The Trichoptera of Panama. XVIII. Twelve first country records of macrocaddisflies (Insecta, Trichoptera) from the Republic of Panama.

Herein we add twelve first country records to Panamas macrocaddisfly fauna (Insecta: Trichoptera): CalamoceratidaeBanyallarga acutiterga (Denning Hogue 1983); GlossosomatidaeProtoptila bicornuta Flint 1963 and Protoptila jolandae Holzenthal Blahnik 2006; HelicopsychidaeHelicopsyche rentzi Denning Blickle 1979; HydropsychidaeCalosopsyche sandrae (Flint 1967) and Smicridea acuminata Flint 1974; LeptoceridaeOecetis hastapulla Quinteiro Holzenthal 2017; PhilopotamidaeChimarra angustipennis Banks 1903; PolycentropodidaePolyplectropus exilis Chamorro-Lacayo Holzenthal 2004; and XiphocentronidaeCaenocentron immaculatum Flint 1991, Caenocentron lausus Schmid 1982, and Xiphocentron alcmeon Schmid 1982.

Agriculture impairs stream ecosystem functioning in a tropical catchment.

The expansion of agriculture is particularly worrying in tropical regions of the world, where native forests are being replaced by crops at alarming rates, with severe consequences for biodiversity and ecosystems. However, there is little information about the potential effects of agriculture on the functioning of tropical streams, which is essential if we are to assess the condition and ecological integrity of these ecosystems. We conducted a litter decomposition experiment in streams within a tropical catchment, which were subjected to different degrees of agricultural influence: low (protected area, PA), medium (buffer area, BA) and high (agricultural area, AA). We quantified decomposition rates of litter enclosed within coarse-mesh and fine-mesh bags, which allowed the distinction of microbial and detritivore-mediated decomposition pathways. We used litter of three riparian species representing a gradient in litter quality (Alnus acuminata > Ficus insipida > Quercus bumelioides), and examined detritivore assemblages through the contents of litterbags and benthic samples. We found that the increasing agricultural influence promoted microbial decomposition, probably due to nutrient-mediated stimulation; and inhibited detritivore-mediated and total decomposition because of reduced detritivore numbers, most likely caused by pesticides and sedimentation. Effects were evident for Alnus and Ficus, but not for Quercus, which was barely decomposed across the gradient. Our study provides key evidence about the impact of agriculture on tropical stream ecosystem functioning, which is associated to changes in stream assemblages and may have far-reaching repercussions for global biochemical cycles.

The Plecoptera of Panama. IV. Description of the last nymphal instar for two species of Anacroneuria Klapálek (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from the Caldera River, Chiriquí, Panamá.

The last nymphal instars of Anacroneuria planicollis Klapálek, 1923 and A. quetzali Gutiérrez-Fonseca and Springer, 2015 are described from the Caldera River, Chiriquí Province, Panamá. The adult female of A. quetzali is associated for the first time and described also from the Caldera River, Chiriquí Province, Panamá.