Spring-dwelling
Guides
Heterelmis
riffle beetles
Heterelmis is a genus of aquatic beetles in the family Elmidae, commonly known as riffle beetles. The genus includes several described species, with Heterelmis comalensis being particularly notable as an endangered species endemic to spring systems in Texas. Members of this genus are fully aquatic, inhabiting oxygen-rich flowing water environments where they feed on microbial biofilms. Some species have reduced or non-functional wings, limiting their dispersal ability and making them vulnerable to habitat degradation.
Paraphaenocladius exagitans
Paraphaenocladius exagitans is a non-biting midge in the family Chironomidae. The subspecies P. e. longipes has been recorded from Costa Rica, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, possibly Bolivia, and more recently from southeastern Brazil. Larvae inhabit small springs with slow water flow and construct delicate tubes using fine-sand grains while mining moss leaves. Development from collection to pupation has been observed to take approximately 20 days.