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Baldwin CreekThese are the ten most common macroinvertebrates identified from samples from Baldwin Creek. |
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ORDER: Ephemeroptera
This mayfly has three "tails" and a unique head shape. Its gills are oval shaped and insert dorsally. The wing pad shape is an obvious characteristic. More mature nymphs have long, dark wing pads. SMC |
ORDER:
Ephemeroptera
A mayfly with two 'tails'!
This family of mayflies has distinctly flattened heads, and this
particular genus has two tails and a unique gill arrangement. |
ORDER: Diptera
Midge larvae tend to be the most common macroinvertebrate at our sites. As with other Diptera, there are no true jointed legs. Chironomids do have a pair of prolegs at each end and preserved individuals tend to curl into a 'C'. Identification past family requires slide-mounted heads. We have seen philopotamid caddisflies misidentified with the chironomids and we suspect that that happens when samples are being sorted from trays. Under a microscope, six prominent legs can be seen on the philopotamids. |
ORDER: Diptera What's not to like about blackflies? Our
second most common dipteran. Rather like a bowling pin with hands
attached at the head end. We have not identified them past family
at this point, but it is in the long-term plan. |
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ORDER: Ephemeroptera
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ORDER: Trichoptera Chimarra are distinguished from the other Philopotamidae by a prominent asymmetrical notch in the frontoclypeus as well as a prominent process on the femora which bears a single hair, called setae. SMC |
ORDER: Plecoptera Among our most common stoneflies, this family is fairly slender by stonefly standards. The divergent wing pads are a helpful characteristic. Leuctridae are similar in overall shape to the Capniidae; however, Leuctridae often do not have pleural folds. If they are present, they only extend from abdominal segments 1-7. Leuctra are recognized by abdominal terga with posterior fringes of short hairs and last few segments with longer hairs. NABS |
ORDER: Trichoptera |
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ORDER: Diptera
This small dipteran in the cranefly
family is quite common. It is distinguished from most other
dipterans we found by the 'creeping welts' that appear as prominent dark
stripes along the abdomen. The dark head is usually partly exposed;
however, it can be pulled back into the thoracic cavity during preservation. |
ORDER:
Plecoptera
Acroneuria are reasonably
common in our samples. Acroneuria always have three ocelli.
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The images are not a substitute for keying, but should serve as an aid in identifying common macroinvertebrates in samples.
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