Macroinvertebrates Flashcards
-Biological indicator of water quality
-Benthic macroinvertebrate
-Live in substrate of streams
-Large numbers may indicate poor water quality
Aquatic Worm
Mouthpart: Piercing-Sucking
Significance: Pest
Midge
Wormlike
Bulge at one end
Somewhat tolerant
Blackfly
Large, plump, small appendages or prolegs:
Truefly
A simple worm that is flat and thin:
Flatworm
Flat and broad, segmented:
Leech
A small, freshwater lobster:
Crayfish
-Shrimp-like
-Narrow side to side
Scud
Has six legs plus fake legs:
Alder Fly
Bivalve (double shell):
Clam
-Tolerant
-Opens to left
Lunged Snail
-Shells open to right side
-Sensitive
Gilled Snail
No gills on abdomen:
Most Caddisfly
Has gills:
Common Netspinner Caddisfly
-No shell
-Exactly 6 legs
-Not wormlike
-Has three thin tails and has feathery gills.
Mayfly
-No tail or disc shaped larva
-Adult with hard wings
Beetle
Pollution sensitive:
Water Penny
-Crustacean and isopod,
-7 pair of legs
-2 pair of antennae, one much longer than other
Aquatic Sowbug
Six legs plus fake legs:
Fish Fly
-Legs
-Not wormlike
-Two tails
-No gills
Stonefly
-Not wormlike
-More than 6 legs
-1 paddlelike (whale like)
-Pinchers and antennas
Crayfish
-Not wormlike
-Six legs
-3 tails
-Feather like gills
Mayfly
-Wormlike
-6 legs
-Unknown # of legs
-Makes a case around the body (using whatever is in the environment)
Most Caddisflies
-Not Wormlike
-6 legs
-3 Featherlike/Paddlelike tails
Damselfly
-Not wormlike
-More than 6 legs
-Body comes to a small point
-Antennae
Scud
-Wormlike
-6 Legs
-Tiny protrusion (foot like)
-Hairy gills under the body
Common Netspinner Caddisfly
-Wormlike
-No legs (but may have prolegs)
-Tail like projection
-Large and Plump
Truefly
-Not worm like
-6 Legs
-3 tiny tails (body comes to a point)
-Wing pads, big eyes
Dragonfly
-Not worm like (some circular)
-6 legs
-0, tail like projection
-Has many different shapes
Beetle/Water Penny
-Not wormlike
-6+ Fake legs
-2 small projections
-Large body and pinchers by mouth (harmful)
Hellgrammite/Fishfly/Alderfly
What bugs are sensitive? (4)
Mayfly
Stonefly
Most Caddisfly
Water Penny
What bugs are tolerant? (6)
Lunged Snails
Black Fly Larvae
Midge Larvae
Aquatic Worms
Flatworms
Leeches
How much oxygen in a body of water might indicate what can live in the waters:
Dissolved Oxygen
Measures how much oxygen is being used up by bacteria and therefore not leaving enough for the other aquatic organisms:
Biological Oxygen Demand
How much fecal matter is in the water:
Coliform
Organisms need a certain range in ____ to survive, if the water is too acidic for instance, then aquatic life will die:
pH
Needed for plant growth, but too much could cause eutrophication:
Nitrates
Needed for plant growth, but too much could cause eutrophication:
Phosphates
Determining how clear the water is will help to indicate health as well:
Turbidity
So the _____ the DO, the ____ the health of the stream:
Higher; Better
So the _____ the BOD, the ____ the health of the stream:
Lower; Better
Is there is a direct relation between DO and BOD?
Yes
Is negative coliform good or bad?
Good
What’s the best pH?
7
The ____ the nitrate ppm the better the quality:
Lower
The ____ the phosphate ppm the better the quality:
Lower
The _____ the turbidity JTU, the clearer the water:
Lower
What law protects the watersheds?
The Clean Water Act and the Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act of 1960
If someone found dragonflies, crayfish, clams, hellgrammites, and a couple of aquatic worms what would that tell about the water quality in this stream?
The stream may have a little less oxygen, contain a bit of pollution, and becoming murky.
