Ethan Bright

Sorry for the delay in responding... Looks like a species of Brachycentrus (Trichoptera: Brachycentridae). Larvae often suspend their cases into the current, from which they filter feed (using fine setae on the forelegs) course- and fine-particulate organic matter.

I would bet that this nymph was in a stream that had a considerable amount of groundwater. Groundwater contained in the aquifer is anaerobic, and thus dissolved iron (Fe+2) is in the reduced form. As groundwater is released in an unrestrained environment, it's oxidized, either through contact directly with dissolved oxygen, or through its use by bacteria that utilize the reduced iron for metabolism. Oxidized iron then shows up as flaky reddish or orange particulates. Cheers, Ethan

Hmmm, looks like a Stenonema/Maccaffertium. Roger, any thoughts? The nymph looks like Ephemerella.

Regarding not being any Neuroptera being aquatic, this is from my web page on aquatic Neuroptera (Aquatic Insects of Michigan): Cheers, Ethan

You need to specify the aquatic insect and the type of aquatic system into a web search engine. For example, type in "aquatic insects" + lakes, and you'll get links from pages that have information (somewhat) matching these criteria. Probably a better strategy would be to specify the group of aquatic insects and the type of, or name of, marsh/bog/pond/lake. For example, "trichoptera" + "bogs" yielded this result: [PDF] Caddisflies(Trichoptera) of Ohio Wetlands as Indicated by Light ... File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML Documentation of the Trichoptera of these bogs and fens may provide important baseline data for. the evaluation of future environmental changes and the ... https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/23.../V088N4_143.pdf - Similar pages Associations of aquatic insects (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and ... Emergence patterns of Trichoptera in the bogs. (stations 1-4, data pooled). Upper part of each diagram. represents males, lower part females. Results ... www.springerlink.com/index/J11U805W37XM2G57.pdf - Similar pages JSTOR: The Bog Climax Hypothesis: Fossil Arthropod and ... Trichoptera specimens were analyzed only from Faunal Assemblage Zone 1 of Profile Bog; Oribatid mites were analyzed only from the Profile Bog site. ... links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0105-9327(199002)13%3A1%3C72%3ATBCHFA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T - Similar pages Cutover & Cutaway Bogs - Species of wetlands and pools in cutover and cutaway bogs. Black Slug Arion ater Bloodworm Chironomus species Caddisfly Trichoptera ... www.ipcc.ie/cbhabgallery.html - 20k - Cached - Similar pages [PDF] Agricultural Impact on Cranberry Bog Fauna in Cape Cod File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML Psychomyiidae (Trichoptera). B. 1. 0.08. Sphaeriidae (Mollusk). 1. 0.12. Totals:. 6. 12. Organic Bog. Lepomis macrochirus ... courses.mbl.edu/SES/data/project/2002/leamy.pdf - Similar pages etc. etc. So specify, if possible, in which aquatic insect your interested, and what (or which) aquatic habitat you'd like. As you probably know, you can also narrow down your search by locality by adding more search criteria. Other than that, I'd have to refer you to the printed literature. Hopefully this helps. Cheers, Ethan

Will, Generally light-trapping for stoneflies yields meager results, and captured specimens are probably accidental rather than an individual exhibiting positive phototaxis. If you wish to use a trap, it's better to use a Malaise trap, details of which you can get off the web using a search engine, or just checking rocks, stream-side structures, and bark, or doing sweep netting of stream-side vegetation. Light-trapping (particularly UV, which you can buy at a hardware store), on the other hand, will yield many more mayflies, and it's often the preferred method of sampling the short-lived adults. Cheers, Ethan

The "controller"? You mean your boss, or your wife? Or both?

Like I posted some time ago, the information contained should be updated through mid-2007. Considering the Third Edition came out in 1995 (i.e., the information was probably good through some part of 1994), it's a 13 year update. And, in science, that can be a long time. Consider also the following updates: 1) Keys are updated, not only with the taxonomic changes but many new characters; 2) New taxa considered aquatic or semi-aquatic are included, which is important for the Diptera and Coleoptera, as well as other groups; 3) There's a color-plate introduction to the families; also there are B/W photos of caddis cases in the Trichoptera genera chapter; and 4) Ecological information (and tables) and bibliography have been updated, which for me is a BIG plus. There are lots of improvements in this volume, and with (hopefully) most of the errors now corrected, I can recommend it. Finally, you are absolutely correct that Kendall/Hunt's upping the price to $125 (which you are probably correct in surmising that is an attempt to cover the $100K or so costs involved with this new printing) is a little disingenuous. As I've stated before, I'm a little ticked off that what I bought was a "beta" book, something that was NEVER advertised, especially by Bio-Quip (from whom I purchased my copy). On the other hand, my copy was sold at a 10% discount, so I wasn't charged for the $35+ increase or for the shipping costs. Unfortunately, it's the new customers who'll have to pay the costs. All that said, it is still a GREAT book, and since you seem a very SERIOUS aquatic insects person, I'd recommend purchasing the book sometime in the future. You might want to check with Bio-Quip or elsewhere to see if they are selling the book at a discount. Cheers, Ethan

Here you go Roger! Baetidae Americabaetis Lotic-erosional, swimmers;clingers;collectors-gatherers;widespread Baetidae Baetopus trishae Lotic-depositional, swimmers;clingers;collectors-gatherers?; North Carolina Baetidae Moribaetis Lotic-edges of channels; swimmers-clingers;collectors-gatherers?; extreme s. US Baetidae Plauditus Lotic-erosional and depositional; swimmers-clingers;collectors-gatherers; widespread Baetidae Pseudocloeon (=Labiobaetis) Lotic-depositional; swimmers-clingers;collectors-gatherers; widespread Baetidae Varipes lasiobrachius Lotic; swimmers-clingers?;collectors-gatherers?; Ephemerellidae Dannella Lotic-depositional; swimmers-sprawlers;collectors-gatherers; East, widespread Ephemerellidae Dentatella coxalis Lotic-depositional, lentic-on ledges; clingers-sprawlers; collectors-gatherers; E. Canada, New Hampshire Euthyplociidae Euthyplocia hebuca Lotic-erosional; sprawlers; collectors-gathers; Extreme s. Mexico Heptageniidae Ecdyonurus Lotic-depositional; clingers (swimmers?); scrapers (facultative collectors-gatherers); western and eastern Canada, western US Heptageniidae Maccaffertium Lotic and lentic, erosional (depositional); clingers (under loose cobbles and boulders); scrapers (facultative collectors-gatherers); widespread Heptageniidae Spinadis simplex Lotic erosional and depositional; sprawlers?; predators (engulfers of midge larvae); Northeastern Canada, ne and se US Leptohyphidae Ableptemetes distinctus - Lotic; sprawlers?; extreme s. US Leptohyphidae Allenhyphes vescus Lotic; sprawlers?; collectors-gatherers?; extreme s. US Leptohyphidae Asioplax Lotic - erosional (cobble with silt); sprawlers?; collectors-gatherers; sw US Leptohyphidae Homoleptohyphes Lotic; sprawlers; collector-gatherers?; w and s US Leptohyphidae Tricoryhyphes Lotic; sprawlers?; collector-gatherers; w and s US Leptohyphidae Vacupernius packeri Lotic-depositional; sprawlers, clingers; collector-gatherers?; extreme s US Leptophlebiidae Hydrosmilodon primanus Lotic-erosional; slingers, sprawlers; collectors-gatherers?; extreme s. US

Well, that was fast. I received the new copy (I guess the "gamma" version) yesterday, and it seems if a lot of errors have been corrected, including misprinted figures and errors in the keys and tables. Kendall/Hunt also quickly sent me a UPS shipping label to return the "beta" version of the book (i.e., no charge for return shipping). So far, so good! Cheers, Ethan

Don't know the parts? Here's your picture, adapted with Photoshop (hope you don't mind), with some body parts identified. Cheers, Ethan

As a follow-up to my previous post, I just called Kendall/Hunt (KH) regarding the replacement. Because I purchased my copy from Bio-Quip, KH charged my credit card for the new copy of the book. With the shipment is a mailer packet included, so that one can mail free-of-charge the old (defective) copy back to KH, who then will credit my credit card for the cost of the new copy (plus any additional charges). This is to prevent cheating KH by one keeping both new and old copies. If you bought your copy directly from KH, I assume you'll have a different experience. I'll try and post a further follow-up on my experience with the replacement, and a short review of the "revised" book (i.e., see if all the errors I've noticed have been corrected). Additional comment: In KH's announcement, I was a bit annoyed that they referred to the first printing as a "beta". This is the first time I've ever purchased a "beta book," especially one that cost almost $100; in fact, I don't recall myself having purchased beta software. If that was their beta, I hate to see what the alpha looked like! Well, it appears I'm now getting the gamma version: I hope I don't need to purchase a delta version, much less any further Greek letter versions of the book. However, I wish to end this on a positive note. The people at KH who answered the phone were very courteous, and the woman who answered wrapped up the replacement order in less than 10 minutes. KH is to be commended for offering to replace the book (acknowledging their screw-up) at no charge, indicating the company does care about the customer. (At least those buying this book). It is a great book, and I still highly recommend it - it is the BEST aquatic insect book for North America, and as of 2007, it's up-to-date.

Dear Colleagues: Dr. Marty Berg, one of the editors of the Merritt et al. 2007, "Aquatic Insects of North America, 4th Edition," has sent a message to me today that Kendall/Hunt, the publisher, will now be processing replacement orders: Message to Purchasers of 4th edition (2007), first printing of “An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America” by Merritt, Cummins, and Berg from Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Thank you for your purchase of AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AQUATIC INSECTS OF NORTH AMERICA by Richard W. Merritt, Kenneth W. Cummins, and Martin B. Berg. This message is to notify you that the above book (4th) edition has been reprinted and Kendall/Hunt is now offering to replace your beta version with a new updated printing at no cost to you as a purchaser. The beta version you now own contains significant errors in both content and printing and should not be used. These errors have been corrected and thus the reason for the updated reprinting. Please contact Kendall/Hunt's Customer Service Department at 800-228-0810 for instructions about how to receive this new printing, ISBN 978-0-7575-5049-2. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and we trust that you will be pleased to trade your beta version in for the updated printing. Sincerely, Richard W. Merritt Kenneth W. Cummins Martin B. Berg

If you can get a detailed (say 5-10x) photo underneath its head (view of the prementum), one might be able to tell whether it's a species of Calopteryx or Hetaerina. I have a picture of the difference at: http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/MICHODO/test/calopg1.jpg. You can also use my key at http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/MICHODO/test/Calopdae.htm. Cheers, Ethan

I agree with Roger - T. nivalis. However, when they emerge (if they're still alive), which should be anytime soon (they have a late winter, early spring emergence), the adults (especially males) will provide definite proof of identity. Cheers, Ethan

The caddis (pictures 1 and 3) appear to be Neophylax, but you said they were found IN the caves? That's really interesting, and its ecology in caves would be a good study. The middle (picture 2) image appears to be a dytiscid (beetle) larva, but it's hard to tell as it lacks detail and focus. Cheers, Ethan

Pteronarcys nymphs. Friendly beasts, actually. Shredders of course particulate organic matter, although they will eat an invertebrate or two. Ask them nicely, they'll do your shopping for you. Cheers, Ethan

Well, I've been corresponding with a number of people involved with authoring Merritt, Cummins and Berg's Aquatic Insect of North America, and it appears that the publisher has made a large number of errors in the production of the book. I've seen one copy with 30 pages missing from the Coleoptera chapter, and there are numerous errors with the figures, the text and tables. Apparently the fault lies with Kendall/Hunt's type-setting department, who sent pre-galley (or figures from the 3rd Edition) proofs to be published, and not the corrected versions. Kendall/Hunt is supposed to publish corrected proofs, and they will also provide people who bought the "bad" copies with replacements. They better, because it isn't cheap. (Don't hold me to this, though, because I too am just a "customer" and I do not represent the authors or the publisher). So...WAIT before buying this volume until it's corrected. I'll try to let you all know when this takes place. Cheers, Ethan

I recently received a message that my posting of the PDF is infringing on copyright, even though it's from my own copy of the FBA newsletter. If you need a copy, please contact me directly.

"I live in texas, but my girlfriend goes to U of M. I come up there every now and then to visit her, are there any good sports for through the rod around the area. It would have to be within 20 min of the Ann Arbor or she would not be up to it seeing as how she doesnt like fishing." If you want a close spot, people like to fly fish for smallmouth bass at a spot about 15 minutes northwest of Ann Arbor (Huron River at Zeeb Rd.). It's a neat section of the river, fast-flowing waters with coarse substrate (lots of EPT macroinvertebrates and Rainbow and Greensided Darters), but also with pools and slower-moving sections. Otherwise, to the north and west within the moraine there's lots of lakes and streams that support lots of pan fish, bass, etc., what we call here warm-water fish. There are a couple of trout streams, e.g., Paint Creek, which is near Ypsilanti (I think), but its riparian is overgrown and I would think difficult to fly-fish (I haven't). the closest trout streams are really within the moraine regions to the west, but that's about an hour away (at least). If you're going to travel, you might as well drive 3 hours north up to the great outwash regions of Northern (Lower Peninsula) Michigan, where the famous "cold-water" trout streams flow. Enjoy!

How about a FREE RESOURCE!!!! Guide to Aquatic Invertebrates of the Upper Midwest: http://www.bsu.edu/web/mpyron/484info/Insects/List.html They're PDF files. Download them while there still there, and free. Cheers, Ethan

Looks like Nigronia, a fishfly.

My ordered copy of the 4th Edition of An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America (AINA-4, as I'll call it) came in, and I thought I would offer some preliminary observations. First off, you might ask "Should I buy this?" My answer would be unequivocally yes, unless you only require a basic knowledge of aquatic entomology, in which case there some other resources that suffice (or you can buy a used copy of the 3rd Edition). (And some are free on-line). Also included is a CD-ROM disk with a pictorial key to the aquatic insects orders, but I have not yet examined this. The basic organization of the book remains the same, although a newer generation of researchers are beginning to make their mark in the submitted chapters. It's still spiral bound, but this time the spiral is thicker and the pages seem to slide around easier, so it's expected that page wear will be less. However, the book is over 200 pages longer than the previous version, and it's heavy, so there will be wear and tear. Frequent users may indeed think about buying a back-up! The text is a little larger and easier to read, and the tables are now in larger size and Arial font which also improves reading. Also, there are almost 6000 references, and this alone is a value resource for researchers. For resource managers, consultants and many researchers, the tables now include tolerance levels. AINA-4 begins with a color picture guide to common aquatic families, which is really great for beginning students to learn "gestalt" of what certain families look like. I think many of the people who post pictures of aquatic insect nymphs/larvae (this distinction is also treated in the book) could identify many of their insects based on these pictures. This is a great section! Chapters 2-7 provide an excellent up-to-date introduction into the sampling and ecology of aquatic insects. Chapter 8 provides an updated review of the hypothesized evolutionary relationships of the groups (and Collembola is rightly NOT considered an insect). Without going into specifics (because right now I don't have time), important changes involve chapters 11 (Ephemeroptera- changes principally regard Baetidae and Heptageniidae), 13 (Semiaquatic Orthoptera - now includes better keys to the genera), 14 (Plecoptera - Stewart and Stark's adaption their nymphal book for this chapter, but importantly also include the adults), 17-18 (Trichoptera - incorporation of new taxa and some better descriptions to the plates, plus inclusion at the beginning of the book of color photos, 21 (Hymenoptera parasites of aquatic insects), and 22-26 (Diptera, including Tipulidae, Culicidae, Simuliidae, and Chironomidae). My brief examination of this book leads me to describe this is as a outstanding update to an already excellent volume, and AINA-4 will continue the previous editions reputation as THE source for information regarding aquatic insects in Canada, USA, and northern Mexico, as well as elsewhere in the world. If you got the money, buy this volume! Let me know if you have any questions regarding this book. Cheers, Ethan

Rhyacophila it is! Cheers, Ethan

Looks like exuviae of Acroneuria. Cheers, Ethan