuyler 1956). The 

 objective of this investigation was to compare the life history and ecol- 

 ogy of C. rastricornis and C. pectinicornis in Greenbottom Swamp, 

 Cabell County, West Virginia. 



MATERIALS AND METHODS 



Greenbottom Swamp is located in the Union district of northwest 

 Cabell County, West Virginia (Krebs and Teets 1913). The swamp is 



Brimleyana No. 7:111-120. July 1981. Ill 



