A Selection of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Illinois, USAOrganized by Illinois RiverWatch Taxa Categories

Produced by Jim Bland. © Photos by Jim Bland [ilmbland@comcast.net].Line drawings and narrative courtesy of Illinois RiverWatch and Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute of Illinois.© Environment, Culture, and Conservation, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605 USA [http://fieldmuseum.org/idtools-chicago] [crcg@fieldmusuem.org]

version 1. 04/2012

1

HirudineaANNELIDALeaches

Isopoda:AsellidaeCRUSTACEASowbugs

TurbellariaPLATYHELMINTHESFlatworms

1 2 4

5 6

Odonata: AnisopteraINSECTADragonfly larvae

7 8

9 10 11 12

AmphipodaCRUSTACEAScuds

Extensible jaw

Head detail with brush mouth parts

OligochaetaANNELIDAAquatic worms

Odonata: Calopterigidae INSECTABroad-winged damselflies

Odonata: Coenagrionidae INSECTANarrow-winged damselflies

Megaloptera: Coryalidae INSECTADobsonflies (Hellgram-mites) and Fishflies

Megaloptera:Sialidae INSECTAAlderflies

Ephemeroptera:Oligonueriidae, Isonychiidae INSECTATorpedo mayflies

Ephemeroptera : Ameletidae, Baeti-dae, Metretopodidae, SiphlonuridaeINSECTASwimming mayflies

2

version 2. 01/2015

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A Selection of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Illinois, USAOrganized by Illinois RiverWatch Taxa Categories

Produced by Jim Bland. © Photos by Jim Bland [ilmbland@comcast.net].Line drawings and narrative courtesy of Illinois RiverWatch and Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute of Illinois.© Environment, Culture, and Conservation, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605 USA [http://fieldmuseum.org/idtools-chicago] [crcg@fieldmusuem.org]

version 1. 04/2012

A Selection of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Illinois, USAOrganized by Illinois RiverWatch Taxa Categories

Produced by Jim Bland. © Photos by Jim Bland [ilmbland@comcast.net].Line drawings and narrative courtesy of Illinois RiverWatch and Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute of Illinois.© Environment, Culture, and Conservation, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605 USA [http://fieldmuseum.org/idtools-chicago] [crcg@fieldmusuem.org]

version 1. 04/2012

32

TurbellariaPLATYHELMINTHESFlatworms

4

•Abdomenterminatesinasingletailfilamentwithsetae(hairs)

•6to8filamentoneachsideofabdomen

•Allthreethoracicsegmentsareschleratized(hardened)

•Gillsarelocatedatthebaseofeachabdominalfilament

•Colorbrownish;dorso-ventrallyflattened

Length:10to28mm

tailfilament

Ephemeroptera: HeptageniidaeINSECTAClinging mayflies

Ephemeroptera: Caenidae and Lep-tohyophidae (Trichorythidae)INSECTACrawling mayflies

Ephemeroptera:Ephemeridae, Palingeniidae, Polymitarcyida, Potamanthidae INSECTA: Burrowing mayflies

Ephemeroptera :BaetiscidaeINSECTAArmored mayflies

Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae, LeptophlebidaeINSECTAOther mayflies

Plecoptera INSECTAStoneflies multiple families

Tricoptera: HydropsychidaeINSECTAHydropsychid caddisflies

Tricoptera: Helicopsychidae INSECTASnail-case caddisflies

13

17 18

21 22 23

14 15 16

24

•Softbodied,flatandnon-segmented•Gray,brown,orblack,oftenmottledstripedorspotted.Ventralusuallygray

•Mayhavetwoeyespotsonthedorsalsurface

•Appearancechangesdrasticallywhenpreserved;bodygoesgray,specimencurlsintoa“C”shape

•Specimensarefragileandeasilydestroyedinhandling

•Soft-bodied,manysegments,andelongate

•Nodistinctheadregion•Mayhavebristles,hairsorgillswhenviewedunderthemicroscope

•Beigetoredwhenalive;graywhenpreserved

•Oftencurlintoa“curly-Q”whenpreserved

•Segmentedwormsthataredorso-ventrallyflattened(toptobottom)

•Suckersonbothends,ontheven-tralorbottomside.

•Anteriorsuckersmallorlarge;posteriorsuckeralwayslarge

•Maybesolidbrownorreddish,orbrightlycoloredandpatterned.

•Manyturngrayorcreamwhenpreserved

•Crustaceansrelatedtopillbugs•7pairsoflegsonthorax;posteriorlegslongerthananteriorlegs;graspingclawsonfirstpairoflegs

•Six(6)pairsofappendagesonabdomen;thelastofwhichprojectsposteriorly

•Eyesunstalkedandbodydorso-ventrallyflattened

•Brownishandoftenmottledinlife•Dullcreamcolorwhenpreserved

•Shrimp-likecrustaceans•7pairsoflegsonthethorax;1sttwopairswithgraspingclaws

•Headwithunstalkedeyesandtwopairofantennae

•Bodieslaterallyflattened(fromsidetoside);movealongthesubstrateontheirsides

•White,grayorcreamcoloredwhenpreserved

•Nymphswithstoutruggedbodies;threepairsofjointedlegs;largewelldevelopedeyes

•Mask-likelabium(lowerjaw)thatishingedandoftenfanged

•Olderspecimenswithdistinctivewingpadsonthethorax

•Threetofiveshortpointedstruc-turesattheendoftheabdomen

•Nymphsdifferfromnarrow-wingeddamselfliesby:

•Elongatedfirstsegmentoftheantennae

•Labium(lowerlip)withalarge,diamondshapedcentercleft

•Themiddlegillfilamentisshorterthanthelateralfilaments

•Veinswithinthegillfilamentsarenotapparent

•Nymphswithslenderbodies,threepairsofjointedlegs,andwelldevel-opedeyes

•Mask-likelabium(lowerlip)•Lowerlipisextensibleforcatchingprey

•Distinctwin-padsonthethorax•Threeleaflikegillsattheendoftheabdomen

•Elongateddorso-ventrallyflattened;threepairsofjointedlegs,eachwithtwoclaws

•Abdomionalsegments1-8havetwosegmentedlateralfilaments

•Endoflastabdominalsegmenthasfleshy,non-jointedprolegs

•Eachprolegwithadorsalfilamentandtwoclaws(hellgrammites)orasingle,longfilament(alderflies)

•Threepairsofjointedlegs,eachwithasingleclaw

•Threetail-likefilamentswithdensefringeoninsideedges

•Onepairofwingpadspresent•Flatgillswithtuftsalongabdomen•Thoraxextremelyhunchedandheadangleslightlybeyondvertical

•Forelegswithdensecomb;mouth-partshairy

•Threepairsofjointedlegseachwithasingleclaw

•Threetail-likefilaments•Onepairofwingpadsapparent•Flattenedgillsalongabdomen•Headverticalwithmouthpartspointingdownward

OligochaetaANNELIDAAquatic worms

3HirudineaANNELIDALeaches

2IsopodaCRUSTACEASowbugs

1

AmphipodaCRUSTACEAScuds

8 Odonata: AnisopteraINSECTADragonfly nymphs

7Odonata: Calopterigidae INSECTABroad-winged damselflies

6Odonata: Coenagrionidae INSECTANarrow-winged damselflies

5

Megaloptera: CoryalidaeINSECTADobsonflies (Hellgramites) and Fishflies

12 Megaloptera: SialidaeINSECTAAlderflies

11Ephemeroptera: Oligonueridae INSECTATorpedo mayflies

10Ephemeroptera: Ameleti-dae, Baetidae, Metrepodidae Siphlonuridae: INSECTASwimming Mayflies

9

19 20

Tricoptera: GlossosomatidaeINSECTASaddlecase caddisflies

Tricoptera INSECTAOther caddisfliesmultiple families

Coleoptera: Elmidae and Dryopidae INSECTARiffle beetles

Coleoptera:Elmidae and DryopidaeINSECTARiffle beetles

The Illinois RiverWatch Network is a Program of the National Great Rivers Research and Edication Center (NGRREC)

14Type 1 (gill covers touching)

Type 2 (gill covers split to the side)

21

17

version 2. 01/2015 version 2. 01/2015

A Selection of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Illinois, USAOrganized by Illinois RiverWatch Taxa Categories

Produced by Jim Bland. © Photos by Jim Bland [ilmbland@comcast.net].Line drawings and narrative courtesy of Illinois RiverWatch and Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute of Illinois.© Environment, Culture, and Conservation, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605 USA [http://fieldmuseum.org/idtools-chicago] [crcg@fieldmusuem.org]

version 1. 04/2012

A Selection of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Illinois, USAOrganized by Illinois RiverWatch Taxa Categories

Produced by Jim Bland. © Photos by Jim Bland [ilmbland@comcast.net].Line drawings and narrative courtesy of Illinois RiverWatch and Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute of Illinois.© Environment, Culture, and Conservation, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605 USA [http://fieldmuseum.org/idtools-chicago] [crcg@fieldmusuem.org]

version 1. 04/2012

•Threepairofjointedlegs,eachwithasingleclaw

•1pairofwingpadsapparent•Thoraxdevelopedintoanarmor-likeshieldextendingoverabdomi-nalsegment5

•Caudalfilamentsarerelativelyshortandcoveredwithfinehairs

Ephemeroptera: HeptageniidaeINSECTAClinging mayflies

Ephemeroptera: Caenidae,Leptohyphidae (Trichorythidae)INSECTACrawling mayflies

Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae, Palingeniidae, Polymitarcyida, PotamanthidaeINSECTA:Burrowing mayflies

Ephemeroptera: BaetiscidaeINSECTAArmored mayflies

Spiny Cralwer mayflies:• Gillsabsentonsec-

ondabdominalsegment

Prong-gilled mayflies:• Gillsonfirstabdominalsegment

narrowandfinger-like• Gillsonsegments2-7variablein

shape• Finehairsoneachsegmentofthe

terminalfilaments

•Coiledcaseintheshapeofasnailshell

•Headprotrudesfromoneend•Extremelysmall(upto8mm)•Lightcoloredandj-shapedlarva

•Caddisflylarvawithcaseresemblingatortiseshell(archedontop,flatonthebottom)

•Headprotrudesfromtheanteriorofthecase;

•endofabdomenprotrudesfromtherearofthecaseIflarvanotattachedtocaseitwillhaveahardeneddorsalplateonthefirstthoracicsegmentandthelastabdominalsegment

Gastropoda: mutiple familiesMOLLUSCALeft-handed, right-handed, operculate, planorbid snails

•Caddisflylarvalooksuperficiallylikeagruborcatepillarbuttheyhavejointedlegs

•Hardenedheadcapsule;•Fleshyabdomenendinginproleg,oftenwithaclaw

•3pairsofjoinedllegs•buildscasesofsand,orstones,ortwigs

LeftRight

Operculate Planorbid

Larva Pupa

Gastropoda:AncylidaeUnionidae: mussels MOLLUSCALimpets

Limpet

4 5

•Threepairsofjointedlegs,eachwithasingleclaw

•Threetail-likefilaments•Onepairofwingpadsapparent•Flattenedgillsonabdomen•Bodyandheaddorsoventrally(toptobottom)flattened

•Largeeyesontopofhead

•Threepairsofjointedlegs,eachwithasingleclaw;

•Threetail-likefilaments•Onepairofwingpadsapparent•Gillshiddenunderplate-likeortriangulargillcoversonabdominalsegment2

• (Caution: if gill covers present on segment 3 or 4, then the nymph should be identified as “other mayflies”)

•Threepairsofjointedlegs,eachwithasingleclaw

•Threetail-likefilaments•Onepairofwingpadsapparent•Forkedgillsalongabdomen•Apairoftusksprojectingforwardfrommouthpartsandvisiblefromabove

•Bodypalecreamcoloredortanwithbrownandwhitemarkings

•Insectnymphswith3pairsofjointedlegs,eachwithpairedclaws

•2pairsofwingpads(developingwings)presentonthorax

•2cerci(tails)onendofabdomen•Nogillsalongabdomen;somefamilieshavegillsalongthorax

•Caddisflylarvaewithnocase,exceptwhenreadytopupate

•Thoraxwiththreehardenedplates•Featherygillsonventralsideofabdomen

Adults

•Small,slightlyelongate,hardbod-ied,darkcoloredbeetle

•Mayhaveyellowishmarkings•Longlegs,eachwithtwolargeclaws

Larvae

•Darktotantube-shapedlarvaewithleatheryappearance

•Threepairsofjointedlegs,eachwithasingleclaw

•Endofabdomenwithatrapdoor-likeoperculumthatcanclosecoveroveranalgills

Coleoptera: Psephenidae INSECTAWater penny

Diptera: Tipulidae INSECTACraneflies

Coleoptera: Gyrinidae INSECTAWhirligig beetle adult

25 26 27

Coleoptera: Gyrinidae INSECTAWhirligig beetle larvae

28

Length:4mmto14mm

Length:to8mm

• Length:5to10mmLength:3mmto30mm

16Length:5mmto22mm

15Length:2mmto10mmLength:8mmto32mm

14 13

Ephemeroptera: Ephemer-ellidae, Leptophlebiidae INSECTA: Other mayflies

20 Plecoptera INSECTAStoneflies

19Tricoptera: Hydropsychidae INSECTAHydropsychid caddisflies

18Tricoptera: Helicopsychidae INSECTASnail-case caddisflies

17

Tricoptera:GlossosomatidaeINSECTASaddlecase caddisflies

24 Tricoptera INSECTAOther caddisflies

23Coleoptera:Elmidae and Dryopidae INSECTA

22Coleoptera:Elmidae and Dryopidae INSECTA

21 Diptera:multiple families INSECTAOther flies larva

Diptera: Athericidae INSECTASnipe flieslarva

Diptera: Chironomidae INSECTANon-biting midges

Diptera: Simuliidae INSECTABlack flies

Diptera: Ceratopogonidae INSECTABiting midges; no-see-umslarva

Diptera: Chironomidae INSECTABloodworm midges larva

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36

The Illinois RiverWatch Network is a Program of the National Great Rivers Research and Edication Center (NGRREC)

version 2. 01/2015 version 2. 01/2015

A Selection of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Illinois, USAOrganized by Illinois RiverWatch Taxa Categories

Produced by Jim Bland. © Photos by Jim Bland [ilmbland@comcast.net].Line drawings and narrative courtesy of Illinois RiverWatch and Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute of Illinois.© Environment, Culture, and Conservation, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605 USA [http://fieldmuseum.org/idtools-chicago] [crcg@fieldmusuem.org]

version 1. 04/2012

6

Planorbid snails:havenospire

Diptera: Athericidae INSECTASnipe flies

36 Diptera:multiple families INSECTAOther flies

35Gastropoda: mutiple familiesMOLLUSCALeft-handed, right-handed, opercu-late, planorbid snails

34Gastropoda:AncylidaeUnionidae: mussels MOLLUSCALimpets

33

Diptera: Ceratopogonidae INSECTABiting midges; no-see-ums larva

32 Diptera: Chironomidae INSECTABloodworm midges larva

31Diptera: Chironomidae INSECTANon-biting midges larva

30Diptera: Simuliidae INSECTABlack flies larva and pupa

29

Coleoptera: Gyrinidae INSECTAWhirligig beetlesadult

28 Coleoptera: Gyrinidae INSECTAWhirligig beetleslarvae

27Coleoptera: Psephenidae INSECTAWater pennylarvae

26Diptera: Tipulidae INSECTACraneflieslarvae

25

•Soft-bodied,elongateflylarvaewithheadsthatareusuallyretractedintothethorax

•Conspicuousspiraculardiscattheposteriorend.Maybelobedorfringed.

•Mayhavedelicategillsonthelastabdominalsegment

•Colorsmaybebrowntowhite

Adult:•Shiny,black,oval-shapedbeetlewithabdomenprojectingoutbehindthewingcovers

•Eyesdividedsothattheyappeartohavetwopairsofeyes,onelookingupandtheotherlookingdown

Larvae:•Long,slender,palecoloredlarvaewiththreepairsofsegmentedlegs

•Lateralunsegmentedgillfilamentsonabdomen

•Endofabdomenbearstowpairofsickle-shapedhooks

•Oval,extremelydorsoventrally(toptobottom)flattened

•Mouthpartsandthreepairsofjointedlegsonlyvisiblefromventralside

•Fivepairsoffinelybranchedgillsvisibleontheventralside

•Elongateflywithwelldevelopedheadcapsule

•Mostarethinandneedle-likewithnoprolegs.

•Mayhavebristlesorhooksontheposteriorend

•Ifprolegsarepresent,unpairedonthefirstthoracicsegment.

•Specieswithprolegshavelonfconspicuousspinesonthebodysegments

•Soft-bodiedflylarvaewithbulbous,roundedabdomen

•Headwelldeveloped,usuallywithapairoffoldablefansontheanteriorend

•Triangularshapedpupawithcon-spicuousgillsoriginatingfromtheanteriorendofthethorax;foundinawovencocoonattachedtothesubstrate

•Brightredmidgelarvaethatfadetobrownorgraywhenpreservedinalcohol

•Twopairsofventraltubulesonthe8thabdominalsegment

•Hardenedheadcapsule•Worm-likebody

Midges:•Elongated,worm-likeflylarvaewithwelldevelopedhead

•Pairedprolegsonfirstthoracicseg-mentandlastabdominalsegment

•Flylarvaewiththelastabdominalsegmentendingintwolongfringedappendages

•Abdomenwithwelldevelopedprolegs

•Headnotwelldeveloped;mouthpartsareparrallelhooks

•Elongate,cylindrical,andslightlyflattened;anteriorendistapered

•Usuallyelongate,worm-like,softbodiesroundedabdomen

•Nojointedthoraciclegs.Mayhaveunjointedprolegs

•Maybenakedandsmooth,ormayhavetubercles,spines,orscales

•Headmaybewelldevelopedorvestigial.Mouthpartseitheropposedandhookedorparallel

Snails:muscularbodycalledafoot,andashellcoiledintoaspireOperculate snails:withasmallplateontheuppersideofthefoot.Whensnailretractsitsealofftheshell

Limpets:uncoiled,verylowconeshapedshell2to5mm

Freshwater mussels• 2hingedshells• 2.5to30cm• shellhighlyvaraible

Right handed snails:nooperculum,openingoftheshellonobservorsrightwhenthespireispointedupward

Left-handed snails:nooper-culum,openingoftheshellisontheobservorsleftwhenthespireispointedupward

The Illinois RiverWatch Network is a Program of the National Great Rivers Research and Edication Center (NGRREC)

version 2. 01/2015