Aquatic Macroinvertebrates

              Species List Species are not shown in proportion to actual size.
KingdomAnimalia
This poster was made possible by:
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Division of Education
IllinoisWildlife Preservation Fund
Funding for this poster was made possible
in part by contributions to the IllinoisWildlife
Preservation Fund.
Text: Paul P. Tinerella, Illinois Natural History Survey
Hundreds of species of aquatic macroinvertebrates live in Illinois in a
variety of habitats. Some of the habitats have flowing water while
others contain still water. In order to survive in water, these organisms
must be able to breathe, find food, protect themselves, move and reproduce.
They meet the challenge by using numerous adaptations. Because they are
sensitive to changes in their environment and are relatively easy to collect
and identify, aquatic macroinvertebrates are often used in biological
monitoring of streams. They also are encountered when students participate
in aquatic sampling activities. The 22 species shown on this poster were
selected by Dr. Paul Tinerella of the Illinois Natural History Survey to
represent typical aquatic macroinvertebrate species of Illinois.
Glossary words are defined on the back of the poster.
fishing spider Dolomedes sp.
ruby spot damselfly Hetaerina americana
northern clearwater crayfish Orconectes propinquus
predaceous diving beetle Dytiscus circumcinctus
giant water bug Belostoma lutarium
PhylumAnnelida Class Clitellata Family Naididae aquatic worm Slavina appendiculata
Class Hirudinea leech
Phylum Mollusca Class Gastropoda Family Pleuroceridae aquatic snail Pleurocera acutum
Class Bivalvia Family Unionidae monkeyface mussel Quadrula metanevra
PhylumArthropoda Class Arachnida Order Prostigmata Superfamily Hygrobatoidea aquatic mite
Order Araneae Family Pisauridae fishing spider Dolomedes sp.
Class Malacostraca Order Isopoda Family Asellidae aquatic sowbug Asellus sp.
Order Decapoda Family Cambaridae devil crayfish Cambarus diogenes
northern clearwater crayfish Orconectes propinquus
Class Hexapoda Order Ephemeroptera Family Ephemeridae mayfly Hexagenia sp.
Family Isonychiidae mayfly Isonychia sp.
Order Odonata Family Aeshnidae common darner Aeshna sp.
Family Libellulidae common skimmer Libellula sp.
Family Calopterygidae ruby spot damselfly Hetaerina americana
Order Hemiptera Family Corixidae water boatman Trichocorixa calva
Family Notonectidae backswimmer Notonecta irrorata
Family Pleidae pygmy backswimmer Neoplea striola
Family Belostomatidae giant water bug Belostoma lutarium
Order Megaloptera Family Corydalidae dobsonfly Corydalus sp.
Order Coleoptera Family Dytiscidae predaceous diving beetle Dytiscus circumcinctus
Family Hydrophilidae water scavenger beetle Hydrochara sp.
Order Diptera Family Culicidae mosquito Toxorhynchites sp.
I l l i n o i s
Aquatic
Macroinvertebrates
Photograph © Paul P.Tinerella
Photograph © Paul P.Tinerella
mosquito - larva Toxorhynchites sp.
Photograph © Michael R. Jeffords
Photograph © Paul P.Tinerella
Photograph © Michael R. Jeffords
Photograph © Michael R. Jeffords
Photograph © Paul P.Tinerella
water scavenger beetle Hydrochara sp.
Photograph © Steve J.Taylor
aquatic worm Slavina appendiculata
aquatic snail Pleurocera acutum
Photograph © Mark J.Wetzel
devil crayfish Cambarus diogenes
Photograph © ChristopherTaylor
aquatic mite Order Prostigmata
Photograph © Michael R. Jeffords
mayfly A. adult Hexagenia sp.; B. nymph Isonychia sp.
Photographs © Michael R. Jeffords
monkeyface mussel Quadrula metanevra
Photograph © Kevin S. Cummings
pygmy backswimmer Neoplea striola
Photograph © Paul P.Tinerella
leech - adult and young Class Hirudinea
Photograph ©William N. Roston
common skimmer dragonfly - nymph Libellula sp.
Photograph © Paul P.Tinerella
Photograph © Jochen Gerber,The Field Museum of Natural History
backswimmer Notonecta irrorata
dobsonfly Corydalus sp. A. larva; B. adult
Photograph © Paul P.Tinerella
Photographs © Michael R. Jeffords
water boatman Trichocorixa calva
common darner dragonfly - nymph Aeshna sp.
Photograph © Paul P.Tinerella
Photograph © Paul P.Tinerella
aquatic sowbug Asellus sp.
A
B
A B