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Arthropod Class Insecta (Insects)



Pictures Below

This is page 113 of specimens of Insecta. Visit the main Insecta page for:

  • The behavior and habitat of Insecta.
  • 114 underwater pictures of Insecta.

Pictures of 1229 Insect Specimens:

Specimen Page:1...112113114...124
Ameletus (Brown Duns) Mayfly NymphAmeletus (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 (
One sternite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
One sternite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
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 (
One sternite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
One sternite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
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 (
One tergite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
One tergite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
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 (
The femur of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
The femur of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
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 (
One sternite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
One sternite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
Sternite: The bottom (ventral) part of a single segment on an insect's abdomen.
)
without well-defined longitudinal stripe —> cooki. However, tergite (
One tergite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
One tergite of this Isonychia bicolor mayfly spinner is highlighted in red.
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.
Collected August 4, 2020 from Green Lake Outlet in Idaho
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on August 20, 2020
Rhithrogena hageni (Western Black Quill) Mayfly NymphRhithrogena hageni (Western Black Quill) Mayfly Nymph View 9 PicturesI'm basing the ID of this near-mature nymph on a male spinner with similar size and markings, collected on the same trip. There isn't a key to reliably identify the nymphs of most Rhithrogena species otherwise.
Collected July 4, 2020 from Mystery Creek #249 in Washington
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on July 12, 2020
Chironomidae (Midges) Midge LarvaChironomidae (Midges) True Fly Larva View 8 PicturesI don't see a lot of green Chironomidae larvae in my samples, so I photographed this one.
Collected July 4, 2020 from Mystery Creek #249 in Washington
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on July 12, 2020
Formicidae (Ants) Ant AdultFormicidae (Ants) Insect 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
Collected June 6, 2011 from the Touchet River in Washington
Added to Troutnut.com by Bnewell on June 26, 2011
Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olives) Mayfly NymphBaetidae (Blue-Winged Olives) Mayfly Nymph View 3 PicturesThis relatively large early March Baetid nymph has untracheated gills and no bands on its tails.
Collected March 9, 2004 from unknown in Wisconsin
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on January 25, 2006
Plecoptera (Stoneflies) Stonefly NymphPlecoptera (Stoneflies) Insect Nymph View 3 PicturesThis is a really small stonefly adult, about 3/8 of an inch body length.
Collected April 28, 2004 from the Namekagon River, below Lake Hayward in Wisconsin
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on January 25, 2006
Stenacron (Light Cahills) Mayfly NymphStenacron (Light Cahills) Mayfly Nymph View 2 Pictures
Collected August 8, 2004 from unknown in Wisconsin
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on January 18, 2006
Maccaffertium terminatum Mayfly NymphMaccaffertium terminatum  Mayfly Nymph View 1 PicturesThis is a subspecies (Subspecies: Entomologists sometimes further divide a species into distinct groups called subspecies, which have two lower-case words on the end of their scientific name instead of one. The latter is the sub-species name. For example, Maccaffertium mexicanum mexicanum and Maccaffertium mexicanum integrum are two different subspecies of Maccaffertium mexicanum.) M. terminatum terminatum, formerly called Stenonema. Found mostly in larger rivers in western Montana. This is an immature nymph.
Collected November 23, 2005 from the Flathead River-lower in Montana
Added to Troutnut.com by Bnewell on June 26, 2011
Specimen Page:1...112113114...124
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