2006. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 115(2) :110–120 AN ANNOTATED LIST OF THE AQUATIC INSECT S COLLECTED IN 2004 IN THE WABASH RIVER WATERSHED, INDIANA Paul D. McMurray, Jr . and Steven A . Newhouse : Indiana Department o f Environmental Management, Biological Studies Section, 100 North Senate Avenue , Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 US A ABSTRACT. In 2004 the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) biologists sam- pled 47 streams and rivers within the Wabash River watershed . More than 5500 aquatic insect specimens , representing 229 taxa from nine orders, 61 families, and 167 genera were collected . Diptera (73 taxa) was the most diverse insect order followed by Coleoptera (43 taxa), Odonata (31 taxa), Ephemeroptera (25 taxa), Trichoptera (23 taxa), Hemiptera (20 taxa), Plecoptera (7 taxa), Megaloptera (5 taxa), and Lepidop - tera (2 taxa) . We collected 50–70% of the families, 21-45% of the genera, and 9–17% of the species o f Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera currently reported from Indiana . The upper Wabash sub-watershed had the greatest number of insect taxa (148) while the lower Wabash sub-watershed ha d the fewest taxa (119) . Based on rank abundance, Cheumatopsyche spp ., Calopteryx maculata, Polypedium spp., Caenis spp ., Stenelmis spp ., Cricotopus/Orthocladius group, Tanytarsus spp ., Ceratopsyche cheilonis , and Thienemannimyia group were found at more than 50% of the sites . Keywords : Wabash River, environmental quality, macroinvertebrate, IDEM, probabilistic, multi-habita t For nearly 100 years aquatic macroinver- provide much greater diagonostic resolutio n tebrates have been used as indicators of wate r (Lenat Resh 2001) . Later, in 2004, IDEM be- quality (Forbes 1928 ; Pantle Buck 1955) . gan the development of a multi-habitat (MHAB) In the 1970s American scientists shifted th e sampling method for collecting benthic macro - focus of biomonitoring from using qualita- invertebrates that would incorporate genus- and tively collected indicator species to the use o f species-level identifications (IDEM 2006) . quantitative sampling and analysis by mean s The purpose of the present study is to pro - of various diversity indices (Bode 1988 ; Hil- vide a list of aquatic insect taxa collected senhoff 1982, 1987, 1988) . In order to cali- within the Wabash River watershed, and pre - brate and validate indicator organism indices , sent a comparison of taxonomic occurrence i n basic information about distribution and tax- four sub-watersheds based on samples col- onomy is needed . For many areas this infor- lected in 2004 . This effort is based on a strat- mation exists at the order or family level ; but, ified random sampling approach that reflect s other than large checklists, little informatio n representative occurrence in the area . exists at the species or lowest taxonomic leve l (Helenthal et al. 2003). METHOD S In 1990, the Indiana Department of Environ- Study area .—The Wabash River, the sec- mental Management (IDEM) initiated a benthi c ond largest tributary to the Ohio River, orig- macroinvertebrate community assessment pro- inates near St. Henry, Ohio and flows in a gram (IDEM 2001) based on the EPA RBP I I southwesterly direction for 765 km before en- protocols (Plafkin et al . 1989) . This method uti- tering the Ohio River 18 km southwest of Mt. lized a single habitat for assessing rivers an d Vernon, Indiana. The Wabash River watershe d streams using family-level taxonomic resolu- encompasses 85,236 km", with nearly 74 % tion. Recent comparisons of family-level versus (62,693 km) located in Indiana (Illinois an d genus- and species-level identifications of mac- Ohio contribute 21,805 km" and 738 km", re- roinvertebrates has determined that, in most sit- spectively) (Hoggatt 1975) . Major streams uations, genus- and species-level identifications within the Wabash watershed include the Tip - 110 McMURRAY NEWHOUSE—WABASH RIVER INSECTS 11 1 pecanoe River; Wildcat Creek, Mississinewa egy (2001, 2006) . The sub-watersheds are as River, Salamonie River, Patoka River, Drift - follows : the upper Wabash River (UWR), wood River, Flatrock River, Muscatatuck Riv- lower Wabash River (LWR), West Fork of th e er, and the White River. White River (WFWR) and East Fork of th e The Wabash River watershed is located pri- White River (EFWR) (Fig . 1). marily within the Eastern Corn Belt Plai n Numerical classification analysis was con- Ecoregion with the extreme northern area be- ducted using STATISTICA for Window s ing in the Southern Michigan/Northern Indi- (StatSoft 2002). We analyzed the 30 most ana Till Plain Ecoregion, the southcentral are a commonly ranked taxa occurring in the entir e being in the Interior Plateau and Eastern Cor n Wabash River watershed and each of its four Belt Plain Ecoregion, and the southwestern sub-watersheds. This information is presented area being found in the Interior River Low - in a cumulative frequency-distribution table of land Ecoregion . The Eastern Corn Belt Plain the most common taxa (Table 2) . and Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Til l Field collection .—Aquatic macroinverte- Plain Ecoregions are formerly glaciated wit h brate samples were collected at each site up - bedrock composed of Paleozoic shale, sand - stream of bridges (if present) to decrease an y stone, limestone and dolomite overlain with effects that the bridges might have on th e clay and loam till and outwash . The Interio r downstream fauna . Following a modified D- River Lowland is composed of both formerl y frame dipnet method (IDEM 2001, 2006) de- glaciated and un-glaciated areas with bedrock scribed from Plafkin et al . (1989) and Barbour composed of Pennsylvanian shale, sandstone , et al. (1999), a one-minute kick sample was limestone and coal overlain by Quaternary al- taken within a riffle (if available), run, or a luvium and glacial outwash . The Interior Pla- typical glide area at each site . In addition, a teau Ecoregion, which was never glaciated, is 50 m length of stream habitat was sample d an area with Quaternary loess, colluvium an d with a D-frame dipnet to obtain a MHA B alluvium underlain with Mississippian and sample. Instream habitats included emergent Pennsylvanian shale, sandstone, and limeston e vegetation, submerged macrophytes, deposi- (Woods et al. 1998). About 65% of the Wa- tional zones, logs, sticks, rootwads, rootmats, bash River watershed, primarily within th e cobble, and sand . All habitats were sampled Eastern Corn Belt Plain and the Northern In- as encountered . The MHAB sample and th e diana Till Plain Ecoregions, is utilized as ag- kick sample were combined and elutriated a ricultural cropland for corn and soybean pro- minimum of five times through a 50 pm sieve. duction. Agriculture is also a primary land use The contents of the sieve were emptied into a within the Interior River Lowland Ecoregion , tray and picked through for 15 min, collectin g although oil wells and coal mines are als o at least 100 organisms per site, obtaining th e common . Forests account for 13 .5% of the greatest diversity of organisms possible . Wabash River watershed and are mostly found Aquatic macroinvertebrates were preserved in within the Interior Plateau Ecoregion (Gam- 80% isopropyl alcohol and returned to the lab mon 1994 ; Woods et al. 1998). to be processed and identified, usually to ge- Study design.—As part of the IDEM Sur- nus or species, using regionally-recognize d face Water Monitoring Strategy (2001, 2006) , taxonomic references (such as Merritt & IDEM biologists sampled 47 sites within th e Cummins 1996 ; Hilsenhoff 1995 ; and Brig - Wabash River Watershed during 2004 (Table ham et al. 1982) . All specimens were retaine d 1, Fig. 1). Site selection for this study was part and are maintained at the IDEM Shadelan d of a watershed-based, statewide stratified, ran- office/laboratory, Indianapolis, Indiana . dom subset of 736 previously sampled macro - invertebrate sampling sites . This study presents RESULTS AND DISCUSSIO N a comprehensive phylogenetic taxonomic lis t This single year sampling effort of 47 site s of species collected across the Indiana portio n in the Wabash River watershed collected mor e of the Wabash River watershed. For the pur- than 5500 aquatic insects . Using a MHA B pose of this study, the Wabash River water- sampling approach a total of 229 aquatic in - shed was divided into four sub-watershed s sect taxa, distributed over nine orders, 61 fam- based on the Monitoring Strategy Areas used ilies, and 167 genera was collected (Table 3) . by the IDEM Surface Water Monitoring Strat- The most diverse insect orders were Diptera 112 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENC E Table 1 .-Site localities of all sites sampled in the Wabash River watershed, Indiana, in 2004 . Sit e numbers correspond to Table 3 and are shown in Fig . 1 . Latitude Longitude Site County Locality N W Upper Wabash River sub-watershed Al Tippecanoe Wildcat Creek @ Wolfe Rd 40° 27 .17 86° 43 .59 ' A2 Carroll Wildcat Creek @ US 421 40° 27 .52 86° 38 .13 ' A3 Carroll Wildcat Creek @ CR 50 E 40° 28 .58 86° 30 .43 ' A4 Carroll Little Deer Creek @ CR 300 N 40° 35 .24 86° 28 .04' A5 Carroll Deer Creek @ CR 300 N 40° 35 .23 86° 37 .18' A6 Carroll Deer Creek U/S of Delphi, Indiana 40° 35 .10 86° 40 .08' A7 Carroll Deer Creek D/S of Delphi Water Treatment Plant 40° 34 .28 86° 40.59 ' A8 White Honey Creek @ CR 225 N 40° 47 .05 86° 47 .39 ' A9 Pulaski Tippecanoe River @ Pulaski 40° 58 .22 86° 39 .35 ' A10 Pulaski Mud Creek @ SR 119 40° 59 .01 86° 38