» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Common Name
This is page 115 of specimens of Arthropoda. Visit the main Arthropoda page for:
- The behavior and habitat of Arthropoda.
- 122 underwater pictures of Arthropoda.
Pictures of 1243 Arthropod Specimens:
Ameletus (Brown Duns) Mayfly Nymph
View 6 PicturesI spent (Spent: The wing position of many aquatic insects when they fall on the water after mating. The wings of both sides lay flat on the water. The word may be used to describe insects with their wings in that position, as well as the position itself.) ages trying to identify this one but ultimately couldn't narrow it down to species. I'm guessing it's either a species that has not yet been reported from Idaho or a species with some variation in characteristics not accounted for in the current key (Zloty 1997), which is only for Alberta but happens to contain all the species documented in Idaho except for one (which is rare and only in a different part o the state from this one).
Here are my raw notes from the microscope session:
8. Ameletus nymph (genus 100 % based on mouth parts under microscope)
1. This is probably a species with the nymph either not described yet or not reported in Idaho (or Alberta).
2. There is a key to the species of nymphs in Alberta (Zloty 1997) which includes all but one (A. tolae) of the species listed in Idaho by IDFG (https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/taxa/8607), and A. tolae is only listed from one drainage in north-central Idaho. So my specimen should be in that key. However, it doesn’t fit any of them.
1. The antennae are pale with brown at the apex (Apex: The uppermost, outermost, or culminating point; the tip.). This doesn’t fit any of the species they described.
2. The labrum (Labrum: The platelike structure forming the roof of the mouth of insects; the upper lip.) is almost completely dark brown, maybe a bit paler toward the apex (Apex: The uppermost, outermost, or culminating point; the tip.).
3. Following the key in Zloty 1997 basically rules out every species reported in Idaho except for tolae, which would be outside its range:
1. Couplet 1 : There definitely aren’t strong ganglionic markings on sternites (Sternite: The bottom (ventral) part of a single segment on an insect's abdomen.) 2-8 (100 % rules out similior and celer) —> 3
2. Couplet 3 : Posterior (Posterior: Toward the back of an organism's body. The phrase "posterior to" means "in back of.") margins of sternites (Sternite: The bottom (ventral) part of a single segment on an insect's abdomen.) 6-8 lack large spines (80 % sure) but other characteristics rule out the species if there were spines (validus, oregonensis, subnotatus) —> 6
3. Couplet 6 : Mesal (Mesal: Toward the middle.) gill extension present, but pretty slim… similar to Fig. 23B or 23G —> 7
4. Couplet 7 : Obviouly gos to 8
5. Couplet 8 : Small size and time of year rules out velox, tergite (Tergite: The top (dorsal) part of a single segment on an insect's abdomen when it consists of a single chitinous plate (sclerite), or an individual sclerite if the segment has more than one.) patterna and gill shape rules out pritchardi (which is not reported in Idaho anyway). Additional features (antennae, labrum (Labrum: The platelike structure forming the roof of the mouth of insects; the upper lip.) color) rule out a small velox.
6. Backtrack to call the mesal (Mesal: Toward the middle.) gill extension “well developed” —> 9
7. Couplet 9 : Tail coloration obviously —> 10
8. Couplet 10 : Supposing it’s a small specimen of a “larger species” leads to 11, in which femora (Femur: The main segment of an insect's leg close to the body, in between the tibia and the trochanter.) coloration and timing rule out vernalis, and color pattern rules out bellulus. Mesal (Mesal: Toward the middle.) extension on gills from species description very conclusively rules out bellulus. Therefore, calling it a “smaller species” is the correct path —> 12
9. Couplet 12 : Sternites (Sternite: The bottom (ventral) part of a single segment on an insect's abdomen.) without well-defined longitudinal stripe —> cooki. However, tergite (Tergite: The top (dorsal) part of a single segment on an insect's abdomen when it consists of a single chitinous plate (sclerite), or an individual sclerite if the segment has more than one.) color patterns don’t even come close to matching ANY of the 3 species from this point on (cooki, sparsatus, suffusus). From the species descriptions:
1. cooki: Antenna and labrum (Labrum: The platelike structure forming the roof of the mouth of insects; the upper lip.) colors don’t fit. Mesal (Mesal: Toward the middle.) extension should be larger and tracheation lighter, to be this species.
2. sparsatus: Antenna and labrum (Labrum: The platelike structure forming the roof of the mouth of insects; the upper lip.) colors don’t fit. Mesal (Mesal: Toward the middle.) extension should be larger. Postero-lateral (Lateral: To the side.) spines should be very prominent, not barely noticeable.
3. suffusus: Also bad fit to antenna and labrum (Labrum: The platelike structure forming the roof of the mouth of insects; the upper lip.) colors, mesal (Mesal: Toward the middle.) extension, and especially gill tracheation. Formicidae (Ants) Ant Adult
View 2 PicturesThese are very large carpenter and a common terrestrial (Terrestrial: Insects which live on land and are fed on by trout only when they incidentally fall into the water are known as "terrestrials" to fly anglers, and they're very important in late summer.) insect along mountain trout streams Male Rhithrogena robusta Mayfly Spinner
View 3 PicturesThese specimens were collected from a mating swarm from the east branch of the North Fork of the Touchet River, upstream from the Bluewood Ski Area turn.It was a sunny warm day, mating swarm as 4-8 ft. above this small stream. Four male spinners were collected.Stream photos were taken. Male Tricorythodes (Tricos) Mayfly Spinner
View 3 PicturesI collected these males about 9:30 AM, air temp. about 68 degrees F. The males were flying about 3 ft above the stream flying up and down the stream rather than the typical vertical swarm you see with most mayfly males. The males are black and the females are a green color due to the eggs they are carrying. They do not live very long which is typical for small bodied mayflies. They do not fly during windy conditions. I suspect these are Tricorythodes minutus.