Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs Volume 3 The Endangered Species: A Symposium Article 8 12-1-1979 Rare aquatic insects, or how valuable are bugs? Richard W. Baumann Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum and Department of Zoology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602 Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbnm Recommended Citation Baumann, Richard W. (1979) "Rare aquatic insects, or how valuable are bugs?," Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs: Vol. 3 , Article 8. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbnm/vol3/iss1/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact
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[email protected]. RARE AQUATIC INSECTS, OR HOW VALUABLE ARE BUGS? Richard W. Bauinann' Abstract.— Insects are an important element in the analysis of aquatic ecosystems, (1) because the limited dis- persal abilities of many aquatic species means that they must make a living under existing conditions, and (2) be- cause they are often sensitive to slight changes in water and stream quality, thus making excellent indicators of the physical and chemical conditions in a system. Examples of rare, ecologically sensitive species are presented from the Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Trichoptera. Detailed studies of rare aquatic insect species should produce impor- tant information on critical habitats that will be useful in the protection of endangered and threatened species in other groups of animals and plants. I use the term rare instead of endangered the distribution patterns of certain species fit or threatened, because no aquatic insects are nicely with a model of island biogeography.