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Plecoptera. Typically clean, cool, running water - rocks, boulders Few in lakes Sensitive indicator taxa. Adults. Riparian vegetation, or on rocks and debris along stream. Larvae. Typically switch food type with development: Usually herbivore-detritivore - switch to omnivore-carnivore
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Plecoptera Typically clean, cool, running water - rocks, boulders Few in lakes Sensitive indicator taxa
Adults • Riparian vegetation, or on rocks and debris along stream
Larvae • Typically switch food type with development: • Usually herbivore-detritivore - switch to omnivore-carnivore • Shredders • Predators
Emergence • Through year • Predators - emerge spring-summer
Adult behavior • Males and females drum to communicate • Tap substrate with tip of abdomen
Drumming • Females release eggs over stream surface • Eggs stick to surfaces • http://www.ias.unt.edu/~StoneflyHome/Home/
Life history • Univoltine = annual life cycle • Few are semivoltine = 2-3 generations / year • Hemimetabolous metamorphosis • = incomplete metamorphosis • No pupal stage
Morphology • Gills in some • Cerci - usually 2 • Wingpads • 2 claws at end of each leg
http://www.unb.ca/fredericton/science/biology/Invertebrate_key/Plecoptera/Plecoptera_key_NB.htmhttp://www.unb.ca/fredericton/science/biology/Invertebrate_key/Plecoptera/Plecoptera_key_NB.htm
Be able to ID to family • Gills, mouth parts • Pteronarcyidae - finely branched gills on thorax and first 2 abdomen segments
No gills on abdomenFinely branched gills on thoracic segments = Perlidae
Perlodidae • Small fingerlike gills on thorax or none • Distinct pigmentation on head and thorax • Cerci as long as abdomen
Chloroperlidae • Thoracic wing pads parallel; cerci <3/4 length of abdomen, thorax and head usually without pattern
Capniidae • Abdomen divided by membraneous fold along its whole length, middle segments of abdomen, when viewed from above, are wider than the base of the terminal segments, body is usually brown in color
Leuctridae • Abdomen divided by membraneous fold along no more than the first 6 segments, sides of abdomen more or less parallel down their length, usually pale in colour
Nemouridae: tarsal segment 2 shorter than 1Taenioptergidae: tarsal segment 2 = to 1