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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Caddisfly Larvae are a Driver of Plastic Litter Breakdown and Microplastic Formation in Freshwater Environments
ClearMicroplastics of different characteristics are incorporated into the larval cases of the freshwater caddisfly Lepidostoma basale
Researchers found that the freshwater caddisfly larva Lepidostoma basale actively incorporated microplastics of various sizes, shapes, and polymer types into its larval case alongside natural materials, representing a novel pathway of microplastic interaction beyond dietary ingestion in aquatic insects.
Wrapped up in plastic
Researchers discovered that caddisfly larvae in a Swiss stream had begun incorporating plastic waste fragments into the protective cases they normally build from sand and plant material. This behavior shows how plastic pollution is altering the behavior of aquatic insects and potentially affecting the quality of the protective structures they rely on.
Preliminary indoor evidences of microplastic effects on freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates
Researchers exposed caddisfly and mayfly larvae to various microplastic polymers in laboratory experiments and found that caddisflies incorporated microplastics into their rebuilt cases and mayflies preferentially burrowed in microplastic substrates over natural ones. The study suggests that freshwater macroinvertebrates may not perceive microplastics as a direct threat, raising concerns about chronic exposure effects in heavily contaminated waterways.
Data and supporting code for Caddisfly research
This is a dataset and analysis code for a study on caddisflies — aquatic insect larvae — as a pathway for breaking down plastic litter into microplastics in freshwater environments.
High Density of Microplastics in the Caddisfly Larvae Cases
High densities of microplastics were found embedded in the cases (shelters built from environmental debris) of caddisfly larvae, with plastics replacing natural materials like sand grains and plant fragments. This documents how widespread microplastic contamination has become in freshwater insect habitats and raises concerns about its effects on larval development.
Macroinvertebrate ecosystem engineering affects streambed retention of microplastics
This study showed that net-spinning caddisfly larvae, which are ecosystem engineers, significantly increase microplastic retention in streambed sediments, demonstrating that biological activity by invertebrates needs to be incorporated into models of microplastic fate in rivers.
Ejection, ingestion and fragmentation of mesoplastic fibres to microplastics by Anax imperator larvae (Odonata: Aeshnidae)
Dragonfly larvae (Anax imperator) were found to eject, ingest, and physically fragment mesoplastic fibers into microplastic pieces, identifying freshwater insects as potential agents in the environmental breakdown of plastic litter. This unexpected role of invertebrates in plastic fragmentation could contribute to the spread of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems.
Preliminary Observations on the Use of Microplastics by Aquatic Larvae of the Moth Cataclysta lemnata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Researchers observed for the first time that aquatic moth larvae use microplastic particles to build their protective cases, incorporating various plastic polymers alongside natural plant material. The larvae also chewed through PVC sheets, and about half of the exposed larvae successfully completed their development into adult moths. The findings suggest that microplastics may be entering insect life cycles in ways that could connect aquatic and land-based ecosystems.
Caddisfly larvae (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) facilitate the uptake of microplastics by a freshwater fish (Ameiurus nebulosus)
Researchers investigated whether caddisfly larvae (Limnephilus, Trichoptera) act as a vector for transmitting microplastics to freshwater fish, conducting experiments where larvae incorporated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microfragments into their cases and were subsequently fed to brown bullhead catfish. Results confirmed that fish ingested MPs via caddisfly case consumption, demonstrating a novel trophic transfer pathway from macroinvertebrates to fish even when natural case-building materials were available.
PVC and PET microplastics in caddisfly (Lepidostoma basale) cases reduce case stability
Caddisfly larvae (Lepidostoma basale) incorporated PVC and PET microplastics into their protective cases in the laboratory, and increasing plastic content made the cases less structurally stable than cases built from sand. Weaker cases could impair the larvae's protection from predators and their ability to resist stream currents.
Aquatic insects as mediator for microplastics pollution in a river ecosystem of Bangladesh
Researchers found that aquatic insects in a Malaysian river ecosystem ingest microplastics and can transport them across ecosystem boundaries as the insects emerge from water to land, functioning as biological vectors that move plastic contamination from aquatic to terrestrial food webs.
Rapid fragmentation of microplastics by the freshwater amphipod Gammarus duebeni (Lillj.)
Researchers discovered that the freshwater amphipod Gammarus duebeni can rapidly break down polyethylene microplastics into smaller fragments, including nanoplastics, during its feeding process. The fragmentation was closely linked to feeding behavior, with more and smaller fragments produced when food was present during depuration. The study highlights that aquatic organisms may play a previously underestimated role in determining the environmental fate of microplastics by accelerating their breakdown into even smaller particles.
A curious case: caddisfly cases built from brick and sewage overflow microplastics
Researchers collected over 1,100 caddisfly cases from three locations in the Netherlands with varying levels of urbanization and sewage overflow pollution. In the most polluted stream, more than half of all cases contained artificial materials including microplastics from sewage overflows and brick fragments from urban areas. This is the first study directly linking sewage overflow events to microplastic incorporation in caddisfly cases, raising concerns about plastic transfer through aquatic food webs.
Microplastics alter the leaf litter breakdown rates and the decomposer community in subtropical lentic microhabitats
Researchers exposed leaf litter decomposition systems to microplastics and measured breakdown rates and decomposer community composition, finding that microplastics slowed litter breakdown and shifted the abundance of invertebrate shredders and microbial decomposers. The study suggests microplastics could disrupt nutrient cycling in freshwater ecosystems by impairing a foundational ecological process.
Disentangling the influence of microplastics and their chemical additives on a model detritivore system
Researchers disentangled the physical and chemical effects of microplastics on freshwater detritivores, finding that chemical additives leaching from plastics contributed more to negative impacts on organisms than the polymer particles themselves.
Similarity of Microplastic Characteristics between Amphibian Larvae and Their Aquatic Environment
Researchers compared microplastic characteristics in amphibian larvae with those in their surrounding aquatic environment, finding similarities in size distribution and polymer types that confirm direct ingestion from water, providing a new bioindicator approach for freshwater microplastic monitoring.
Occurrence Of Microplastics in Immature Aquatic Insects of Gua Musang Tributaries in Kelantan
Researchers investigated the presence and abundance of microplastics in freshwater immature aquatic insects, specifically caddisfly (Trichoptera) and dragonfly (Odonata) larvae, collected from two tributaries of Gua Musang in Kelantan, Malaysia. The study found that microplastics had accumulated in these larvae, raising concerns about microplastic transfer through aquatic food chains in the region.
Microplastics and leaf litter decomposition dynamics: New insights from a lotic ecosystem (Northeastern Italy)
Researchers studied how microplastics affect the natural decomposition of plant litter in a freshwater stream over four seasons, finding that microplastics had a small but measurable negative effect on decomposition rates and accumulated inside the invertebrates responsible for breaking down organic matter. These findings suggest microplastic pollution subtly disrupts the nutrient cycling processes that keep freshwater ecosystems healthy.
Impacts of Biofilm Formation on the Fate and Potential Effects of Microplastic in the Aquatic Environment
Researchers reviewed how biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces affects the fate and potential ecological effects of microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that biofilms alter particle buoyancy, surface chemistry, and interactions with organisms.
Interactions between microplastics and Culex sp. larvae in wastewater
Researchers studied the interaction between microplastics and mosquito larvae in Egyptian wastewater treatment plants, finding that the larvae actively ingest plastic particles. They documented seasonal variation in microplastic abundance at the treatment facilities and showed that contaminated larvae could transfer plastics to adult mosquitoes. The study highlights an overlooked pathway by which microplastics in wastewater can spread into terrestrial ecosystems through flying insects.