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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Wrapped up in plastic
ClearCaddisfly Larvae are a Driver of Plastic Litter Breakdown and Microplastic Formation in Freshwater Environments
Researchers found that freshwater caddisfly larvae actively incorporate polylactic acid plastic film into their protective cases and rapidly fragment it into hundreds of microplastic particles, representing a previously unrecognized biological mechanism of microplastic formation in freshwater ecosystems.
Microplastics 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Half a century of caddisfly casings (Trichoptera) with microplastic from natural history collections
Researchers examined natural history museum collections of caddisfly larval casings and found specimens from the 1950s and 1960s containing microplastic fragments incorporated into their normally organic-and-mineral construction. The oldest example identified pushes back the earliest documented occurrence of microplastics in freshwater invertebrate behavior into the mid-20th century.
The zoogeomorphology of case-building caddisfly larvae
This thesis investigated how case-building caddisfly larvae — aquatic insects that construct protective cases from sediment — affect sediment transport in river systems. It is an aquatic ecology and geomorphology study with no direct connection to microplastic pollution.
Presence of Microplastics in Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera of North Cascades National Park
Researchers found microplastics in mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies sampled from streams in North Cascades National Park, Washington State. The results suggest that glacial meltwater may be transporting microplastics into pristine protected wilderness streams, with these insects potentially serving as vectors that move plastic particles up the food web to birds and fish.
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.
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.
Seasonal variations of microplastic in sediment, Chironomus sp. larvae, and chironomid tubes in two wastewater sites in Sohag Governorate, Egypt
Researchers in Egypt found microplastics in wastewater-site sediments, chironomid midge larvae, and even the silk tubes the larvae construct, with contamination highest near greater pollution sources and varying across seasons. The discovery that microplastics accumulate in the physical structures built by aquatic insects—not just their bodies—reveals a previously overlooked pathway by which plastic particles can persist and concentrate in freshwater ecosystems.
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.
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.
The influence of microplastics on trophic interaction strengths and oviposition preferences of dipterans
Microplastic pollution in freshwater environments was found to alter predator-prey interactions and oviposition site preferences in aquatic dipteran insects, with implications for food web structure. The study highlights that microplastics can have indirect ecological effects by interfering with animal behavior and species interactions beyond direct toxicity.
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.
Can water mites’ parasitism influence the number of microplastics ingested by aquatic insects?
Researchers discovered for the first time that parasitic water mites, which infect aquatic insects, influence how many microplastic particles those insects ingest, with mite-infested insects ingesting more microplastics — a finding that suggests parasites may play an unexpected role in how microplastics move through freshwater food webs.
Integrating microplastics into thermal biology in an insect
Researchers fed field crickets nylon microfilaments at different temperatures to assess how warming and microplastic exposure interact, finding that while warmer animals ate more, they did not absorb more microplastics, but microplastic consumption shifted resource allocation toward self-maintenance at the expense of desiccation tolerance and reproduction.
From the environment into the biomass: microplastic uptake in a protected lamprey species
Researchers investigated microplastic uptake in larvae of a threatened lamprey species by sampling both riverbed sediments and larval tissue in rivers with and without conservation protections. Microplastics were detected in all lamprey and sediment samples, with the most urbanized areas showing the highest counts, though sediment and biological microplastic levels were not directly correlated, suggesting factors like polymer type and larval behavior influence uptake.
Microplastics in water, sediments and macroinvertebrates in a small river of NW Spain
Researchers found microplastics in water, sediment, and aquatic invertebrate species throughout a small urban river in northwest Spain, including inside the body cases of caddisfly larvae. The study confirms that microplastic contamination reaches even the headwaters of urban rivers and enters freshwater invertebrates, with potential to move up the food chain.
Beneath the surface: Decoding the impact of Chironomus riparius bioturbation on microplastic dispersion in sedimentary matrix
Researchers investigated how the burrowing activity of midge larvae affects the movement of microplastics through lake and river sediments. They found that the larvae's bioturbation activity pushed microplastic particles deeper into the sediment, and the presence of microplastics in turn influenced the intensity of the larvae's burrowing behavior. The study highlights how bottom-dwelling organisms can act as unintentional transporters of microplastic pollution within freshwater ecosystems.
Variation in microplastic characteristics among amphibian larvae: a comparative study across different species and the influence of human activity
Scientists examined microplastics inside amphibian larvae from 10 species and found plastic particles in all of them, with blue fibers being the most common type. Larger larvae tended to contain longer plastic fragments, and there was a relationship between human activity levels near habitats and the characteristics of the plastics found. This study shows that microplastic contamination has penetrated freshwater food webs, affecting animals during their most vulnerable developmental stages.
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.