National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Klamath Network Featured Creature July 2012

Golden Stoneflies (: Perlidae)

FIELD NOTES: basically any unlucky that these search and destroy General Description: Golden predators come across. Stoneflies are among the largest stoneflies to be found inhabiting the The adult stage, unlike mayflies (see streams of our region. The only larger June 2010 Featured Creature), do stoneflies may be the Salmon Fly (see feed as adults, typically on algae, the July 2009 Featured Creature). In all lichen, rotting wood, or other of North America, there are 15 genera, detritus. but in our region there are three main genera: , , Classenia Habitat: Perlidae stoneflies are and , often co-occurring. typically found in cobble-strewn, clean, clear, silt-free montane streams Nymphs of the Perlidae family are and are largely regarded as indicators large, up to 2 inches (or~50mm), and of clean water. are brilliantly patterned with stripes and dark markings over a yellow body. From: http://lecerf.antoine.free.fr/ Distribution: Perlidae Stoneflies are They also have abundant filamentours distributed world-wide, (except gills in their “armpits,” (thoracic Antarctica). In Australia, they are segments), but never on their represented by an endemic family, abdomen. The adults are similarly Austroperlidae. large, generally poor fliers, and have 4 large wings common to all stoneflies. Neat Facts: If you pull them out of True to the name, the adults are a the stream (easy to do, just turn-over golden brown. enough rocks in your local stream and you’ll find them), place them in a Life History: Golden stoneflies have shallow tray of water, and you’ll see a multi-year life cycle, where they them “do push-ups” just like they’re spend their nymphal stage in fast at their local gym. This is a flowing, cool water for two years (or behavioral adaptation to low more), feeding and growing until amounts of oxygen – by doing push- emergence during the summer ups, they’re increasing water months. The adult stage can live for circulating over their gills! several weeks to a full month, before depositing their eggs in cold stream Where to see it in the Klamath waters (in a process known as Parks: Golden stoneflies occur in all ovipositing to nerdy stream of our parks in the region, that ecologists). include cold flowing water (Crater Lake NP, Lassen Volcanic NP, Diet and Ecology The Golden Whiskeytown NRA, Redwood From Bugguide.net © 2009 user Stoneflies are predaceous to the “escabaturm rip3” National and State Parks, and extreme. Next to Megaloptera larvae Oregon Cave NM). (aka Hellgramites), they are the largest predator inhabiting the References: local mountain streams. They feed Stewart, K.W. and B.P Stark. 1993. upon mayflies, other stoneflies, Nymphs of North American Stonefly caddisflies, dipterans (fly and midge Genera (Plecoptera) University of North larvae); Texas Press, Denton, TX.