Observations on the Trichoptera of the Killarney Lakes, Co. Kerry, Ireland

Abstract

Trichoptera were obtained in two separate surveys of the Killarney Lakes. During eutrophication investigations, larvae were collected at twelve littoral stations once a month for a year. As part of a special study of the Irish Trichoptera, larvae, pupae and imagines were collected extensively using both semiquantitative and qualitative techniques. The combined results of these two surveys demonstrated that the lakes possesed a rich and interesting trichopterous fauna. Altogether 71 species were recorded, representing half the known Irish Trichoptera. The Upper Lake had the poorest fauna with 29 species. By contrast, 54 and 58 species were recorded from Muckross Lake and Lough Leane respectively. A total of six species new to Ireland was discovered. Species of particular interest on the grounds of rarity or occurrence in lentic rather than lotic habitats included Apatania auricula (Forsslund), Athripsodes albifrons (Curtis) and Setades argentipunctellus McLachlan.