Macroinvertebrate digital library

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Order: Trichoptera
Family: brachycentrids
Common Name: Caddisfly
Description: (10 mm) Large collector. Pair of hook like appendages at posterior end
of the body. Usually with filamentous gills on the abdominal segments. Construct
portable cases of sediment or plant material fastened together with a glue-like
substance or with silk.
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Reference: Borror, D., & White, R. (1970). Peterson Field Guides: Insects . Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Order: Plecoptera
Family: Perlidae
Common Name: Common Stonefly
Description: (15 mm) Large and predatory. Nymphs are elongated and flattened.
Typically has long legs, antennae, and cerci. Characteristically has 2 tails and
filamentous gills on the thorax at the base of the legs.
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Reference: Borror, D., & White, R. (1970). Peterson Field Guides: Insects . Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
•Stonefly Nymph (Plecoptera)
Leuctridae family
•Stonefly nymphs have three circular parts of their torso followed by a
long oval shape with two straight tails coming out of the end. They
have two antennae about as long as their legs as well.
•US Environmental Protection Agency. (2011, January 31) Stoneflies.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved:
September 20, 2012. From
http://www.epa.gov/bioiweb1/html/stoneflies.html
Alderfly Larva
Class: Insecta Order: Megaloptera Family: Sialidae
All alderflies are in the Sialidae family, and as adults, have a body of less than 25mm (1 inch), and four dark wings. Larva take
approximately one to two years to mature and become adults. Adult aderflies tend to stay near the water that they were born
in. They are closely related to dobsonflies and are commonly used as bait in fishing.
Sources Utilized:
Key to macroinvertebrate life in the river. University of Wisconsin-Extension in cooperation with WI Dept of Natural Resources
Bouchard, R.W. Jr. (2003) Guide to aquatic invertebrates of the upper Midwest. University of Minnesota.
Wikipedia.com
Gilled Snail
Gilled snails can live in freshwater though most snail species are found in salt water habitats.
Most freshwater gastropods have a shells. At least 33-38 separate lineages of gastropods are
successful in freshwater, but only about eight of them are present in North America. The differences
between a gilled snail and a pouch snail is the direction in which the shell opens (left or right). The
example above shows the shell opening to the right, thus this is a gilled snail.
Sources utilized:
Key to macroinvertebrate life in the river. University of Wisconsin-Extension in cooperation with WI Dept of Natural Resources.
Strong, E.E. et al. (2011) Phylogeny of the gastropod superfamily Cerithiodea using morphology and molecules. Zoological Journal of the
Linnean Scoiety, 162(1), 43-89.
Wikipedia.com
Order: Hemiptera
Water Scorpion (Ranatra)
Family: Nepidae
Long and slender with strong forelimbs for grasping prey.
Extended posterior of abdomen contains air tubes for breathing.
Pond Life Field Guide. 2003. Waterford Press
Order: Hemiptera
Backswimmer (Notonecta undulata)
Family: Notonectidae
Beetle-like in appearance with fringed legs used for swimming. Can
be characterized by distinct light and dark contrasted body.
Pond Life Field Guide. 2003. Waterford Press
•Mayfly Nymph (Ephemeroptera)
•Caenidae family
•The Mayfly Nymph has three tails , a slender body, and two antennae.
•James Kavanagh. (2003) Pond Life. Waterford Press, Inc.
• Water Flea (Diplostraca)
• Daphnia
• Swims with saltatory motion, antennae are segmented and branched, carapace
encloses the body. Found in fresh water and are parthenogenic reproducers.
• Hickman, P.C., L.S. Roberts, A. Larson and H. l’Anson. 2005. Integrated Principles of
Zoology. The McGraw-Hill Companies. 19: 395-398.
• Horsefly larva (Diptera)
• Tabanidae
• Soft fleshy body, tapered head end, two rows of prolegs, segmentation of the body.
Found in water/aquatic habitats, go through stages of egg, larva (1-2 years), pupa,
adult. Larva feed on other invertebrates and even small vertebrates by ingesting
fluids from prey.
• http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/flies/tabanid/tabanid.htm
• Water Snipe Fly (Order: Diptera)
•Family: Athericidae
•Fleshy, segmented body tapered towards the head end and has two feathery tails at
opposite end.
•Peckarsky, B. L., Fraissinet, P. R., Penton, M. A., & Conklin, D. J. (1990). Freshwater
Macroinvertebrates of Northeastern North America. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
•Riffle Beetle (Order: Coleoptera)
•Family: Elmidae
•Usually in the range of 0.5cm long. Hard bodied, hard to the touch, segmented body,
six legs, and has a distinct head.
•Peckarsky, B. L., Fraissinet, P. R., Penton, M. A., & Conklin, D. J. (1990). Freshwater
Macroinvertebrates of Northeastern North America. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Chaoborus punctipennis
Family: Chaoboridae
1cm long, translucent except for two spots at base of head. Segmented body.
Identification Source:
http://cfb.unh.edu/CFBKey/html/Organisms/otherarthropods/GChaoborus/chaoborus_pun
ctipennis/chaoboruspunctipennis.html
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Midge Larva, (Diptera)
Family: Chironomidae
7mm, reddish brown color, swims by twisting, forked tail.
Identification Source: Key to Macroinvertebrates from
University of Wisconsin Extension Environmental Resources
Center
Order Diptera
Midge Larvae
Family Chironomidae
Larvae have chewing mouthparts. Larvae are
common in standing or flowing water where they are
bottom-dwelling scavengers, feeding on organic
matter such as algae and decaying plants. They are
more abundant in polluted water with excessive algal
growth.
DichotomousKeyForMacros.pdf.
(http://www.tmacog.org/Environ
ment/SWW_07/DichotomousKey
ForMacros.pdf).
Order Oligochaeta
Family Tubificid
Aquatic worm
(Oligochaeta)
The tubificids probably are the best known of the freshwater oligochaetes. They are most
commonly found in soft sediments rich in organic matter. Like all aquatic oligochaetes,
tubificids respire cutaneously, but a unique feature of this family is that some species can
tolerate anoxic conditions. Most tubificids are deposit feeders, subsisting on organic detritus
and its associated microflora.
DichotomousKeyForMacros.pdf. (http://www.tmacog.org/Environment/SWW_07/DichotomousKeyForMacros.pdf).
Fingernail Clam
•Order Veneroida
•Family Sphaeriidae
•Bivalve (2 shells connected by an external hinge)
•Filter feeder
•Hermaphroditic
•Often found in stagnant fresh water
•Found in mud sample from western shore of Lily Marsh
Freshwater Master Homepage. 2006. Soil & Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax. 10 September 2012.
<http://lakes.chebucto.org/ZOOBENTH/BENTHOS/xxiv.htm>.
Montana Field Guide. 2012. Montana’s Official State Website. 10 September 2012.
<http://fieldguide.mt.gov/displaySpecies.aspx?family=Sphaeriidae>.
• Water Strider/Pond Skater (Hemiptera)
• Family Gerridae
• Can walk on water, have long legs compared to their body length,
and bodies are covered with water-repelling micro-hairs.
• Key to Macroinvertebrate Life in the River, University of Wisconsin
Extension in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources
• Watersnipe Fly Larvae (Diptera)
• Family Athericidae
• Body is green, soft and shiny in the sun, tapers toward the head, the
backside has two feather-like horns, reddish tones at head
• Key to Macroinvertebrate Life in the River, University of Wisconsin
Extension in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources
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True Flies– Water Snipe Fly
Order: Diptera
Family: Athericidae
Genus: Atherix pachypus
This fly lacks a true head and has long fleshy filaments that extend
from hind end. The body is segmented and has prolegs at most
segments. Mainly found in fine sediment areas of streams..
I referenced my own notes from WATS 5550 Freshwater Invertebrates
at Utah State University.
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Cased Caddis Fly – Little Black Caddis Fly
Order: Trichoptera
Family: Glossosomatidae
Genus: Glossosoma
This caddis fly is the only caddis that makes a turtle dome shaped
shell. The case is made from rock fragments from the stream they
occupy. The larvae constructs a silk cocoon inside the case.
I referenced my own notes from WATS 5550 Freshwater Invertebrates
at Utah State University.
1.5 mm
Predaceous diving beetle
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Dytiscidae
1-2 mm in length. Legs contain many spine-like attachments. Wings are
nearly translucent and have a green tint and a defined outer border.
Leahy, C.. 1987. Insects. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Dragonfly nymph
Order: Odonota
Family:
Approximately 1.8 cm. Abdomen is segmented. Slight bifurcated tail.
Latimer, J. et al. 2001. Pond Life. New York: St. Martin’s.
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Order: Riffle Beetle (Coleoptera)
Family: Elmidae
Six legged water beetle with club-shaped body.
Dark brown to black body, about 1-2mm long
Source: http://bugguide.net/node/view/25587/bgimage
Crane Fly
Crane Fly Larvae
Order: Diptera
Family: Tipulidae
The crane fly larvae is brown and cylindrical with transparent skin and fleshy
lobes on the posterior.
Reference: Reference:Borror, D. J. and White, R. E. 1970. Insects. Houghton
Mifflin Company. New York, NY, USA.
Water Boatman
Water Boatman
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Corixidae
Water boatmen are dark in color and elongate, with faint horizontal crosslines.
Front legs short are short and the long back legs which function as oars, are often
the only legs visible.
Reference: Borror, D. J. and White, R. E. 1970. Insects. Houghton Mifflin Company.
New York, NY, USA.
Damselfly Nymph (Zygoptera)
Order: Odonata. Damselfly (Zygoptera)
Family: Lestidae or Coenagrionidae. I couldn’t narrow it down further because the nymphs of
the two families vary only by mouthparts.
Description: Almost 1.5 cm long. Green in color. The three “tails” at the posterior are their gills.
Damselfly nymphs have three pairs of legs with three segments. They also have segmented
antennae and long mouthparts that they use for a predacious diet.
Reference: Freshwater Macroinvertebrates of Northeastern North America, 1990 (page 45)
Aphid (Aphidoidea)
Order: Hemiptera. Aphid (Aphidoidea)
Family: Aphididae
Description: Aphids are usually 4-8 mm in length and pear-shaped and soft bodied. A pair of
cornicles and a cauda are at the posterior end. There are three pairs of segmented legs and
segmented antennae. Aphids are terrestrial insects and feed on plants, however, I found this
particular aphid in the Lily Marsh, so perhaps it feeds on the plants in the marsh? It was green,
about 2.5 mm in length and was missing most of its front right leg.
Reference: Peterson’s A Field Guide to Insects, 1970 (pages 134-135)
Caddisfly (Trichoptera)
Caddisflies are moth-like insects that, as larvae, build cases using silk and fragments of
rock and other materials in their environment.
The caddisfly pictured above has already encased itself.
Borrer, D.J., and White, R. E. 1998. A Field Guide to Insects: America North of Mexico.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.