TEMPORAL PATTERNS OF ABUNDANCE OF EPIPHYTIC INVERTEBRATES ON TYPHA SHOOTS IN A SUBTROPICAL LAKE

We sampled epiphytic invertebrates and algae on Typha shoots in Lake Padgett, Florida, on a weekly basis from June 1988 through June 1989. The most abundant invertebrate taxonomic groups were oribatid mites, cyclopoid copepods, naidid oligochaetes, chydorid cladocerans, and chironomid larvae. The epiphytic invertebrates had seasonal patterns of abundance that were markedly different from those in temperate lakes where abundances tend to peak in the summer. In Lake Padgett, invertebrates showed strong peaks in abundance in September and October, with weaker, secondary peaks in December, March, and April. The only taxa that were most abundant in summer were oribatid mites and cyclopoid copepods. Invertebrate densities were higher on senescent shoots. In temperate lakes, abundances of epiphytic algae and invertebrate grazers tend to show strong temporal correlations, whereas, in Lake Padgett, they tended to be weakly correlated.