#Plecoptera

[michaelnordeman]

Plecoptera/bäckslända. Värmland, Sweden (May 1, 2019).

[aquatic-insects-enthousiast]

Stonefly larvae (antennae big guy) and the caddisfly larvae (worm) from earlier! I’m a big fan of the way stonefly larvae will scurry around your hand rapidly when you pick them up like a roach.

[drhoz]

#2444 - Stenoperla sp. - Large Green Stonefly

They also come in gold, apparently.

Another unexpected find inside the house - all four species in the genus are endemic to New Zealand, but despite the vivid colour I'm unsure which one this is. I wasn't even sure what Order it was from - this is the first time i've seen a stonefly. Like others in their family (found in Australia, New Zealand, and Chile) Stenoperla nymphs are aquatic and carnivorous, and take two or three years to reach adulthood, but like most other Plecoptera families are intolerant of water pollution.

Stoneflies are one of the oldest insect groups that can fold their wings - close relatives are known from the Carboniferous and Lower Permian. A few wingless species might be the only insects that are fully aquatic from hatching until death.

Mangorei, Taranaki, New Zealand

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Stonefly - Subfamily: Perlodinae

Not only did my dear friend out in Squamish send me pictures of a new order of insect, but he also sent me video of the specimen. This Stonefly was found at a highway bridge near Mamquam River, a great eagle-spotting location during the day if you don't mind the noise of traffic, and it seems a great location to find Stoneflies. Many external observations suggest that concrete bridges and artificial wood structures near flowing water are ideal places to find nocturnal Stoneflies emerging as adults (I tend to find Caddisflies instead). Moreover, they seem to be attracted to lights, and this individual certainly was, so much so it tumbled off the railing! Even after falling, it was very persistent! I'm very fascinated by how the legs become longer and thicker as you go down the body; likely an adaptation from the naiad stage, clinging to rocks. But now, above water, they can fly, but Stoneflies in general aren't strong fliers. This individual would have very great difficulty taking to the air with a broken wing. Hopefully chance smiles upon it to find food and/or mate. The former varies from specie to specie: some Stonefly adults will not eat while others will eat pollen or debris. In all cases, they do have chewing mouthparts, but it's interesting how only some choose to chew. This may be an adaptation centered on emergence time. Perhaps early spring emergent species focus on finding mates rather than focusing on food as pollen-rich flowers may be scarce.

Video was recorded on March 15, 2024 in Squamish with an iPhone X. As well, observe these river beauties carefully. With those long hind cerci and flattened bodies, a sudden glance may mistaken them for Earwigs.

[iinsecthospiital]

Genus Leuctra

[acarinarium]

Did river invert sampling today! It was very cool, also got to see some very nice inverts other than the river ones, and maybe some planarians that aren't pictured here since I couldn't get them off the rock I saw them on

[usbkinitopet]

have you ever heard of olms? they’re very interesting creatures and even look a bit like axolotl’s!

they can live a lot longer than axolotl’s and surprisingly aren’t related to them. they are blind and are endangered. It has the longest lifespan of any amphibian, often living to over 70 in zoos, and with a predicted maximum age of over 100. Their reproductive cycle can change depending on their environment, they will lay eggs if it’s warmer and give birth to live young if it’s colder. Olms live in well-oxygenated underground waters with a typical, very stable temperature of 8–11 °C (46–52 °F), infrequently as warm as 14 °C (57 °F). There have also been observations in northeastern Italy where they swim to the surface in springs outside the caves, even in daylight, where they occasionally feed on earthworms. The black olm may occur in surface waters that are somewhat warmer. The olm swims by eel-like twisting of its body, assisted only slightly by its poorly developed legs. It is a predatory animal, feeding on small crustaceans (for example, Troglocaris shrimp, Niphargus, Asellus, and Synurella amphipods, and Oniscus asellus), snails (for example, Belgrandiella), and occasionally insects and insect larvae (for example, Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Diptera). It does not chew its food, instead swallowing it whole. The olm is resistant to long-term starvation, an adaptation to its underground habitat. It can consume large amounts of food at once, and store nutrients as large deposits of lipids and glycogen in the liver. When food is scarce, it reduces its activity and metabolic rate, and can also reabsorb its own tissues in severe cases. Controlled experiments have shown that an olm can survive up to 10 years without food.

"That is so fascinating!!, I love learning about new sea creatures!!.. and new things!!.. Olms sound so fun to hang around with!.. do you think their favorite games would be sea chess!?.."

"Are you sure, they aren't just a long axolotl?.. they look like one to me!.."

"They're not related to me, Sam!.. but I'm sure it'd be silly if I had a cousin that was a Olm!!.." "I don't get it still.." "This is why I like teaching you about things!!!, you silly sea anemone!!"

(This was a fun ask to answer!, poor Sam.. he doesn't process info as well as Kinito!!.. :D) - Mod Soni

[todaysbug]

October 18th, 2023

Giant Salmonfly (Pteronarcys californica)

Class: Insecta

Distribution: Western North America, from the coast to the Sierra-Nevada mountains, northward to Alaska and Yukon and southward to Mexico.

Habitat: Nymphs live on the bottom of fast-moving, well-oxygenated rocky rivers. Adults can be found along shoreline vegetation and rocks.

Diet: Detritivores; nymphs feed on organic matter found at the bottom of rivers that have collected in debris dams or behind boulders, such as decaying leaves. Adults eat very little, if at all.

Description: Salmonflies are the largest stonefly species on the west coast, reaching up to three inches in length at their adult stage. To get to this size, nymphs grow through anywhere from twelve to twenty instars over a span of three or four years. They accumulate in large groups at the shoreline just before emergence, before finally crawling onto shore for the final molt. This event is the highlight of the spring fishing season, as mature nymphs and adult salmonflies are often used as fishing bait.

Salmonflies belong to the order Plecoptera, or stoneflies, which are often used as indicators of water quality due to their intolerance of water pollution; their presence is an indicator of excellent water quality! For this reason, the presence of stonefly nymphs is often closely monitered, along with the abundance of other pollution-intolerant orders such as Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera (mayflies and caddisflies, respectively).

(First image by Sam McNally (adult), second by Bob Henricks (nymph))

[ambored]

Anyone like Wings of Fire?

Well, me and my friend @sugarthegecku are making an AU, called Plecoptera. It will have a Discord server (and a map), and said Discord server is actively being worked on. For warning: Sugar is NOT comfortable with NSFW. Therefore, ANY NSFW on the Discord server is NOT ALLOWED. Even saying the names of genitals isn't acceptable. Flirting, however, is a different story. As long as said flirting isn't lewd, it's completely fine. When the Discord server is fully set up, I will make it public for everyone. Of course, the rules are very important to read immediately before introducing yourself, as they contain the limits for the server. One INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT limit/rule is that the server is STRICTLY for our AU. Now I understand this message is very colorful, but it's my first time testing out coloring text... either way, sorry.

TL;DR: Me and my friend are making a WoF AU and it's on Discord. Plus, you're invited.

[aquatic-insects-enthousiast]

Another bug I cannot get enough of is this Plecoptera larvae. Plecoptera, the stoneflies, have such adorable larvae. Found on that piece of wood pictured last 5/5/24 in the shallows of a sandy/silty/clay river.

[ultimatebugpoll]

singlehandedly representing the plecoptera fandom to say :-(

(cool poll otherwise however)

im sorry plecoptera fandom :(

[schoje]

O Instituto do Meio Ambiente do Estado de Santa Catarina (IMA) anuncia que está aberta a consulta pública para avaliação de risco de extinção para alguns grupos da fauna catarinense. A consulta possibilita a participação da comunidade científica e da sociedade civil por meio de revisão das informações compiladas. Além disso, permite novos dados sobre as espécies da fauna relativos à distribuição, ecologia, história natural, taxonomia, população e ameaças. As contribuições podem ser feitas pelo site até o dia 15 de setembro. Após o período de consulta pública, especialistas realizarão oficinas, onde será aplicado o método de critérios e categorias da União Internacional para Conservação da Natura (UICN). Os grupos que fazem parte da consulta pública são: Anfíbios, Arachnida, Cnidaria, Crustacea, Diplopoda, Hymenoptera-Apidae, Mamíferos, Mollusca, Peixes, Répteis, Odonata, Ephemeroptera, Megaloptera, Plecoptera e Trichoptera. Sobre a atualização da Lista O trabalho de atualização é coordenado pelo Instituto do Meio Ambiente de Santa Catarina (IMA), em conjunto com a Mater Natura – Instituto de Estudos Ambientais, organização da sociedade civil selecionada em edital público do Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Mudanças Climáticas (MMA). O IMA é uma das instituições executoras do projeto Pró-espécies, o qual objetiva minimizar os impactos sobre as espécies ameaçadas de extinção no Brasil. O foco do projeto é a proteção de espécies criticamente ameaçadas que não estão em áreas protegidas e nem são contempladas por Planos de Ação Nacional (PAN), chamadas, portanto, de “espécies-lacuna”. A iniciativa tem o FUNBIO como agência implementadora, o WWF-Brasil como agência executora e conta com doação do Fundo Global para o Meio Ambiente (GEF). A atualização da lista foi incluída como uma das ações prioritárias do Plano de Ação Territorial para Conservação de Espécies Ameaçadas de Extinção do Planalto Sul – PAT Planalto Sul. Fonte: Governo SC

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Stonefly - Subfamily: Perlodinae

The Stoneflies of Squamish are still active! My dear friend sent me another find from the highway bridge near the Mamquam River, and this individual is in much better shape compared to the previous one. This is to say the wings are full and the rear cerci are curved and intact. Hopefully this provides a good example of a typical Plecopteran form and gives a lasting impression of how large the wings can appear. Although the wings are airworthy, the pairs apparently do not operate in unison (unlike more common garden insects) and are quite large despite the moderate size of the Stonefly, leading to clumsy flight for the adult. Fortunately, since these insects don't stray too far from their emergence site, flight isn't a big concern for travel. Moreover, it has come to my attention that Stoneflies and similar aquatic insects (e.g. Fishflies and Mayflies) may rely on skimming across water to travel. By placing their abdomens and/or legs on the water's surface, the muscle load on the wings is reduced, the weight carried by the wings is lessened and the wings don't need to beat as much during flight. Observations like this have led to examinations of wing evolution in aquatic insects and theories that ancestors (of these aquatic insects) relied on skimming to supplement flights made with smaller, less developed wings and overall weaker muscles. Don't be fooled, however, this Stonefly can indeed fly.

Video was recorded on April 7, 2024 in Squamish with an iPhone X. For additional information, I recommend the following papers by Marden J. H. et al.: Surface-Skimming Stoneflies (1994) and Surface‐Skimming Stoneflies and Mayflies (2000). The former paper was brought to my attention by the YouTube channel "Ant Lab" after watching an upload that captured slow motion Stonefly, Mayfly and Fishfly take-off and flight (at 3200 FPS). If that sounds interesting, I recommend watching that video as well.

[amandi-mga2024mi5019]

Insects - Thinking Hats

White Hat

Taxonomy

Insects are a class of the Arthropoda phylum. They are actually the largest class in this phylum, with the Arthropoda phylum being one of the largest phylum under the animal kingdom.

Insects are classified as invertebrate multi-cellular organisms with a hard exoskeleton, segmented body, six legs, and generally one or two pairs of wings.

Insects generally have 3 segments: head, thorax, and abdomen.

Orders of insects:

Orthoptera - Grasshoppers, crickets and bush-crickets

Phasmida - stick-bugs

Plecoptera - stone flies

Dermaptera - earwigs

Dictyoptera - Cockroaches, termites and mantids

Embioptera - web-spinners

Grylloblattaria - rock crawlers

Mantophasmatodea - heel-walkers

Zoaptera - Zorapterans

Ephemeroptera - Mayflies or up-wing flies

Odonata - Dragonflies and damselflies

Hemiptera - true bugs

phthiraptera - Sucking and biting lice

Psocoptera - Booklice and barklice

Thysanoptera - thrips

Coleoptera - beetles

Diptera - true flies

Hymenoptera - ants, bees, and wasps

Lepidoptera - butterflies and moths

Mecoptera - scorpion flies

Megaloptera - alderflies

Neuroptera - lacewings

Siphonaptera - fleas

Raphidioptera - snakeflies

Strepsiptera - twisted wing flies

Trichoptera - Caddisflies/sedge flies

Life cycle and metamorphosis

Insects lay eggs to produce larvae. These larvae will go on to shed their exoskeleton several times over until adulthood. Some juvenile insects will change slightly after each moult and are referred to as nymphs doing this time. Other juvenile insects will only undergo large changes in their final moult (e.g: butterflies, moths). These insects often have an extra phase known as the pupa phase.

simple metamorphosis - the adult insect and juvenile insect differ very little in appearance, often the only thing separating the two is their size.

Complete metamorphosis - adult insects and their juvenile counterpart differ greatly in appearance. They often live in different habitats, and may have very different behaviour. 

Dragonfly metamorphosis

Dragonflies undergo simple metamorphosis. First, females will lay eggs in gentle still water. The dragonfly larvae will hatch underwater and is actually where they will spend most of their life. They will spend their time as larvae for up to two years. When the larvae starts reaching its final moults, they will start to live on the edge of the water and learn to breathe air. Finally the juvenile will moult for the final time and emerge from their old shell body as a dragonfly. They will then live as a dragonfly for six months before dying.

Periodical Insects

some insects have a fixed life cycle length. In these species, adults appear at one time to reproduce for once in their lives and die. The larvae will often only hatch or reach maturity years later.

Cicadas are the most famous example of this and have the longest life cycle of insects. The nymphs will live underground and feed off of the roots of trees. Finally, after 17 years, they will emerge out of the ground. Over the next few weeks the cicadas will mate, lay their eggs, and die; repeating the cycle once more.

The may beetle is another example. Their life cycle lasts either 3 years or 4-5 years depending on the region.

Winter

Different species of insects have different ways of combating winter. One such way is through migration (eg: the monarch butterfly).

Some insect species will go through the process of 'overwintering.'

Many insects successfully pass the winter as immature larvae. The protection of heavy covers of leaf litter or similar shelters protect the woolly bear caterpillar, while other insects replace the water in their bodies with glycerol, a type of antifreeze! Some grubs simply burrow deeper into the soil to escape the cold.

Not many insects are active in the winter, but the nymphs of dragonflies, mayflies and stoneflies live in waters of ponds and streams, often beneath ice. They feed actively and grow all winter to emerge as adults in early spring.

Lesser numbers of insects lay eggs which survive the winter. The most prominent insects in this category are Praying Mantids, and the destructive Corn Rootworms also engage in this strategy.

Some insects overwinter in the pupal stage, then emerge as adults in the spring. Moths in the Silkworm Family, Saturniidae, may be found attached to food plant branches as pupae in the winter.

Insects also hibernate as adults. Ladybirds are a common example. Many large wasps seek shelter in the eaves and attics of houses or barns. Tree holes, leaf litter, and under logs and rocks are common shelters for overwintering adult insects. The Mourning Cloak Butterfly is usually the first butterfly that is noticed in the Spring, and this is because it hibernates in tree holes or other shelters during the winter. As in some insect larvae, it reduces the water content of its body, and builds up glycerol which acts as an antifreeze. Honey bees stay in hives during the winter, and form clusters when temperatures fall, vibrating their wings in order to create heat.

More info

They are one of the most successful group of animals in the world, with their populations far exceeding that of any other land fauna.

They are also the most diverse group of animals on Earth, with over a million identified species.

Insects have adapted to serval different climates, and have adapted to every land and freshwater habitat.

They play a crucial role in ecosystems as pollinators, decomposers, and food sources for other animals.

They have a complex social structure in some species, like bees and ants.

Their exoskeletons provide protection and support

[entomoblog]

INTERNATIONAL JOINT MEETING ON EPHEMEROPTERA AND PLECOPTERA

See on Scoop.it - Variétés entomologiques

Welcome to the web page of the 2024 International Joint Meeting on Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera (XVII International Conference on Ephemeroptera and XXI International Symposium on Plecoptera). The venue will be the University of Turin (Italy), and the meeting will be hosted by the University of Turin, the University […]