Pennsylvania Fresh Water Macroinvertebrates

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Pennsylvania Fresh Water Macroinvertebrates
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• By
• Nick Bonney

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Mayfly nymph
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• Usually have three long tails also called cerci
• They have a single claw on each leg
• Short antennae
• Size15 mm or less.
• Are sensitive to low levels of oxygen in the
  water. They prefer cool water. They are sensitive
  to chemical pollution in the water, and sunlight
  
• larvae have elongated bodies that are slightly
  flattened
• Live on the bottom for upwards of 2 years.

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Mayfly Adult
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• Short lifespan, only a few hours long just long
  enough to mate and lay eggs
• Head is large with round prominent eyes
• Different species range from about 1/4 to 1-inch
  long.
• Adults are pale yellow with brownish stripes and
  a reddish brown thorax

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Facts About Mayflies
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• Mayfly Nymphs can take from three weeks to two
  years to become adults.
• Adult Mayflies have male and female sexes, but in
  some species the females can lay unfertilized
  eggs that hatch into more females. This is called
  parthenogenesis
• One of there main predators are trout

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Stonefly Nymph
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• Live under stones in fast-flowing streams
• On the submerged wood and leaf litter in streams
• Tubes of thread-like gills on their underside
• Each leg has two claws
• Streamline bodies so they dont get swept away
• Eat dead plants and algae
• Some stonefly species stalk their prey and are
  eating other animals.
• Very sensitive to low levels of oxygen in water
• Can last up to 3 years requiring up to 25 molts
  to develop completely.
• Do not go through a pupa stage and is not
  considered a complete metamorphosis.

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Stone fly Adult
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• Long noticeable antennae
• Two hair-like tails
• Smooth abdomen
• Widely separated big eyes
• 2 separate pairs of wing pads

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Facts About Stoneflies
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• Many species have strong color patterns
• Often confused with mayfly nymphs but stoneflies
  have 2 tails and mayflies have 3.
• Size7-12 mm long
• Some species take up to three years to develop
  into adults.
• Adult Stoneflies live only for a week to a month,
  and females live longer than males.
• Over 460 species
• Often are 2 toned

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More Facts About Stoneflies
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• Most females skim the surface of the stream,
  dipping their abdomens in the water and releasing
  their eggs.
• Others will crawl to the bottom of the stream and
  then release their eggs on objects.
• Stoneflies are very clumsy fliers and during the
  egg releasing and will cause splashing on the
  surface of the water which attracts the attention
  of fish.

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Dragonfly Nymph
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• They are short and chunky with wing pads and
  internal gills. Their six legs are all located
  near the head.
• Their six legs are all located near the head.
• Size18-49 mm long.
• They live on plants, among stones, leaf litter,
  or at the bottom of ponds or slow-flowing water
  ways.
• They are predators and feed mostly on other
  insects. Sometimes, they can be cannibals and eat
  each other. Some of the larger species feed on
  small fish and tadpoles. They catch their food
  with a toothed lip.
• They are sensitive to habitat disturbance and
  they need aquatic vegetation in the.

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Dragonfly Adult
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• adult cannot fold its wings along it's back like
  its cousin the damselfly

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Facts About Dragonflies
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• It breathes by sucking water into its abdomen to
  move water over its internal gills.
• Once it has absorbed the oxygen, it squeezes the
  water out so it does not have to come up for air
  like most pond insects.
• This also helps jet propel them
• Much of a dragonfly's life is spent in the larval
  stage where it molts six to 15 times.
• 450 species of dragonflies in North America.

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Damselfly Nymph
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• complete life cycle in one year but some take two
  years. mate over the shallow water, sometimes in
  flight but often while clinging to the exposed
  portions of weed beds or shoreline vegetation.
• The damselfly nymph is a predator. Usually it
  lies in wait for other aquatic bugs to get within
  range and then grabs them with its 'labium' which
  is much like a modified lower jaw.
• The nymph will proceed through 10 to 12 molts
  before becoming fully developed and ready to come
  out as an adult. Depending on the species, the
  adult will live for several weeks to several
  months before mating and dying.
• Size 25 mm long (one inch)

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Damselfly Adult
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• mate over the shallow water sometimes while in
  flight but often while clinging to the weed beds
  or other vegetation
• after mating, the female will crawl down the
  vegetation, and into the water to lay her eggs on
  the submerged vegetation.
• Depending on the species, the adult will live for
  several weeks to several months before mating and
  dying.
• Size 50 mm(2 inches)

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Caddis fly larva and nymph

• SizeUp to 20 mm long.
• They live many bodies of water from fast flowing
  streams to freshwater ponds. Their soft bodies
  are usually covered in a protective silky case.
• They use their hooks to cling to the stream bed
  and also to drag themselves backwards to escape
  from predators.
• They eat algae and plants .Some species feed on
  other insects and spin silky nets to capture
  their prey. Some eat the larvae of other Caddis
  fly species, while others scrape algae from
  stones or plants, or shred leafs.

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Caddisfly adult

• Size about 25mm(1 inch)
• Resemble small moths with wings held tent-like
  over their back when at rest
• They have short lives and spend most of their
  time mating or laying eggs.
• Females lay eggs on the edge of the water or
  dipping their abdomen into the surface of the
  water. There is usually one generation per year.
• Do not feed

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Facts about Caddis flies

• Related to butterflies and moths.
• They use silk to build cases from gravel, twigs,
  needles, or sand, depending on what they find.
• They are an important food for many fish
• When turned on their side, usually make a C
  shape.
• They cannot tolerate water pollution.
• There is usually one generation per year.

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Mosquito larva
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• All mosquitoes lay eggs in water, which can
  include large bodies of water, standing water
  (like swimming pools) or areas of collected
  standing water (like tree holes or gutters).
• Females lay their eggs on the surface of the
  water, except for Aedes mosquitoes, which lay
  their eggs above water in protected areas that
  eventually flood.
• The eggs can be laid singly or as a group that
  forms a floating raft of mosquito eggs. Most eggs
  can survive the winter and hatch in the spring.