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Use of cellulose acetate electrophoresis to examine the population genetics of the caddisfly Helicopsyche borealis

350 210 Stroud Water Research Center

Jackson, J.K., and V.H. Resh. 1991. Verhandlungen der Internationale Vereinigung für Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie, 24:2903–2907.

https://doi.org/10.1080/03680770.1989.11899194

The purpose of this study was to use electrophoresis to examine the genetic structure of populations of the caddisfly Helicopsyche borealis (Hagen) (Trichoptera: Helicopsychidae) from three northern California streams. We chose H. Borealis because: 1) the characteristic spiral case and the limited geographic distribution of other Helicopsyche species make this one of the most easily identified aquatic insect species in North America; 2) its transcontinental distribution and its occurrence in a wide variety of habitats (i.d., from small streams to large rivers, and even in the littoral zone of some lakes) has made it one of the most frequently encountered aquatic insects in North America; and 3) it can be ecologically important, influencing several aspects of community structure and function (Resh et al. 1984). Methods developed for the electrophoretic examination of H. borealis may also be used in studies of other caddisfly species.