What order are stoneflies?
order Plecoptera
stonefly, (order Plecoptera), any of about 2,000 species of insects, the adults of which have long antennae, weak, chewing mouthparts, and two pairs of membranous wings.
What do stone flies eat?
Larval stoneflies are usually either detritivores that shred and eat large pieces of dead vegetation, or predators on other aquatic macroinvertebrates, although some do feed by scraping algae from the substrate. In contrast, all adult stoneflies that feed are vegetarians.
What is the function of the plecoptera Cercus heart?
In nymphs the presence of strong, oblique, ventrolongitudinal muscles running intersegmentally allowing lateral undulating swimming, and the probably widespread “cercus heart,” an accessory circulatory organ associated with posterior abdominal gills, support the monophyly of the order.
What is a giant stonefly?
Giant Stoneflies are a narrow-bodied insect that are identifiable by their highly veined wings. These wings are very long and crossover the body when folded at rest, covering the Stonefly’s whole body, and even extending out beyond it. Naiads look more like crayfish or small crustaceans than winged insects.
Can stoneflies bite?
The common name “stonefly” refers to the fact that the larvae live among stones in rivers and streams, and the adults fly. Adults have no mouthparts so they do not eat or bite. As large and imposing-looking as giant stoneflies are, they’re completely harmless.
How long do stone flies live?
At their largest, they are almost two-inches long — and they look pretty scary. Salmonflies tend to hang out in rapidly flowing streams and rivers in areas where leaves and other plant material accumulate. As adults, stoneflies feed very little, if at all, and live for only a few days to a couple weeks.
Is a may fly an indicator species?
Mayflies are used as indicator species when testing for environmental quality. The nymphs external gills make them very vulnerable to silting and pollution, and they are rarely found in degraded bodies of water.
