A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF THE CADDISFLIES OF BROOME COUNTY, NEW YORK (TRICHOPTERA)

The initial intent of this study was to collect and identify adult Trichoptera (caddisflies) at a small pond in Port Dickinson, and at the outflow of Chenango Lake, Broome County, New York. It was later expanded to include historical distributional data to more comprehensively represent known county records.

While caddisfly species records can be found in cornerstone publications such as Betten (1934) and Ross (1944) for various counties in New York State, no distributional records were referenced by either for Broome County. Studies in which caddisfly species are listed appear limited to those included in regional environmental or water quality based collections (e.g., Bode, 1986; Bode et al. 1991, 2004; Lojpersberger et al., 2015).

Since the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has maintained a long-term statewide biomonitoring water quality program, source data for caddisfly species collected in Broome County streams during 1973–2014 were selectively requested to further complement this preliminary checklist.

Adult caddisflies were sampled at two sites. The primary site was a small mesotrophiceutrophic pond (0.15 hectares) located at the juncture of Highway 7 and Phelps Street in the village of Port Dickinson, Binghamton, NY (42.1370°N, –75.8949°W; elevation = 263 m). The pond was created ca. 1935 for a skating rink as part of the New York State Temporary Emergency Relief Administration (TERA) and Civil Works Administration (CWA) projects (G.R. Smith personal communication). This permanent pond had an overflow outlet at the southwest corner. A second site was established at the outflow of Chenango Lake, Broome County (42.5851°N, –75.4352°W), a glacial kettle lake described by Cadwell (1981).

Immature caddisfly species were sampled by the NYSDEC at various stream sites in Broome County (Table 1).

Adult Trichoptera were collected at the Port Dickinson Pond using a unidirectional 15-w AC blacklight trap powered by a 12-v battery and inverter. A single trap was located on the north shoreline of the pond, facing south, for 1 hr beginning at sunset, June 30, 1976. A second light trap was operated July 1, 1976 next to the overflow of Chenango Lake.

Larval caddisflies were collected by the NYSDEC following methods outlined and revised by Duffy (2018). Taxonomic nomenclature follows that of Morse (2018). Species level identifications were used to compile this preliminary checklist for Broome County. The choice of species rather than higher taxonomic level identifications to better represent differences in aquatic insect responses to changes in water quality has been reviewed by Jones (2008).

A total of 93 adult male and 1,191 larval Trichoptera, representing 10 taxonomic,families, 16 genera and 39 species, were collected in Broome County at selected times during 1973–2014.

Of these, 88 adult male Trichoptera, representing 6 taxonomic families, 10 genera and 15 species were collected from a single lentic source, Port Dickinson Pond. Two of these species, Helicopsyche borealis and Hydropsyche phalerata, were also collected as larvae from streams in Broome County (Tables 1, 2).

It seems likely that eight of the 15 typically lotic species (Ceraclea cancellata, Ceraclea tarsipunctata, Cheumatopsyche campyla, Helicopsyche borealis, Lepidostoma togatum, Oecetis avara, Oecetis inconspicua, and Oecetis persimilis) originated from the outflow of the Port Dickinson pond, as described for similar habitats (Wiggins, 1977). However, it is also possible that these same species may have originated from the pond, itself, as have been reported for other lentic sites (e.g., Houghton, 2011, 2012; Marcus, 1981; Tozer, 1981; Vorhies 1909).

Future sampling of the immature and adult stages, including coordinated efforts with state and county resources, may further clarify larval and adult caddisfly habitat associations for the Port Dickinson Pond and expand the species list for other lentic/lotic systems throughout Broome County, NY.

I especially thank Brian Duffy, New York State Dept. Envir. Conservation, Division of Water, Stream Biomonitoring Unit, for providing Broome County caddisfly stream source collection data. I thank R.G. Blakeslee, past historian, Village of Port Dickinson, and G.R Smith, present Broome County historian, for their time and patience in providing historical information about the Port Dickinson study site. Lastly, I would like to remember the late Steven Newhouse, Senior Environmental Manager, Office of Water Quality, State of Indiana, for species identification confirmation of selected adult Trichoptera.