The replacement of Stenonema spp. By Caenis diminuta walker as the numerical dominant in the mayfly assemblage of a thermally-stressed stream

Mayfly community structures in a thermally-stressed, previously thermally-stressed and an undisturbed stream were compared based on nymphal colonization of leaf packs incubated over a 48 d period from December 1982 to February 1983. Temperatures ranged from 7–31C in the thermally-stressed stream and from 4–12C in the other two streams. Accumulated degree days (>0C) were 734, 340 and 322 for the thermally-stressed, post-stressed and undisturbed streams, respectively. Stenonema spp. numerically dominated the mayfly fauna over the sampling period in the undisturbed (70%) and post-stressed (98%) streams, but was replaced by Caenis diminuta Walker (88%) in the stream receiving thermal effluent from a nuclear production reactor. Caenis diminuta is tolerant of rapidly fluctuating (Delta;T > 11C/hr) and high temperatures (possibly up to 40C).