水栖萤火虫生物生态学研究

Biological and ecological investigation of aquatic fireflies

水栖萤火虫是一类重要的观赏、资源及水体环境指示昆虫,对维持草−水生态系统平衡具有重要价值。深入了解水栖萤火虫的生物生态学特性,是科学保护及利用水栖萤火虫的重要前提。本研究从国内外水栖萤火虫的研究现状出发,总结了水栖萤火虫生物生态学特性的已有研究成果,重点关注了水栖萤火虫的生活史、水栖适应的表型和行为、闪光与捕食行为以及主要环境因素对水栖萤火虫生存的影响。结果表明:水栖萤火虫1年发生1代,整个发育历期一年,主要栖息于平静且洁净的水体中,如水流缓慢或静止的小河、沟渠及湖泊等,在表型和行为上对水环境具有一定的适应性(如呼吸鳃和游泳等)。水栖萤火虫通过闪光信号进行求偶,主要捕食小型淡水螺类。此外,水质恶化及光污染是导致水栖萤火虫野外种群数量急剧下降最为主要的两个因素。最后,本研究建议今后应加强对水栖萤火虫的捕食、人工饲养以及生态适应等方面的研究,揭示种群动态及生态适应性进化机制,以期为水栖萤火虫乃至其他重要环境昆虫的保护与利用提供理论依据。

Aquatic fireflies(Coleoptera:Lampyridae:Luciolinae:Aquatica and Luciola)are a group of important ornamental and resource insects.They are also environmental indicator species in water bodies,and are valuable for balance preservation of grass-water ecosystems.Understanding aquatic firefly biological and ecological characteristics is a key prerequisite for the scientific protection and utilization of these insects.Based on worldwide aquatic firefly research,this study summarized existing findings about biological and ecological characteristics of these aquatic insects,focusing on their life history,phenotypic and behavioral aquatic adaptations,flashing and predation behaviour,and the influence of key environmental factors on their survival.The results show that aquatic fireflies produce one generation annually,and the whole life cycle is completed in one year.They primarily inhabit calm and high-quality water bodies,including streams with slow or static water flow,ditches and lakes.Aquatic fireflies are adapted to water environments phenotypically(e.g.,breathing gills)and behaviorally(e.g.,swimming).Aquatic fireflies primarily prey on small freshwater snails and perform courtship by producing flashes of light.Water deterioration and light pollution are key factors leading to sharply decreasing population sizes of a wide range of aquatic firefly species.This study concluded that further research on predation,artificial feeding,and ecological adaptation of aquatic fireflies should be conducted in future to reveal the evolutionary mechanisms of their population dynamics and ecological adaptability,which will provide a theoretical basis for the protection and utilization of aquatic fireflies and other important environmental indicator insects.