different kinds and sizes. ponds, streams and rivers. There are lotsof There are plenty of these tastytreats inour suckers and catfisheataquatic insects. You"aquatic guessedright insects." ifyouwere thinking Bass, panfish,trout, carp, ing. Then take acloselook. clue: Liftarock the next time yougo fish- have any idea whatitmight be?Here isa to yourfishing spottoobtainit.Doyou to collect.You canevenwaituntil youget worms. Butthere isanother bait.It’s easy We might alsouselivebaitslike minnows or with baitslike corn,cheese and dough balls. Anglers sometimesuse when wonder fishing. Most which of baitto usare familiar ? Which oneshould Ieat?

?

how wecanusethem for bait. Let'stake acloserlookataquaticinsects—where they live, their lifecycleand many of eachkind of insect livethere. insects liveincertainwaterwaysand how mine. They measure how many kinds of of the water—justlike acanary inacoal aquatic insects totellthem aboutthe quality leaves and debris). Some scientists evenuse eat dead animals and litter(dead plants, garbage collectorsof the stream becausethey insects eatplants. Stillothers are the other insects and small fish.Other aquatic ecosystem. Some are predators. They eat Aquaticfish. They insects are are alsoimportant more inthe aquatic thanfood for ? Rainbow trout by Walt Dietz photo-Art? Michaels Spring 2006 Aquatic Insect Family Tree

Aquatic insects are like other insects. carrycaararrryrr itsiti own o house oof pebbles and sticks They have six legs, threeee bobody segments, everywhere it goes! antennae, and sometimestim wings. They also Aquatic insects are different in one way have an exoskeletonon (a skeleton on the from the insectsins we see on land. They are outside of the body).ody). That helps them movmove adapted to liveve part of their lives underwater. food and objectsts much heavier than thetheir This family tree showsho some of the aquatic own weight. A caddisfly larvae can mmake and insect groups.

Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Animalia Arthropoda Insecta (animals) (jointed-foot invertebrates) (insects)

Mayflies (Ephemeroptera)

Stoneflies (Plecoptera) Giant stonefly nymph; roach stonefly nymph; common stonefly nymph

Left to right: Burrowing mayfly nymph; minnow mayfly nymph; flat-headed mayfly nymph

Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata)

Above: Common stonefly nymph

Left to right: Dragonfly nymph; damsel- fly nymph Alderflies, dobsons and fishflies True bugs (Hemiptera) (Megaloptera)

Left to right: Dobsonfly larva (hellgrammite); alderfly larva

Caddisflies (Trichoptera)

Top to bottom (left to right): Water strider; water boatman; backswim- mer; water scorpion; giant water bug

True flies (Diptera) Cranefly larva; mosquito larvae; blackfly larva

Top: Stick case-maker caddisfly larva Bottom left to right: Stone case-maker caddisfly larva; net- spinning caddisfly larva Left to right: Cranefly larva; blackfly larva Beetles (Coleoptera)

Left to right: Water penny (larva); whirligig beetle; predaceous diving beetle All insects go through a life cycle as they grow. Their bodies change through each stage. WWe Incompletenc Metamorphosis call these changes meta-m morphosis (met-a-'morph-- o-sis). Some insectse go Egg through three changes,a Nymph called incomplete metamor- phosis. They have ana egg, nymph and adult stage.g Adult Other insects go throughug four changes, called com-m- plete metamorphosis. Theyy have an egg, larva, pupa and adult stage. Some- times we use the term "hatch" to describe a nymph or larva that is changing into an adult. Complete Metamorphosis The insect appears to be Larva "hatching" right out of the water to become an adult. Egg

Adult

AllA insects go Pupa through a life cycle as they grow. We call these changes Aquatic insects are different from land chironomid, a type of fly larva. Some insects in some ways. They are adapted to aquatic insects, like the mosquito larva, underwater life during the larval or pupal draw air throughhroug a tube. Others, like the stage. Some also live on or under the water adult backswimmer, carry a gas bubble. during the adult stage. These critters, like Aquatic insects also have some unique the mayfly nymph, have gills. They may feeding adaptatadaptations. Check out some of take in oxygen through the skin like the the ways ththese insects get their dinner. PREDATORS Pursue or wait for prey

Predaceous diving beetle GRAZERS Scrape algae, food and bacteria off rocks SHREDDERS Water penny Eat pieces of leaves and dead plant parts Giant stonefly nymph COLLECTORS Gather or filter food from

Edited by: Art Michaels the water Layout, design, and illustration: Spring Gearhart PLAY subscriptions: Net-spinning caddisfly larva Linda Covage Marty Miller ©2006 Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Answers

1. c; 2. g; 3. d; 4. f; 5. a; 6. e; 7. b

Water Walkers Water

(Aquatic Leaf Eaters) Leaf (Aquatic

PLAY - Why Fish Need Trees Trees Need Fish Why - PLAY

Macroinvertebrate Feeding Frenzy Feeding Macroinvertebrate

ENA or ELPA ELPA or ENA g. 7. Damselfly nymph Damselfly 7.

Aquatic Insect Life Cycles & Adaptations: & Cycles Life Insect Aquatic

Pond and Stream Study Guide Study Stream and Pond

Stoneflies

Mayflies

f. 6. Cranefly larvae Cranefly 6.

Dragons & Damsels & Dragons

Dobsonfly

Caddis Flies Caddis

Types of Aquatic Insects: Aquatic of Types

5. Hellgrammite 5. e.

education page. education

Education Resources Catalog on the the on Catalog Resources Education

. Visit our our Visit . www.fish.state.pa.us

on the Commission's web site, site, web Commission's the on

brates, check the following fact sheets sheets fact following the check brates,

To learn more about aquatic inverte- aquatic about more learn To

4. Dragonfly nymph Dragonfly 4. d.

from ponds or lakes. or ponds from

of mudbugs can be possessed if taken taken if possessed be can mudbugs of

rivers or streams. An unlimited number number unlimited An streams. or rivers

(damselfly and dragonfly nymphs) from from nymphs) dragonfly and (damselfly

brates at a time, including mudbugs mudbugs including time, a at brates

3. Mayfly nymph Mayfly 3. c.

combined species of aquatic inverte- aquatic of species combined

Anglers are allowed to possess up to 50 50 to up possess to allowed are Anglers

license is required if you are 16 or older. older. or 16 are you if required is license

They are considered "fishbait." A fishing fishing A "fishbait." considered are They

aquatic insects? aquatic

b. 2. Stonefly nymph Stonefly 2. regulations also apply to to apply also regulations

Did you know that fishing fishing that know you Did

It’s the Law the It’s

1. Caddisfly larva Caddisfly 1. a.

whirligig beetles? Catch one of these these of one Catch beetles? whirligig nymph to the adult stage. adult the to nymph

on caddisflies, or a bluegill feeding on on feeding bluegill a or caddisflies, on insect knowledge. Match the larva or or larva the Match knowledge. insect

What do you do if you see trout feeding feeding trout see you if do you do What Here is a quiz to test your aquatic aquatic your test to quiz a is Here

a hellgrammite for bass? They work great! work They bass? for hellgrammite a this process "matching the hatch." the "matching process this

Ever try a stone fly for trout? Or how about about how Or trout? for fly stone a try Ever Or maybe a small black popper. We call call We popper. black small a maybe Or

you will know which bait or lure to use. use. to lure or bait which know will you might choose a tiny brown caddisfly lure. lure. caddisfly brown tiny a choose might

insect and life stage a fish is eating. Then Then eating. is fish a stage life and insect with the lure that looks most similar. You You similar. most looks that lure the with

you a better angler. It helps to know which which know to helps It angler. better a you the lures in your tackle box. Then fish fish Then box. tackle your in lures the

Knowledge of aquatic insects can make make can insects aquatic of Knowledge insects. Take a close look. Compare it to to it Compare look. close a Take insects. Aquatic insects make some of the best baits. They are easy to capture. Head down to the stream and turn over some rocks. Then collect them by hand. You can also use a kitchen strainer, small net or homemade kick seine. Check out our "Critter Collec- tors" fact sheet. It shows how to make a kick seine from window screen. Set the net downstream of some rocks. Turn them over. Disturb the stream bottom. The current does all the work. It will wash the critters into your net. Be careful with those hellgrammites! Grab them on the head, directly behind their pincers. Whirligig beetles, diving beetles, water boatmen, backswimmers and other water bugs can also be used for bait. They are tricky to capture. Use a long-handled net to scoop them from the water's surface. You'll have to be quick! Most nymphs and larvae can be kept in a container of water. They include mayflies, dragonflies and damselflies, caddisflies, crane flies and hellgrammites. They need cold water with lots of oxygen. You'll need to collect them right before you go fishing. Or replace the old water with fresh cold water once in a while. Stonefly nymphs are best kept in a container with cool wet moss.

Walt Dietz is the Commission’s Northeast Region Aquatic Resources Program Specialist.