Toxic benthic cyanobacterial proliferations may pose a significant risk in freshwater ecosystems. In New Zealand, the only anatoxin-producing benthic species reported to date is Microcoleus autumnalis. Management of M. autumnalis proliferations has primarily focussed on mitigating the health risks associated with human and canine contact with the cyanobacteria. A major concern at the ecological level is the potential for lethal and sublethal effects on macroinvertebrates that may feed on toxic mats or use them as a refuge. In the present study, Deleatidium spp. (mayfly) larvae were exposed to different variants of purified anatoxins (anatoxin-a, dihydroanatoxin-a, and a mixture of homoanatoxin-a/dihydrohomoanatoxin-a). No significant mortality of Deleatidium spp. larvae occurred, even at doses far exceeding likely environmental exposures (300–600 μg L⁻¹). Deleatidium spp. larvae exposed to high doses of dihydroanatoxin-a had measurable concentrations of the toxin in their tissues 24 h post-exposure. The results of this study indicate that anatoxins from benthic M. autumnalis proliferations are unlikely to result in mortality of Deleatidium spp. larvae, although the effect on all stages of the lifecycle and on crude extracts from M. autumnalis is unknown. Uptake of anatoxins in the tissues of macroinvertebrates may represent a pathway for anatoxin transfer up trophic levels, and further study is required.

有毒的底栖蓝细菌繁殖可能在淡水生态系统中构成重大风险。在新西兰，迄今唯一报道的产生毒素的底栖生物是秋叶锦鸡儿。秋季支原体增生的管理主要集中在减轻与人类和犬类接触蓝细菌相关的健康风险。在生态层面上，一个主要问题是可能对以无毒垫为食或用作避难所的大型无脊椎动物造成致命和半致命的影响。在本研究中，Deleatidium spp。（may蝇）幼虫暴露于不同的纯化的抗毒素变体（毒素-a，二氢毒素-a和高毒素-a /二氢高纯毒素-a的混合物）。没有明显的死亡率地衣属 即使剂量远远超过可能的环境暴露量（300–600μgL ^-1），也会发生幼虫。地衣属 暴露于高剂量的二氢毒素-a的幼虫在暴露后24小时的组织中具有可测量的毒素浓度。这项研究的结果表明，从底栖anatoxins M. autumnalis增生不太可能导致死亡Deleatidium属。幼虫，尽管它对生命周期的所有阶段以及秋季分枝杆菌的粗提物的影响尚不清楚。大型无脊椎动物组织中抗毒素的摄取可能代表了抗毒素向营养级转移的途径，需要进一步的研究。