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Effects of microplastics on the foraging activity of a Neotropical shredder
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Researchers exposed the leaf-shredding caddisfly Phylloicus to high and extreme concentrations of microplastics in microcosms, finding that survival, growth, and case-building were unaffected, but organic matter consumption increased at extreme concentrations. Even when individual organisms tolerate microplastic exposure, altered feeding behavior can disrupt nutrient cycling and ecosystem-level processes in freshwater environments.
Microplastics may negatively affect shredder invertebrates in aquatic ecosystems, influencing litter breakdown and nutrient cycling, resulting in adverse effects on the trophic chain. Phylloicus Müller, 1880 (Trichoptera: Calamoceratidae) serves as a model shredder invertebrate due to its relevant role in leaf processing and high biomass. Our objective was to investigate how microplastics at different concentrations affect the survival, biomass gain, case-building, and organic matter consumption by Phylloicus (caddisfly). Leaf consumption by Phylloicus was assessed in microcosms (14 × 9 cm) with treatments of high (0.2 g/l) and extreme (1 g/l) microplastic concentrations, as well as a control. Per capita leaf consumption averaged 4.54%, with lower values in the control and high concentration treatments compared to the extreme concentration. Case-building by Phylloicus did not vary significantly among treatments, with a per capita average of 4.45%. Similarly, the intraocular distance of Phylloicus, considered a proxy for biomass, showed no significant variation, averaging 0.015 mm. No significant differences in survival were observed, with an average survival rate of 66.7%. Our results suggest that there was no influence of microplastic exposure on Phylloicus mortality, growth, or case-building, even at extreme concentrations. However, the observed increase in consumption may affect caddisfly-mediated ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling.
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