Microplastic pollution in riverine ecosystems: threats posed on macroinvertebrates.

Microplastics (MPs) are pollutants of emerging concern that have been reported in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as well as in food items. The increasing production and use of plastic materials have led to a rise in MP pollution in aquatic ecosystems. This review aimed at providing an overview of the abundance and distribution of MPs in riverine ecosystems and the potential effects posed on macroinvertebrates.

Functional groups of Afrotropical EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) as bioindicators of semi-urban pollution in the Tsitsa River Catchment, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

We examined the distribution patterns of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera functional feeding groups (EPT FFGs) in five streams that drain semi-urban landscapes in the Tsitsa River catchment, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. We undertook macroinvertebrate and physicochemical analysis over four seasons between 2016 and 2017 at eight sites in three land-use categories (Sites 1, 2 and 3), representing an increasing gradient of semi-urban pollution. Five EPT FFGs (shredders, grazers/scrapers, predators, collector-gatherers and collector-filterers) were fuzzy coded and analyzed using RLQ-R (environmental characteristics of samples), L (taxa distribution across samples) and Q (species traits) and fourth-corner analyses.

Quantifying the Influence of Larval Density on Disease Transmission Indices in , the Major African Vector of Filariasis.

Larval crowding is one of the abiotic factors affecting biological fitness in mosquitoes. This study aims at elucidating, quantitatively, the influence of more larval crowding on aspects of fitness in mosquito. To this end, day-old larvae of the species were reared in 4 density regimens equivalent to 1 larva in 1.

Effects of Varying Photoperiodic Regimens on Critical Biological Fitness Traits of (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquito Vector.

This study investigated the effects of varying photoperiodic conditions on critical life stages' parameters of . To this end, first larval stage was reared under different constant photoperiodic regimens: 0, 6 (short), 12 (equal), 13 (prevailing condition), and 18 and 24 (long) hours of light (hL). Duration of development, survivorship, emergence successes, adult longevity, caloric indices (CIs), and utilisation of teneral reserves for metamorphosis at each regimen were monitored.