Santa Cruz Island Reserve

25 May, 02 AM - 28 May, 05 AM

Stream-dwelling mayfly nymphs (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) perform a number of behaviors that reduce their risk of predation by fish. For example, mayflies will stay under benthic rocks and cobble, restrict their drift (downstream movement in the water column) to cover of night, and avoid surfaces impregnated with the ?odor? of fish. While mayflies living in fish-inhabited streams exhibit these behaviors, those from naturally fishless streams do not. Results from recent studies indicate that behavioral differences between the mayflies in these two habitats is only partially the result of behavioral plasticity, with some aspects of avoidance behaviors presumably being genetically fixed. My lab has been using Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to explore the genetic differences between mayflies from fish-inhabited versus nearby fishless streams in Colorado. Similarly, I propose to explore genetic differences between mayflies from fishless streams on Santa Cruz Island, California versus those in adjacent fish-inhabited coastal streams. These differences will be examined along with the flexibility of the avoidance responses (tested through treatments designed to elicite avoidance behavior among mayflies from fishless streams). To date, successful isolation and amplification of mayfly DNA have allowed us to identify a variety of 10-base oligonucleotide primers that will be used to elucidate genetic differences between mayfly populations. This genetic variation should help us to understand the flexibility of insect behavior and evolutionary forces that shape it. Our investigation will include the collection of mayflies from Christy for behavior assays and genetic sampling. Assays will include the use of up to 72 mayflies each of up to 3 species. Genetic material will be taken from among these individuals. A subset of these individuals will also be transported to the mainland for manipulation of behavior in a controlled cold room environment.

Visit #1405 @Santa Cruz Island Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 1177 | Research

Genetic variation of mayfly nymphs with context specific predation avoidance behaviors

faculty - Colorado State University

Reservation Members(s)

Lee Martinez May 25 - 28, 2003 (4 days)
Lee Martinez May 25 - 28, 2003 (4 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Private Room 2 May 25 - 28, 2003