Ephemeral Wetland Variety: A. Fill date and hydroperiod 1. Short cycle Spring 3-4 months 2. Long cycle Spring 5-8 months 3. Short cycle Fall 7-9 months 4. Long cycle Fall 9-11 months 5. Semi-permanent longer Greatswamp.org Uri.edu Does it go completely dry or have moist sediments in dry period?
Canopy Cover More open, more vegetation Intermediate Closed Open ux.brookdalecc.edu
1. The longer the fill period (shorter dry) and more sunlight, the more likely there will be AQUATIC vegetation. 2. The shorter the fill period (longer dry) and the more sunlight, the more likely you will see TERRESTRIAL vegetation.
Macroinvertebrates must adapt to the hydroperiod and other conditions of the wetland Long dry periods Serious aestivation/overwintering phases eggs that MUST dry fairy shrimp eggs that stay moist in vegetation - damselflies Migration by adults beetles and bugs Short dry periods or wet sediments Burrow in mud and hang on dragonflies and fingernail clams Complex Life Cycles of Insects Have a terrestrial stage during the dry period - caddisflies www.kidfish.bc.ca
A Word about Taxonomy Levels of descriptive specificity Kingdom general Phylum Class Order specific Family Genus Species Culex pipiens or Culex pipiens The common house mosquito Animalia Arthropoda Insecta Diptera Culicidae Culex pipiens
Phylum Mollusca bivalves (clams and mussels) and snails Characteristics: Most have a shell that they secrete, have a muscular foot for movement EP indicator Species Sphaeridae Fingernail Clams, Pill Clams, Pea Clams Less than 1 inch length, most less than ½ inch length. Live 1-2 years Self fertilize, young on own gills, burrow in mud to aestivate/overwinter Filter feed on algae, small animals, tiny bits. Eaten by dabbling ducks, salamander larvae. Drawings from Taxonomic Keys by Eddy and Hodson
Snails identifying characteristics 1. Does it have a peak? Planispiral no peak Conispiral - peak 2. Which side of the shell has the opening? Left handed - Sinestral Right handed - Dextral Drawings from Taxonomic Keys by Eddy and Hodson
Lymnaeidae Pond Snails Snail Families Lymnaeidae (conispiral, dextral) Air breathers, acute peak, right handed coil and opening. Opening not covered by a horny plug, or operculum. 5-50 mm high. Planorbidae Wheel Snails Planorbidae (planispiral, both) Air breather, no operculum, right or left coil and opening. 3-30 mm in diameter. Physidae (conispiral, sinestral) Air breather, no operculum, left handed Coil and opening. 5-20 mm high. Physidae Pouch snails Drawings from Taxonomic Keys by Eddy and Hodson
Worms Horsehair or Gordian Worms [Phylum Nematomorpha] Very long and thin No segments rydberg.biology.colostate.edu Parasitic on many common invertebrates when almost mature drive host to water and emerge, killing host
Segmented Worms - Phylum Annelida segments Microscopic Bristleworms Class Oligochaete bristles Very abundant in sediments, sometimes called sewer worms because abundant downstream from treatment plant discharge Wlm van Egmond forum.mikroscopia.com Drawing from Taxonomic Keys by Eddy and Hodson
Macroscopic Bristleworms or Oligochaetes Free living, feed in sediments, food for salamander larvae, dragonfly larvae, big beetles and bugs sfu.ca inhs.uiuc.edu Live in tubes attached to bottom. Frequently get pulled out in sampling. Feed near bottom, eaten by same as free living.
Leeches - Class Hirudinea ID characters segments mouthparts eyes Fluid feeders and predators mostly of insects and molluscs. Fairly small. Big ones come in on Turtles. Drawings from Taxonomic Keys by Eddy and Hodson
Phylum Arthropoda The most numerous phylum on the planet Jointed appendages Hard external skeleton Aquatic sowbug or isopod
The Arthropods you will see fall into three general categories: Crustaceans aquatic, many with 2 pair of antennae, most appendages with two main branches at the end. Arachnoids 4 pair of legs, 2 body parts (head and thorax fused). Insects 3 pair legs, 2 pair wings, 1 pair antennae. Most appendages unforked at the end. Drawing from Aquatic Entomology by McCafferty
Microcrustaceans 1. Class Branchipoda Order Cladocera Water Fleas Very small, but can be seen in water column. Jerky swimming. May be in swarms. Overwintering egg Head out of carapace Drawings from Taxonomic Keys by Eddy and Hodson
EP Indicator Species 2. Order Anostraca Fairy Shrimp male Easily visible swimming smoothly upside down, 0.5-1 inch Brood pouch female From Field Book of Ponds and Streams by Ann Haven Morgan
3. Orders Laevicaudata and Spinicaudata - Clam Shrimp Head inside carapace Most microscopic and look like seed shrimp (ostracods). Not terribly well known swim and feed along sediments Drawings from Taxonomic Keys by Eddy and Hodson
Class Maxillopoda 1. Subclass Copepoda Copepods Swimming antennae Male claspers Brood Sack Most actually microscopic Also a jerky swimmer in water column
Subclass Ostracoda Head inside Ostracods or seed shrimp Most microscopic Swim and feed right at surface of the sediments Drawings from Taxonomic Keys by Eddy and Hodson
Macrocrustaceans Class Malacostraca 1. Order Isopoda Aquatic sowbugs or Isopods Strongly flattened top to bottom 7 pair of walking legs, first with claw Rear segments fused into plate 5-20 mm Shred decaying plant material, eaten by vertebrates, spiders, beetles nwnature.net Drawing from Field Book of Ponds and Streams by Ann Haven Morgan
2. Order Amphipoda Amphipods or scuds Strongly flattened from side to side 7 pair walking legs, first 2 with claws 2 pairs of antennae ~ same size 5 20 mm Another shredder of decaying plant material Eaten by vertebrates, spiders, beetles epa.gov Drawing from Field Book of Ponds and Streams by Ann Haven M
3. Order Decapoda Crayfish, lobsters, crabs true shrimps carapace Crayfish eggs Fused carapace behind head 5 pair walking legs, first with BIG claw Sizable flipper at end 10-120 mm Herbivores, shredders or carnivores Eaten by vertebrates (raccoons, humans) biol.andrews.edu Drawing from Field Book of Ponds and Streams by Ann Haven M
Class Insecta Insects Come in 2 types with different life cycles: Those with 3 stages egg, larva, adult Larva is sometimes called nymph or naiad Mayflies, Odonates, bugs Adult emerges from larva ru.ac.za/academic Those with a 4-stage life cycle Egg, larva, PUPA, and adult Beetles, caddisflies, flies Drawing from Field Book of Ponds and Streams by Ann Haven M
Mayflies Order Ephemeroptera wingbuds gills Nymphs aquatic, most of life cycle Adults terrestrial, very short-lived Ephemeral pond nymphs small (<1/2 in.) and fast swimmers 3 tail filaments Large wings held over back Tail filaments Drawings from Aquatic Entomology by McCafferty
Order Odonata Dragons and Damsels Differences between: Adults Dragons stockier, wings held flat Damsels thin, wings folded over back Larvae (Naiads) Dragons stockier, sprawl on pond bottom, breathe through anus Damsels thin, perch on plants or other items in water, breathe through 3 gills at end of body
Voracious Predators Both damsels and dragons have hydraulic mouthparts Most are sit-and-wait predators Drawing from Field Book of Ponds and Streams by Ann Haven Morgan
True Bugs Order Hemiptera 2 key characteristics: Drawing from Aquatic Entomology by McCafferty Front wings ½ membranous ½ leathery Mouth in form of a feeding tube or beak
1. Giant Water Bugs Family Belostomatidae ent.ohiou.edu Serious Predator! Irritability cohe.nmsu.edu
2. On water surface water striders en.wikipedia.org Small striders - Veliidae dpughphoto.com Large striders - Gerridae 3. Water Scorpions Family Nepidae popgen.unimass.nl popgen.unimass.nl
4. Backswimmers Notonectidae 5. Water Boatmen Corixidae Difference? mouthparts Drawings from Aquatic Entomology by McCafferty bugguide.net Pygmy Backswimmer - Pleidae
Beetles Order Coleoptera Beetles have a four stage life cycle. Pupa isn t active. Forewings are hardened and called elytra. Hind wings are membranous and folded when beetle isn t flying. Both adults and larvae can be aquatic. Predaceous Diving Beetle Diving Tiger Life cycle usually requires time in a permanent pond. Predaceous Diving Beetles Family Dytiscidae Drawings from An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America ed. By Merritt and Cummins
Breathing pipes in the rear, so surfaces tail first mouthparts Adults catch prey with forelegs, then chew apart. Eat almost anything including salamanders. May also scavenge carcasses. magickcanoe.com antenna Larvae inject toxin through sickle-shaped mouthparts, then enzymes to digest. Suck up digested juice. More like a bug than a beetle. Great swimmers.
Larvae Water Scavenger Beetles- Family Hydrophilidae Larvae great predators chewing their prey. Even snails, shell and all! Adults Adults are also predators and tend to consume their prey whole. Can also be found grazing on dead carcasses. Drawings from Aquatic Entomology by McCafferty
Which is Which? magickcanoe.com Common large species: Same size, same red-orange stripe around the edge of body, same feeding ecology. godofinsects.com
Predaceous Diving Beetle Water Scavenger Beetle wikipedia.org Antennae filamentous, usually tucked under head and not visible from above. Smaller species look very different and small Water Scavenger Beetles usually don t have a keel. godofinsects.com Antennae clubbed at end. Pointy Keel
Crawling Water Beetles Family Haliplidae Very small spotted beetle with rows of dents in elytra, slender antenna. Larva with long hairs. Most eat algae as larvae and adults. waterbugkey.vcsu.edu Cover over hind leg joint obscures most of abdomen Drawings from An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America ed. By Merritt and Cummins
waterbugkey.vcsu.edu Whirligig Beetles Family Gyrinidae Adults: Black beetles that live on surface, feed and scavenge small critters caught in surface tension. 2 sets of eyes (B). Larvae: Long processes on abdomen gills live in water and feed midge larvae and worms.
Caddisflies - Family Tricoptera Larvae graze on plants and detritus Adults are terrestrial, look like small moths, but with peaked wings. bugguide.net Drawings from An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America ed. By Merritt and Cummins
Identify by the case they build: Drawings from An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America ed. By Merritt and Cummins
True Flies Order Diptera Larvae and pupae are aquatics, adults terrestrial Culicidae Mosquito midge * Phantom midge Culicid ae No-see-um, punkie, biting midge These larvae are small usually 1/2 inch or less. More like Vienna sausages Drawings from An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America ed. By Merritt and Cummins
Mosquito No-see-um Midge Crane fly
Arachnoids Fishing spider May eat mosquito larvae! pick5.pick.uga.edu Mites Very small, red-brown Predators and parasites Eaten by bladderworts! K.Ness