The most important environmental characteristic in streams is flow. Due to the force of water current, most ecological processes and taxonomic richness in streams mainly occur in the riverbed. Benthic algae (mainly diatoms) and benthic macroinvertebrates (mainly aquatic insects) are among the most important groups in running water biodiversity, but relatively few studies have investigated their complex relationships. Here, we review the multifaceted interactions between these two important groups of lotic organisms. As the consumption of benthic algae, especially diatoms, was one of the earliest and most common trophic habits among aquatic insects, they then had to adapt to the particular habitat occupied by the algae. The environmental needs of diatoms have morphologically and behaviorally shaped their scrapers, leading to impressive evolutionary convergences between even very distant groups. Other less evident interactions are represented by the importance of insects, both in preimaginal and adult stages, in diatom dispersion. In addition, the top-down control of diatoms by their grazers contributes to their spatial organization and functional composition within the periphyton. Indeed, relationships between aquatic insects and diatoms are an important topic of study, scarcely investigated, the onset of which, hundreds of millions of years ago, has profoundly influenced the evolution of stream biological communities.

中文翻译：

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水生昆虫和底栖硅藻：淡水生态系统中生物关系的历史

溪流中最重要的环境特征是流动。由于水流的作用，溪流中的大多数生态过程和分类丰富性主要发生在河床中。底栖藻类（主要是硅藻）和底栖大型无脊椎动物（主要是水生昆虫）是自来水生物多样性中最重要的类群，但研究它们复杂关系的研究相对较少。在这里，我们回顾了这两个重要的嗜水生物群之间的多方面相互作用。由于食用底栖藻类，尤其是硅藻，是水生昆虫最早和最常见的营养习性之一，因此它们必须适应藻类占据的特定栖息地。硅藻的环境需求在形态和行为上塑造了它们的刮刀，导致甚至非常遥远的群体之间令人印象深刻的进化融合。其他不太明显的相互作用表现为昆虫在成虫前和成虫阶段在硅藻散布中的重要性。此外，食草动物对硅藻的自上而下控制有助于它们在附生生物内的空间组织和功能组成。事实上，水生昆虫和硅藻之间的关系是一个重要的研究课题，很少被调查，数亿年前，它的出现深刻影响了河流生物群落的进化。食草动物对硅藻的自上而下控制有助于它们在附生生物中的空间组织和功能组成。事实上，水生昆虫和硅藻之间的关系是一个重要的研究课题，很少被调查，数亿年前，硅藻的出现深刻影响了河流生物群落的进化。食草动物对硅藻的自上而下控制有助于它们在附生生物中的空间组织和功能组成。事实上，水生昆虫和硅藻之间的关系是一个重要的研究课题，很少被调查，数亿年前，硅藻的出现深刻影响了河流生物群落的进化。