02-26-2008, 11:52 PM
[cool][font "Pristina"][green][size 4]FGD got me thinking about those little scurrying characters that the trout find delectable. And that is insects in general. My knowledge is limited as my course of studies deal more with the likes of protozoa, ameba, paramecia etc. Too damn small to see with the naked eye.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]So let me start with the stonefly.
What do stoneflies look like?
The nymph of the stone fly has long antennae with a flat body and widely separated legs. Each segment of its body is covered by a large “bony” plate. It has two antennae-like tails called cerci. These multi-part tail pieces actually work a lot like antennae – they help the insect sense what is around it.
The adult stonefly has long antennae and long veined front wings, often dark grey in colour. They can grow up to 4 cm [about 1½"] in length. The back wings are shorter than the front wings and fold under the front wings so that you cannot see them when the stonefly is resting. The stonefly nymph does not lose its long tail parts when it becomes an adult. You can see them peeking out from under its wings.
Where do stoneflies live?
Stonefly nymphs usually live beneath stones in fast-moving, clean water. Adult stoneflies are found near the streams and rivers from which they have emerged. They are not active fliers and usually remain near the ground where they feed on algae or lichens. Many adult stoneflies do not have mouth parts that work, so they cannot eat and they live only a short time.
Stoneflies are most common in cool, temperate climates. Different stonefly species are found all over the world – more than two thousand species!
Food for thought . . . stoneflies need clean, unpolluted water to live in. If there are no stoneflies near a river, does that tell you that the river is polluted? [
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[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]So let me start with the stonefly.
What do stoneflies look like?
The nymph of the stone fly has long antennae with a flat body and widely separated legs. Each segment of its body is covered by a large “bony” plate. It has two antennae-like tails called cerci. These multi-part tail pieces actually work a lot like antennae – they help the insect sense what is around it.
The adult stonefly has long antennae and long veined front wings, often dark grey in colour. They can grow up to 4 cm [about 1½"] in length. The back wings are shorter than the front wings and fold under the front wings so that you cannot see them when the stonefly is resting. The stonefly nymph does not lose its long tail parts when it becomes an adult. You can see them peeking out from under its wings.
Where do stoneflies live?
Stonefly nymphs usually live beneath stones in fast-moving, clean water. Adult stoneflies are found near the streams and rivers from which they have emerged. They are not active fliers and usually remain near the ground where they feed on algae or lichens. Many adult stoneflies do not have mouth parts that work, so they cannot eat and they live only a short time.
Stoneflies are most common in cool, temperate climates. Different stonefly species are found all over the world – more than two thousand species!
Food for thought . . . stoneflies need clean, unpolluted water to live in. If there are no stoneflies near a river, does that tell you that the river is polluted? [
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