The Trichoptera of Panama IX. Preliminary comparison of caddisfly assemblages for two proximate watersheds in western Panama

AbstractThe Rio Caldera occupies the northernmost subbasin of the Rio Chiriqui watershed area. Two of its tributaries, Quebrada Grande and Quebrada Jaramillo, occur in close proximity and on opposite sides, and have different recent geologic histories and current land use patterns. The species richness of adult caddisflies in these drainages is very similar. However, their assemblage composition is quite different. When compared to optimal and minimal lists of genera, mimicking collections of larval stages, the similarity between these two tributaries increases significantly. This study suggests that adult caddisfly identifications at the species level provide higher overall information content, produce better estimates of species diversity, are potentially useful in determining relative similarity of streams and drainages based on assemblage composition, and generate questions which would not be possible employing larval, generic-level identifications. However, multiple samples over time and space employ...