Aquatic Entomology: Tour of the
Orders
Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)
Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)
Nymph
D. Funk
Imago - male
D. Funk
R4+5
MA1
MA2
MP1
MP2
Hind Wing
Male gynadromorph (intersex form) of Neocloeon alamance
Photo: D. Funk
Mayfly Subimago/ Imago Flight
Encalada, A.C. and B.L. Peckarsky. 2007. A comparative study of the costs of
alternative mayfly oviposition behaviors. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 61:1437-1448.
1: Power-point presentation showing animations of oviposition behaviors of
different mayflies (Ephemeroptera) observed in the upper East River drainage
basin, near RMBL in western Colorado. A. Splashers (e.g., Siphlonurus
occidentalis), B. Bombers (e.g., Drunella doddsi), C. Dippers (e.g., Rhithrogena
hageni, Diphetor hageni, Epeorus longimanus), D. Landers (e.g., Baetis
bicaudatus), E. Floaters (e.g., Acentrella turbinae). (To activate the animations,
click on “ppt presentation” or the F5 key, and use the “return” key to move through
the different animations (PPT 232 kb)
Baetis Female Imago Ovipositing
Examples of major aquatic habitat types in Maine, USA
where mayflies occur.
Mayfly nymphs are microhabitat specialists.
Examples of Stream microhabitats
Erosional with
secondary
depositional
zones.
Depositional
with secondary
erosional
zones.
Mayfly Mid-Network
Maxima
(MMM):
RCC- Network
Perspective
Mayfly Diversity
along Drainage
Networks: MidNetwork Mayfly
Maxima (MMM)
diversity pattern
predicted from
overlap of species
ranges along habitat
gradient based on
field observations.
Large channel
specialists replace
small channel–
headwater specialists,
but overall diversity
does not exceed
mid-network
maxima.
A/In
(Edge)
Dorsal
P/Out
(Edge)
Ventral
Tibiopatellar
Suture
Ephemeroptera: Mayflies
Caudal Filaments
Abdominal Gills
Prostheca
(Planate)
(Angulate)
Galea-lacinia
3rd
2nd
Maxillary Incisors
(or “Canines”)
Dentisetae
(With or w/o serrations)
Palpus
Galea-lacinia
Large apical setae
with or w/o fine
lateral branches or
sometimes heavier
serrations
Baetis pluto Labium
PG
G
Labial
Palp
3rd
2nd
1st
Mayfly Nymphal Diversity
Arthropleidae
Arthroplea sp.
Baetiscidae
Baetisca sp.
Caenidae
Ephemerellidae
Sparbarus sp.
Dannella sp.
Behningiidae
Dolania sp.
Baetidae
D. Funk
Baetis tricaudatus
Baetis bundyae
Neocloeon triangulifer
(2 gen., 2 species)
Acanthametropus pecatonica
(Alive – Wisconsin , May 2010,
SK Burian)
Characters [Nymph] – Prosternum with spine; claws longer than
tibiae; labrum has wide median notch; maxillae has 2
canines, 2 well developed dentisetae, and rudimentary
3rd dentisetae
Acanthametropus pecatonica -- Alive on native sand sediment
from lower Wisconsin River, near Woodman, WI May 2010, SK Burian
Ameletidae – (1 gen., 35 spp.)
MP Fork
D. Funk
Ameletidae (A. lineatus)
[By: D. Funk]
Characters [Nymph] – Maxillae has apical pectinate setae;
maxillae with canines reduced and only 1 dentisetae;
mandibles elongate with reduced prostheca on R. man.;
glossae of labium truncated with wide margin; labrum
longer than wide.
(1 gen., 2 spp.)
(A. albrighti and A. neavei now jr. syn. of Ametropus fragilis)
Ametropidae – (A. ammophilus)
Characters [Nymph] – Foreleg reduced and palp-like with a
distinct forcoxal projection; forclaw with setae; mid and
hind claws long and sharp without setae; gills with long
marginal setae.
Ametropus neavei feeding behavior (Soluk and Craig 1988)
[A. neavei now jr. syn. of Ametropus fragilis)]
(27 gen., 157 spp.)
Posterolateral
projections absent
Terminal
filament small,
but present
small, but
present
Baetidae: Baetis sp.
B. tricaudatus
Characters [Nymph] – Epicranial suture lateral branches anterior
to lateral ocelli; dorsal lobe of femoral apex directed
ventrally; body similar in shape to ameletids and
siphlonurids; hind wing pads present, absent, or minute;
plate-like gills present on abd. Seg. 1-7, 1-5, or 2-7; some
taxa have posterolateral projections on abd. seg. 9 and
range from weakly to moderately developed (e.g.,
Callibaetis spp.)
Baetidae (27 gen., 157 spp.)
Acentrella (9 spp.)
Americabaetis (3 spp.)
Anafroptilum (8 spp.)
Apobaetis (3 spp.)
Baetis (21 spp.)
Baetodes (16 spp.)
Baetopus (1 spp.)
Barbaetis (1 sp.)
Callibaetis (11 spp.)
Camelobaetidius (9 spp.)
Caribaetis (1 sp.)
Cloeodes (4 spp.)
Cloeon (1 sp.)
Diphetor (1 sp.)
Fallceon (6 spp.)
Heterocloeon (6 spp.)
Iswaeon (3 spp.)
Kirmaushenkreena (1 sp.)
Labiobaetis (7 spp.)
Moribaetis (1 sp.)
Neocloeon (2 spp.)
Paracloeodes (4 spp.)
Plauditus (10 spp.)
Procloeon (21 spp.)
Pseudocentroptiloides (2 spp.)
Varipes (1 sp.)
Waynokiops (1 sp.)
H. anoka
H. curiosum
Plauditus sp.
villopore
Labiobaetis sp.
Antennal lobe
Baetis tricaudatus
Neocloeon triangulifer
(formerly Centroptilum)
Baetis bundyae
D. Funk
Acerpenna pygmaea
(Female Nymph- NY)
Acentrella rallatoma sp. n.
(Male Nymph)
A. macdunnoughi
Plauditus dubius
Plauditus virilis
From Gary Lester
Baetopus trishae Waltz from North Carolina (photo J. Webb)
Blunt Apical Segment of
Maxillary Palp
Barbaetis benfieldi Kennedy (photo from J. Webb)
Waynokiops dentatogriphus
Photos: M. Bilger
(2 gen., 9 spp.)
Characters [Nymph] - Fore
-claw bifid; tarsal claws of
mid and hind legs single;
maxillary palps with 2nd
seg. Small; labial palps 2
segmented; body similar
in shape to siphlonurids;
body length 9-16 mm.
By : D. Chandler
Metretopus (2 sp.)
Siphloplecton basale
Siphloplecton ( 7 spp.)
Siphlonuridae – (4 gen., 25 spp.)
Siphlonurus sp.
Siphlonisca aerodromia
Siphlonuridae – (4 gen., 25 spp.)
Edmundsius (1 sp.)
Parameletus (4 sp..)
Siphlonisca (1 sp.)
Siphlonurus (19 spp)
Characters [Nymph] – Sclerotized ridge
(i.e., hind costa) of gills located medially
not close to hind margin of gill lamellae;
body fusiform, 6-20 mm; antennae short
not longer than 2x’s the width of head;
posterior abd. seg. with well developed
posterolateral projections; 3 distinct
caudal filaments; gills present on abd.
seg. 1-7; labrum anterior margin smooth
and sinuous.
Medial
Hind Margin
Parameletus midas
Parameletus midas
Siphlonurus sp.
By : D. Chandler
ISONYCHIIDAE (1 gen., 16 spp.)
Characters [Nymph] - Forecoxal gills
filamentous; 1st pair of abd. gills
dorsal in position; abd. gills have
fibrilliform basal tuft.
Isonychia obscura
By : D. Chandler
OLIGONEURIIDAE (2 gen., 9 spp.)
Lachlania (4 spp.)
Lachlania sp.
Characters [Nymph] – Gills
absent from leg bases; 1st
pair of gills ventral, all other
pairs of gills small, round, and
dorsal; dorsal gills held close
to surface of terga; galealacinia narrow apically;
maxillary palp seg. 2 much
longer than seg. 1; glossae
fused into large labial plate.
Homoeoneuria ammophila
Homoeonuria (5 spp.)
Homoeoneuria
ammophila
Filtering
setae
Characters [Nymph] – Tarsal claws
subequal in length to tibiae; abd. gills
lamellate with each lamella a basal
tuft of filaments and a distinctive
single, long, ventral appendage.
P. centralis from Blackwater R., northern
Florida – Jan Peters, FAMU
(1 gen., 1 sp.)
P. centralis from lower Wisconsin R.,
WI – May 2010, SK Burian
P. centralis from lower Wisconsin R.,
WI – May 2010, SK Burian
(Ametropus sp.)
(Pseudiron centralis)
[Chironomid prey
buried in sand
exposed by flow]
(1 gen., 1 sp.)
Characters [Nymph] – Maxillary palps extremely
long extending posteriorly along the sides of
the head
Arthroplea bipunctata
HEPTAGENIIDAE (14 gen., 126 spp.)
By : D. Chandler
Characters [Nymph] – Size 5-20mm; body dorsoventrally
flattened; eyes positioned dorsally; epicranial portion of head
capsule flattened and laterally expanded over the mouth parts;
labial palpi with broad basal segment; abd. gills may be lateral
or cupped beneath the body; gills present on segments 1-7 or
1-6 and most have a tuft of filaments at base; legs sprawling;
2 or 3 caudal filaments present.
Heptageniidae (14 gen., 126 spp.)
Afghanurus ( 13 spp.)
Anepeorus ( 1 sp.)
Cinygma ( 3 spp.)
Cinygmula ( 10 spp.)
Epeorus ( 19 spp.)
Heptagenia ( 11 spp.)
Ironodes ( 5 spp.)
Leucrocuta ( 10 spp.)
Macdunnoa ( 3 spp.)
Raptoheptagenia (1 sp.)
Rhithrogena ( 23 spp.)
Spinadis (1 sp.)
Stenacron ( 7 spp.)
Stenonema ( 19 spp.)
Heptageniidae: Heptagenia spp.
H. pulla
Cmp. eyes
Cinygmula subaequalis
By : D. Chandler
Leucrocuta hebe
Afghanurus lucidipennis
(formerly genus Nixe)
Leucrocuta sp
Afghanurus spp. (Includes species formerly
placed in genera Nixe and Ecdyonurus
simplicioides species group)
Dorsal Head (typical)
Dorsal Abdominal Segments (typical)
(11 gen., 87 spp.)
Choroterpes basalis
Characters [Nymph] - Body somewhat dorso-ventrally compressed, but not as great as in heptageniids; galea-lacinia with
crown of long hair-like setae; hypopharynx well developed with
well developed lateral lobes; maxillary palpi 3 seg.; At least 1
pectinate (i.e., comb or rake-like) spine present on inner anterior
margin of maxillae; labial palpi 3 seg.; abdominal gills on seg.
1-7, 1-6, or 2-7 and some taxa may have gills on seg. 1
filamentous; most gills are bilamellate; 3 distinct caudal filaments
Leptophlebiidae (11 gen., 87 spp.)
Choroterpes (5 spp.)
Farrodes (7 spp.)
Habrophlebia (1 sp.)
Habrophlebiodes (4 spp.)
Hydrosmilodon (1 sp.)
Leptophlebia (7 spp.)
Neochoroterpes (4 spp.)
Neoleptophlebia (7 spp.)
Paraleptophlebia (32 spp.)
Thraulodes (15 spp.)
Traverella (6 spp.)
Leptophlebia intermedia
Leptophlebiidae: Neoleptophlebia assimilis
All Gills Symmetrically Forked
1
7
Neoleptophlebia adoptiva
Distinct Lateral Branches
Paraleptophlebia moerens
Deep fork - <1/4
Gill length
Shallow fork - >1/3
Gill length
Neoleptophlebia adoptiva
BEHNINGIIDAE (1 gen., 1 sp.)
Dolania americana
Characters [Nymph] – Body ~13.0 mm; head
with 2 distinct crowns of setae at anterolateral
corners; tarsal claws absent on all legs, labial
palpi long and stout resembling short prothoracic
legs; ventrally oriented branched (i.e., forked)
gills with edges finely divided (appearing fringed).
Dolania americana
(1 gen., 4 spp.)
Characters [Nymph] – Frontal process of head
absent; foretibiae round in cross section; abd.
gill 1 single and filamentous; abd. gills 2-7 forked
with margins extensively divided into filaments
(appearing fringed); mandibular tusks usually
curving in toward each other, but not up or down;
mandibular tusks with scattered spines and
stout setae; 3 distinct caudal filaments.
Anthopotamus ( 4 spp.)
Anthopotamus distinctus
(4 gen., 7 spp.)
Characters [Nymph] - Burrowing forms 12-35 mm; forlegs
modified for digging; head with 10 internal air sacs; labial palpi
not in the plane of the labium, but held beneath it and at a 90º
angle to glossae and pararglossae; mandibular tusks curved in
and downward apically; tusks with either upper or mesal
surfaces with many tubercles; gills on abdomen held in dorsal
position; abd. gill 1 vestigial; 3 caudal filaments.
Ephoron leukon
Polymitarcyidae (4 gen., 7 spp.)
Campsurus ( 2 spp.)
Ephoron ( 2 spp.)
Tortopus (1 sp.)
Tortopsis (2 spp.)
(3 gen., 14 spp.)
Hexagenia atrocaudata
Characters [Nymph] – Body 12-32 mm and modified for burrowing;
fossorial type legs (i.e., flattened and with edges specialized for
digging); mandibular tusks curved upward at apex and outward;
tusks also have a dorsolateral keel or ridge; tusks lack spines or
have only basal spines; 3 caudal filaments.
Litobrancha recurvata
By : D. Chandler
Ephemeridae (3 gen., 14 spp.)
Ephemera ( 6 spp.)
Hexagenia ( 7 spp.)
Litobrancha (1 spp.)
I attach a photo I took in northern Minnesota in spring of about 1957. I
stopped my car for a few minutes on a bridge over a creek. I think that this
was one of the 3 year and synchronized species. No longer possible to take
this image. Daniel H. Janzen
(1 gen.,1sp.)
Characters [Nymph] - Mandibular tusks
are longer than the head and with many long
air-like setae arising from their entire
surface; femora are flat an broad, but tibiae
and tarsi are cylindrical and not apparently
specialized for digging; gills on abdominal
segment 1 are small and oval; gills on
segments 2-6 are positioned laterally and
have marginal filaments that makes them
appear fringed and filaments are longer than
the width of the lamella; antennae are much
longer than head and lack setae; 3 caudal
filaments have only inconspicuous setae
Euthyplocia hecuba
(1 gen., 1 sp.)
Characters [Nymph] – Body 18-24 mm;
mandibular tusks with short setae at tips and
long setae at base; tusks crenate on outer
upper edges; head with bifid process divergent
apically; antennae lack setae; gills of abd. Seg.
1 forked to base; gill 2 dorsal lamella with outer
edges of plate-like portion only slightly
enlarged at base.
Pentagenia vittigera
Pentagenia vittigera
(1 gen., 4 spp.)
Characters [Nymph] – Gills on seg. 2
subquadrate, operculate, and fused along
inner edge; other gills with many branches;
maxillary palpi 3 segmented; labial palpi 3
segmented; hind wing pads present; eyes
of male dioptic
Neoephmera purpurea
(7 gen., 37 spp.)
Characters [Nymph] – No hind wing pads; interlocking or
overlapping operculate gills on abdominal segment 2,
but not fused; underlying gills lack branches.
Caenidae (7 gen., 37 spp.)
Amercaenis (2 spp.)
Brachycercus (4 spp.)
Caenis (13 spp.)
Cercobrachys (7 spp.)
Latineosus (1 sp.)
Sparbarus (6 spp.)
Susperatus (3 spp.)
Caenis sp.
Sparbarus maculatus
(14 gen., 68 spp.)
Gills
Characters [Nymph] – Body subcylindrical to flattened,
5-15 mm; blunt spines or tubercles often on head,
thorax and/or abdomen; abdominal segments usually
have lateral projections; gills absent on abdominal
segment 2; filamentous gills may be present on abdominal
segment 1; lamellate gills present on segments 3-7 or 4-7
(operculate or semioperculate); 3 caudal filaments often
with setae and spines.
Penelomax septentrionalis
By : D. Chandler
Ephemerellidae: Drunella tuberculata
Gills 3-7
7
3
Paired dorsal tubercles
Fused wingpads
Ephemerellidae (14 gen., 68 spp.)
Attenella (4 spp.)
Caudatella (5 spp.)
Caurinella (1 spp.)
Dannella (3 spp.)
Drunella ( 12 spp.)
Ephemerella (17 spp.)
Eurylophella ( 16 spp.)
Matriella (1 sp.)
Penelomax (1 sp.)
Serratella ( 5 spp.)
Teloganopsis (1 sp.)
Timpangoga (1 sp.)
Tsalia (1 sp.)
Ephemerellidae: Ephemerella spp.
E. argo
Semi- operculate
Gills
Tsalia berneri
Paired dorsal tubercles
Currently DNA barcode data
indicate that Dentatella coxalis is
deeply embedded in the
Eurylophella and thus should be
returned to that genus.
LEPTOHYPHIDAE (4 gen., 35 spp.)
Tricorythodes sp.
By : D. Chandler
Characters [Nymph] – Body small 3-10 mm; thorax stout in
comparison with abdomen; abdominal segments 2-6 expanded;
segments 7-10 not expanded; filamentous gills absent from
abdominal segment 1; gills on abdominal segment 2 operculate
oval or subtraingular; gills usually present on abdominal
segments 2-6, rarely on 2-5; galea-lacinia narrow with setae
restricted to crown or margin; labium with glossae very small
or fused with paraglossae; labial palpi 2 or 3 segmented; hind
wing pads present or absent.
Leptohyphidae (4 gen., 35 spp.)
Allenhyphes (1 sp.)
Leptohyphes (11 spp.)
Tricorythodes (22 spp.)
Vacupernius (1 sp.)
Tricorythodes sp.
Tricorythodes explicatus - VT
(1 gen., 11 species)
Mesonotal
Shield or “Carapace”
Baetisca rubescens -- ME
Characters [Nymph] – Body stout 4-14 mm; thorax with well developed
mesonotum forming a carapace-like shield that extends to abdominal
segment 6; abdominal gills are finely divided with the first pair covering
succeeding pairs and all gills protected by enlarged mesonotum.
Baetisca obesa – CT. River, CT
[FFG – Gathering Collectors and Scrappers]
Baetisca lacustris – CT. River, CT