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Project Watershed Central New York

Dedicated to facilitating water resource education in Central New York

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Monitoring		 Save Our
Streams		 Lessons/Programs
Modules/Projects		 Resources Water Resource
Glossary		 OLTRDS

Pollution-Intolerant

Caddisfly Larva

Pollution-Intolerant
Caddisfly Larva
  • Some spin webs to trap food from the flowing water
  • One generation hatches per year
  • Although most species are very sensitive to pollution, some are pollution tolerant
  • Up to 1 1/2 inches long • Very small or no antennae
  • Six segmented legs on upper middle section of body
  • Filamentous gills may be on the end of the body or on the underside
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    Riffle Beetle

    Pollution-Intolerant
  • Adults are considered better indicators of water quality than larvae because they have been subjected to water quality conditions over a longer period
  • Walks very slowly under the water
  • Does not swim on the surface
  • Small oval body
  • 1/4” long • One pair of tiny antennae
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    Snail

    Pollution-Intolerant
  • Soft body inside a hard, spiral shaped shell
  • Plate-like door (called the operculum) protects the opening of the shell and can be closed quickly
  • Shells can be seen if you hold the shell with its tip pointing up and the opening facing you
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    Stonefly

    Pollution-Intolerant
  • About 500 species in North America
  • Are found in cool, clean streams with high levels of dissolved oxygen
  • Develop in the stream for period of three months to three years • Are either predators or feed on fungi and bacteria from rotting leaves
  • Two long antennae
  • Two hair-like tails
  • Gills often located on or behind each leg
  • Six segmented legs on middle section of body
  • Each leg has two hooks on the end
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    Water Penny Beetle Larvae

    Pollution-Intolerant
    Water Penny Beetle Larvae
  • The water penny is the aquatic larva of a beetle; the adult of the species is not aquatic
  • The body is often stuck flat to surfaces and looks like a tiny round leaf
  • Round body
  • Segmented plate-like covering
  • Six tiny segmented legs beneath the round body • Color is brown, black or tan
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    Mayfly Nymph

    Pollution-Intolerant
    Mayfly Nymph
  • About 700 species in North America
  • Develop in the stream during period of two weeks to two years
  • Live on exposed rock surfaces in fast current or buried in soft stream beds
  • Large numbers of flying adults may emerge from stream at the same time
  • Platelike or feathery gills along the side of the abdomen
  • Two or three long hairlike tails
  • Six segmented legs on middle section of body
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    Dobsonfly Larva

    Pollution-Intolerant
    Dobsonfly Larva
  • One to four inches long
  • Many fleshy, filamentous appendages on each side of the abdomen
  • Back end is forked with two short tails and two hooks on each tail
  • Gill tufts on the underside of the tail that look like “hairy armpits”
  • Dark brown to black in color
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