Aquatic-insect
Guides
Arigomphus furcifer
Lilypad Clubtail
Arigomphus furcifer, commonly known as the lilypad clubtail, is a dragonfly species in the family Gomphidae. It is found in North America and holds a conservation status of Least Concern (LC) according to the IUCN, with a stable population and no immediate threats to its survival. The species is part of the genus Arigomphus, which comprises clubtail dragonflies often associated with aquatic habitats.
Arthroplea bipunctata
flatheaded mayfly
Arthroplea bipunctata is a species of flatheaded mayfly in the family Heptageniidae (sometimes historically placed in Arthropleidae). It is known from North America, with records from the Nearctic region. The species was described by McDunnough in 1924, originally as Cinygma bipunctata. Like other flatheaded mayflies, it belongs to a group adapted to clinging in fast-flowing waters.
Atherix variegata
watersnipe fly
Atherix variegata is a species of watersnipe fly in the family Athericidae. It is found in Canada and the United States. The species was described by Francis Walker in 1848. Like other members of the family Athericidae, adults are associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats.
Attenella margarita
spiny crawler mayfly
Attenella margarita is a species of spiny crawler mayfly in the family Ephemerellidae. It exhibits a disjunct east-west distribution pattern across North America, which is rare among mayflies. The species has been documented from the southern half of Canada and the continental United States, with a southeastern range extension to North Carolina representing approximately 1,300 km beyond previously known western localities.
Austrotinodes
Austrotinodes is a genus of caddisflies in the family Ecnomidae, established by Schmid in 1955. The genus contains 55 species with a primarily Neotropical distribution and a few species occurring in the Australian Region. In Brazil, 23 species are now known following the description of 13 new species in 2017. Species are distinguished by morphological characters of the male genitalia.
Baetis bicaudatus
small minnow mayfly
Baetis bicaudatus is a small minnow mayfly in the family Baetidae, described by Dodds in 1923. It inhabits streams across western North America from Alaska to the southwestern United States and northern Canada. The species is bivoltine, producing two generations annually, with distinct summer and winter generations that differ in size and susceptibility to parasitism. Adults exhibit characteristic mayfly behavior including swarming mating aggregations, while nymphs are important grazers on periphyton in stream ecosystems.
Baetis brunneicolor
Blue-winged Rusty Dun
Baetis brunneicolor is a small minnow mayfly species in the family Baetidae, described by McDunnough in 1925. It occurs across northern North America, with records from all of Canada and portions of the United States. As a member of the genus Baetis, it belongs to a diverse group of small, agile mayflies commonly known as blue-winged olives or small minnow mayflies.
Baetis notos
Baetis notos is a species of small minnow mayfly in the family Baetidae. It is found in Central America and North America, with its North American range extending across southern Mexico, the southern United States, and the northwestern United States. The species was described by Allen and Murvosh in 1987.
Baetisca rogersi
Baetisca rogersi is a mayfly species in the family Baetiscidae, endemic to northwestern Florida. The species has been the subject of detailed life history and ecological research documenting its external morphology, developmental stages, seasonal distribution, and emergence patterns. Its ecology is influenced by specific environmental factors affecting growth and development.
Bagous americanus
Bagous americanus is a species of true weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America, with records from Canada and the United States. The species is associated with the aquatic plant Nymphaea odorata (American white waterlily), on which both adults and larvae feed. Larvae are leaf miners, developing within the leaves of their host plant.
Banksiola
Traveller Sedges, Giant Casemakers
Banksiola is a genus of caddisflies in the family Phryganeidae, commonly known as giant casemakers or traveller sedges. The genus comprises approximately five described species distributed in North America. Larvae construct portable cases from plant material and are associated with freshwater habitats.
Belostoma
giant water bugs, electric-light bugs, toe-biters
Belostoma is a genus of giant water bugs in the family Belostomatidae, comprising approximately 70 species organized into 16 subgroups. These aquatic predators are native to freshwater habitats throughout the Americas, with highest diversity in tropical South America. The genus is distinguished by male paternal care, where males carry eggs cemented to their backs until hatching. Species range in body length from 15 to 41.5 mm.
Belostoma flumineum
giant water bug, toe biter
Belostoma flumineum is a North American giant water bug reaching 2–2.5 cm in length. This aquatic predator inhabits ponds, wetlands, and marshes with muddy bottoms, where it preys on aquatic invertebrates including backswimmers, water boatmen, dragonfly nymphs, and snails. The species exhibits exclusive paternal care: females deposit eggs on the male's back, and males carry and oxygenate the eggs for 7–14 days until hatching. Recent studies document significant shifts in reproductive phenology, with northeastern populations losing their historical fall breeding peak between 2005–2006 and 2012–2015.
Belostoma fusciventre
Belostoma fusciventre is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, first described by Dufour in 1863. Like other members of the genus Belostoma, it is an aquatic predator inhabiting freshwater environments. The species is known from Middle America and North America, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain limited in available literature.
Belostoma lutarium
giant water bug
Belostoma lutarium is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, native to North America. This aquatic insect is notable for its distinctive paternal care behavior, in which males carry egg clutches on their backs until hatching—a rare form of male parental investment in insects. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism with females being the larger sex, and studies suggest males may be the choosier sex in mate selection. As a predator, it feeds on aquatic invertebrates, small fish, and amphibian larvae including tadpoles.
Berosus miles
Berosus miles is a species of water scavenger beetle in the family Hydrophilidae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1855. The species is distributed across North America (including the southwestern United States) and Central America, with records from Arizona, Texas, and Mexico. As a member of the genus Berosus, it inhabits aquatic environments and contributes to decomposition processes in freshwater ecosystems.
Bibiocephala grandis
Bibiocephala grandis is a species of net-winged midge in the family Blephariceridae, a group of specialized aquatic flies. The species was described by Osten Sacken in 1874. Members of Blephariceridae are typically associated with fast-flowing streams and rivers, where larvae attach to rocks in turbulent water.
Brachycentridae
Humpless Casemaker Caddisflies
Brachycentridae is a family of caddisflies (order Trichoptera) commonly known as humpless casemaker caddisflies. The family contains approximately 100 species across 8 genera and is distributed across North America, Europe, and Asia. Larvae construct portable cases using plant material, rock fragments, or silk, with some species exhibiting specialized filter-feeding behaviors. The family was first described by Georg Ulmer in 1903 as a subfamily of Sericostomatidae before being elevated to family rank.
Brachycentrus appalachia
Apple Caddis, humpless casemaker caddisfly
Brachycentrus appalachia is a species of humpless casemaker caddisfly described by Flint in 1984. It belongs to the family Brachycentridae, a group of caddisflies characterized by larvae that construct portable cases from plant material. The species is known from North America, with its specific epithet suggesting association with the Appalachian region. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to have an aquatic larval stage and terrestrial adult stage.
Brachycentrus incanus
Brachycentrus incanus is a species of caddisfly in the family Brachycentridae. The species was described by Hagen in 1861 and is known from the Nearctic region. Like other members of its family, it is associated with freshwater habitats where larvae construct portable cases.
Brachycentrus lateralis
humbles casemaker caddisfly
Brachycentrus lateralis is a species of caddisfly in the family Brachycentridae, commonly known as the humpless casemaker caddisfly. It was first described by Thomas Say in 1823. The species is found in North America and belongs to a family whose larvae construct portable cases from plant material.
Brachycentrus numerosus
humbless casemaker caddisfly
Brachycentrus numerosus is a species of caddisfly in the family Brachycentridae, commonly referred to as a humpless casemaker caddisfly. The species was first described by Thomas Say in 1823. It belongs to an order of aquatic insects whose larvae construct protective cases from environmental materials. The species is documented from North America.
Brachycentrus occidentalis
humpless casemaker caddisfly
Brachycentrus occidentalis is a species of humpless casemaker caddisfly in the family Brachycentridae. It is a filter-feeding aquatic insect whose larvae construct fixed retreats with silk nets to capture food particles from flowing water. The species has been studied for its behavioral ecology during pupation, including cannibalism and predation pressures, and for its sensitivity to suspended sediments in stream environments.
Brachydeutera argentata
shore fly, shorefly
Brachydeutera argentata is a species of shore fly in the family Ephydridae, first described by Francis Walker in 1853. The species is known from the United States, where it inhabits moist shoreline environments. Shore flies in this family are typically small, compact dipterans associated with wet or aquatic habitats. The specific epithet 'argentata' refers to a silvery appearance, likely describing some aspect of the adult coloration.
Brachydeutera sturtevanti
Brachydeutera sturtevanti is a species of shore fly in the family Ephydridae, first described by Wirth in 1964. It is characterized as a hyponeustic generalist, meaning it inhabits the water surface film of aquatic or semi-aquatic environments. The species has been documented in the immature stages, with larvae adapted to life at the air-water interface.
Bryelmis idahoensis
riffle beetle
Bryelmis idahoensis is a species of riffle beetle in the family Elmidae, described by Barr in 2011. Riffle beetles are aquatic insects that inhabit fast-flowing streams and rivers. The species is known from North America, with its specific epithet suggesting a connection to Idaho. As with other members of Elmidae, it likely has an aquatic larval stage and a partially aquatic adult stage, though specific biological details for this species remain undocumented in available sources.
Buenoa
backswimmer
Buenoa is a genus of backswimmers (family Notonectidae) established by George Willis Kirkaldy in 1904 to accommodate Western Hemisphere species formerly placed in Anisops. The genus is distinguished from Anisops by males having a two-segmented front tarsus, versus one-segmented in the latter genus. Buenoa contains 69 described species distributed across the Americas. Members are aquatic predators inhabiting diverse freshwater and saltwater environments.
Buenoa arida
Buenoa arida is a species of backswimmer in the family Notonectidae, first described by Truxal in 1953. The genus Buenoa comprises aquatic predatory insects that swim upside down. This species is part of a diverse group of true bugs adapted to freshwater environments.
Buenoa margaritacea
Buenoa margaritacea is a backswimmer species in the family Notonectidae, first described by Torre-Bueno in 1908. As a member of the genus Buenoa, it shares the characteristic inverted swimming posture of backswimmers. The species has been documented in both Central and North America. Like other notonectids, it is an aquatic insect adapted to freshwater environments.
Buenoa marki
Buenoa marki is a species of backswimmer in the family Notonectidae. It is currently known only from solution holes near the Pinelands Trail in Everglades National Park, Florida. The species was described by Reichart in 1971. Its actual distribution may be broader than currently documented.
Caenis
Common Square-gills
Caenis is a genus of small mayflies in the family Caenidae, commonly known as "square-gilled mayflies." Adults are among the smallest mayflies, with some species measuring only 3–4 mm in body length. The genus is globally distributed across multiple continents and serves as an indicator taxon for aquatic ecosystem health. Nymphs inhabit various freshwater environments, and adults emerge in synchronized events.
Caenis hilaris
Caenis hilaris is a species of small square-gilled mayfly in the family Caenidae. It is found in North America. As a member of the order Ephemeroptera, it shares the characteristic life history of mayflies, with aquatic nymphal stages and short-lived winged adults.
Caenis latipennis
small squaregilled mayfly
Caenis latipennis is a small squaregilled mayfly in the family Caenidae, distributed across Central and North America including Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The species inhabits small prairie streams with sandy substrates and exhibits a multivoltine life cycle with overlapping generations. Adult emergence occurs primarily at dusk, with females completing mating and oviposition in approximately 37 minutes.
Calamoceratidae
Calamoceratidae is a family of caddisflies comprising approximately 9 genera and at least 120 described species. The family is distributed across tropical and temperate regions worldwide, with notable diversity in the Neotropics. Larvae are aquatic and construct distinctive cases from plant material. The genus Phylloicus is particularly species-rich in the New World, with 66 described species.
Calineuria
common stoneflies
Calineuria is a genus of stoneflies in the family Perlidae, established by Ricker in 1954. The genus contains approximately seven described species distributed across western North America and East Asia. Species such as Calineuria californica have been subjects of life history studies in stream environments. The genus was taxonomically revised from previously broader classifications, with C. californica formerly placed in Acroneuria.
Callibaetis californicus
small minnow mayfly
Callibaetis californicus is a small minnow mayfly in the family Baetidae, first described by Banks in 1900. The species occurs across Central America and western North America, including all of Mexico and the western United States. As a member of the Baetidae, it belongs to one of the most diverse families of mayflies, commonly known as small minnow mayflies for their streamlined, fish-like nymphal form.
Callibaetis ferrugineus
Red Speckled Dun
Callibaetis ferrugineus is a small minnow mayfly in the family Baetidae, commonly known as the Red Speckled Dun. The species is distributed across northern and southwestern Canada, the western United States, and Alaska. As with all mayflies, it undergoes incomplete metamorphosis with aquatic nymphal stages and short-lived adult stages. The species includes two recognized subspecies: C. f. ferrugineus and C. f. hageni.
Callibaetis ferrugineus ferrugineus
Callibaetis ferrugineus ferrugineus is a subspecies of small minnow mayfly in the family Baetidae. As a member of the genus Callibaetis, it belongs to a group of mayflies commonly known as pond mayflies or speckled mayflies. The subspecies is distributed in the Nearctic region, with records from North America including Vermont in the United States. Like other Baetidae, it has a relatively short adult lifespan focused on reproduction.
Callibaetis ferrugineus hageni
Callibaetis ferrugineus hageni is a subspecies of mayfly in the family Baetidae. The genus Callibaetis comprises small minnow mayflies found in aquatic habitats across North America. As with other mayflies in this genus, this subspecies has a multi-stage life cycle involving aquatic nymphs and short-lived winged adults. The subspecific epithet honors Hermann Hagen, a prominent 19th-century entomologist.
Callibaetis pallidus
small minnow mayfly
Callibaetis pallidus is a species of small minnow mayfly in the family Baetidae, first described by Banks in 1900. Like other members of the genus Callibaetis, it belongs to a group of mayflies commonly referred to as "small minnow mayflies" due to their streamlined bodies and swimming nymphal behavior. The species is documented from North America, though specific details about its ecology and distribution within this range remain limited in available literature.
Callibaetis pictus
Speckled Dun
Callibaetis pictus is a small minnow mayfly in the family Baetidae, commonly known as the Speckled Dun. It is distributed across Central America and North America, including all of Mexico and the northern and southwestern United States. Like other mayflies, it has an aquatic nymphal stage lasting months to years, followed by a brief adult lifespan measured in hours to days. The species is part of the EPT index (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) used to assess water quality in environmental monitoring.
Callibaetis pretiosus
small minnow mayfly
Callibaetis pretiosus is a small minnow mayfly in the family Baetidae. The species was described by Banks in 1914 and is native to North America. Larvae have been documented in wet-weather pools, with records from the southeastern United States and a northward range extension to Pennsylvania. As a member of Ephemeroptera, it undergoes aquatic nymphal development followed by a brief terrestrial adult stage.
Callicorixa
Callicorixa is a genus of water boatmen (family Corixidae) comprising nine described species. Members are aquatic insects inhabiting freshwater environments. Research on *Callicorixa vulnerata* has demonstrated sexual size dimorphism and tarsal asymmetry in mid-leg morphology. *Callicorixa praeusta* exhibits complex acoustic communication, with males producing synchronized stridulatory calls for congregation and reproduction.
Callicorixa vulnerata
water boatman
Callicorixa vulnerata is a species of water boatman (family Corixidae) found in North America. The species exhibits sexual size dimorphism, with documented research focusing on tarsal asymmetry and trait size variation in relation to fitness. Mid-leg tarsi are used to cling to bottom substrate during underwater feeding. The species was described by Uhler in 1861 and is currently accepted under the genus Callicorixa.
Caloparyphus tetraspilus
Caloparyphus tetraspilus is a species of soldier fly in the family Stratiomyidae. It occurs in madicolous habitats—thin water films on rock surfaces—in eastern North America. The species was described by Loew in 1866 and is one of several Caloparyphus species adapted to this specialized aquatic microhabitat.
Calopteryx
Jewelwings
Calopteryx is a genus of large damselflies in the family Calopterygidae, commonly known as jewelwings. Males typically display brightly colored wings while females usually have clear wings, though some females develop male-like (androchrome) wing characteristics. The genus lacks a pterostigma, a wing cell found in most other odonates. Species occupy distinct zones within running water systems, with differential thermal adaptations driving habitat segregation.
Calopteryx amata
Superb Jewelwing
Calopteryx amata, commonly known as the superb jewelwing, is a damselfly species in the family Calopterygidae. Native to North America, it occurs in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, with records extending south to Tennessee. As a member of the jewelwing group, it is characterized by the metallic wing coloration typical of the genus Calopteryx.
Cardiocladius
Cardiocladius is a genus of non-biting midges in the family Chironomidae, subfamily Orthocladiinae. These aquatic insects are part of the diverse group of chironomid flies commonly known as bloodworms, though adults do not feed on blood. The genus was established by Jean-Jacques Kieffer in 1912. Larval stages are aquatic and contribute to freshwater food webs.
Cardiocladius fulvus
Cardiocladius fulvus is a species of non-biting midge in the family Chironomidae, subfamily Orthocladiinae. The genus Cardiocladius comprises small, delicate midges whose larvae are typically associated with aquatic habitats. This species was described by Johannsen in 1908. Like other chironomids, adults are short-lived and do not feed; larvae are the primary feeding and growth stage.
Caudatella
Caudatella is a genus of mayflies in the family Ephemerellidae, established by Edmunds in 1959. Species within this genus are primarily distributed in western North America, with documented occurrences in Montana and other regions. The genus has been subject to taxonomic revision, particularly regarding species complexes such as C. heterocaudata and C. hystrix. Larval stages are aquatic and associated with stream habitats.