FRESHWATER INSECTS &
PARASITES
BY: GARY BATES
Freshwater Insects &
Parasites
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Gary Bates
MS Agriculture with
emphasis on
Range/Wildlife
Management
Born & Raised in San
Angelo, Texas
Graduate of Angelo
State University- BS in
2005
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Not Taken Biology
Course Since 1997
First ever course in
aquatics
Interested in
freshwater habitats for
sustained rangeland
production
Continue on at PhD in
Range Science/
grazing behavior &
management
NOMENCLATURE
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Kingdom- Animalia
Phylum- Anthropoda
Some parasites discussed
will be from other
kingdoms & phylums
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Anthropoda
Classes
Arachnida-spiders,
ticks,scorpions
Crustacea- crawdads
Diplopoda- millipede
Chilopoda- centipede
Insecta (Hexapoda)
largest class in the
world!!!!!!!!!
ARACHNIDA
CHARACTERISTICS
Two segmented body
chephalothorax & head
absent antennae
legs- eight pair
pedipalps- sensory organs for
touch and smell
Mouth- piercing, sucking, &
chewing
Can be terrestrial or aquatic
Can be herbaceous, predaceous,
parasitic, or herbaceous
ARACHNIDA
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Araneida- spiders
Acari- ticks, mites
Scopionidascorpions
Phalangida- daddylong legs
Salpugidasunspiders
Orders
Water Spider Argyroneta
aquatica
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Breathes with
spiracles
acts like a lung
always on bodynot head
Plastron- thin film
of gas where
spiracles open
Water Spider
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Found in freshwater lakes
& ponds
Carnivorous- water mites,
mayfly numphs, etc…
Usually lives underwater
but may live above the
water
Unusual Fact- males larger
than females
Danger from fish and frogs
CLASS
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Insecta (Hexapoda)
Three body segments
head,thorax,abdomen
Antennae present
Wings- 2 pair (not all)
Legs- 3 pair (6-legshexapode)
can be predaceous,
scavengers, parasitic, or
herbaceous
many habitats (they are
everywhere you look)
Insects Orders
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Coleoptera- beetles
Collembola – springtails
Diptera – flies, mosquitos
Ephemeroptera- mayflies
Hemiptera – true bugs
Hymenoptera –
wasps,bees,ants
Lepidoptera- butterfly,moth
Megaloptera- dobsonfly,
fishfly
Neuroptera- spongillaflies
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Odonata- dragonflies,
damselflies
Orthopteragrasshoppers,crickets
Plecoptera- stoneflies
Coleoptera
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Beetles
Three Aquatic
Types
- larve & adults all aquatic
(water & diving beetles)
- larve aquatic (leaf
beetles,marsh beetles)
- adults aquatic- (moss
beetles,weevils
Collembola
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Hydrophobic water
surfece
Wingless
Feed on water
surface-algae,
fungi,etc…
springtails
Diptera
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flies,mosquitos
One pair
membraneous
wings
Larvae are
wingless are live in
aquatic,semiaquatic, or moist
habitats
Hind wings
modified as
halteres
Ephemeroptera
Hind wings modified
as halteres
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Immature- fresh
flowing nonpolluted
water
Naiads (immature stage of
growth in water)
Air bubble to surface- fly
away to nearby leaf
Adults do not feed
Males die shortly after
mating / Females die after
depositing eggs
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Mayfly
Hemiptera
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X-wing pattern
Triangular pattern
on back
Can live
underwater or on
the surface
Tubular proboscis
at front of head
Antennaesegmented (5)
true bugs
Hymenoptera
bees,wasps,ants
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Aquatic insects
are parasitic on
other
arthropodes
Bees/waspsgrublike
Sawfliescatepillar-like
“Wasp-Waist”
Hymenoptera
Lepidoptera
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4-5 instars (periods
between molts)
before pupating in
water
Adults- live about 2
weeks
Larvae damages
crops and trees
moth/butterfly
Megaloptera
/dobson fly
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Largest of aquatic
insects
All larvae aquatic
Feed on other
insects
fish fly
Neuroptera
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Aquatic immature
stage
Attracted to lightused as a fish bait
Found in flowing
rivers and streams
spongillaflies
Odonata
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dragonfly
Eggs deposited on
macrovegetation or
in water
Damselfly- eggs
inserted into stems
Dragonfly- eggs
laid on surface of
water or plants
Dragonfly Vs Damselfly
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Wings held
horizontal at rest
Strong flyer
Eyes not projecting
from head
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Wings held
vertically at rest
Weak Flyer
Eyes bulbous
Damselfly
Plecoptera
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stonefly
Naiads may take
from 2-3 months to
a year before
becoming adult
Crawl out onto rock
or vegetation to
molt into adults
Weak flyers
Parasites of Fish
Gyrodactyliasis
Skin Fluke
Parasites of Fish
Fish Lice
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Very small crustacean (shieldshaped)
Can be deadly if enters into
gills
Bite or sting with digestive
enzymes to suck out the
liquefied fish body matter
Argulus
Parasites of Fish
Anchor worm
 Look like red or whitishgreen worms
 Egg sacks may be
visible at end of worm
 Presence of inflammed
or red spots
 May leave ulcer
 Fish rubbing up against
objects
Lernaea a crustacean
Conclusion
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Introduction to
aquatic entomology
and some parasites
Large group to
study with many
areas and closely
related organisms
References
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http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/cour
se/ent425/library/spotid/index.
html
http://masetto.esa.catchword.o
rg/vl=5763171/cl=12/nw=1/rps
v/home.htm
http://lhs.lps.org/staff/sputnam/
Ent801/Ento801.htm
http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldgui
de/
Dr. Keith has a website posted
that has most of this
material
Use these websites for photos
and terminology
Peterson Field Guides: A Field
Guide to Insects