UVR sensitivity of Chaoborus larvae

In small temperate lakes, predation by fish generally regulates the species structure and abundance of larval Chaoborus. Yet, Chaoborus abundance may also vary appreciably among lakes with no fish. Many fishless lakes in Sudbury, Ontario, have transparent waters. This raises the possibility that low abundance of Chaoborus in such lakes may be attributable to UVR-induced mortality. To determine whether UVR affects Chaoborus survival, we performed 6 in situ experiments over 2 to 4 day periods at 4 depths in Ruth-Roy Lake (a clear fishless lake with few Chaoborus). Third and fourth instar C. punctipennis were randomly allocated to 3 treatments: quartz (UVR+ PAR), OP3 acrylite (PAR only) and dark controls. Survival under UVR+PAR was significantly reduced in comparison with the other treatments. Survival under PAR only was high, and did not differ from the dark controls. Time to death increased with incubation depth and larval stage. These results suggest that the small Chaoborus population in Ruth-Roy Lake, and perhaps in other fishless, clear lakes may be attributed to UVR-induced mortality.