Stoneflies
Guides
Acroneuria
common stoneflies
Acroneuria is a genus of large-bodied stoneflies in the family Perlidae, containing more than 30 described species distributed across North America and Asia. Nymphs are predatory and inhabit streams and rivers, where they serve as important bioindicators of water quality. Adults are known for distinctive emergence behaviors, including arboreal emergence in some species. Several species in the genus are experiencing range contractions and population declines due to habitat degradation and climate change.
Diploperlini
springflies
Diploperlini is a tribe of springflies (Plecoptera) in the family Perlodidae, established by Stark & Szczytko in 1984. The tribe comprises approximately 13 genera and more than 30 described species. Members of this tribe are aquatic insects in the nymphal stage and terrestrial as adults.
Helopicus
springflies
Helopicus is a genus of springflies (order Plecoptera) in the family Perlodidae, established by Ricker in 1952. The genus contains at least four described species distributed across eastern North America and parts of Asia. Species in this genus are part of the stonefly group Systellognatha, characterized by their predatory or omnivorous feeding habits as nymphs.
Leuctridae
rolled-winged stoneflies, needleflies
Leuctridae is a family of stoneflies (Plecoptera) containing at least 390 species. Adults are small, typically 5–13 mm in length, with slender cylindrical wings that wrap around the body at rest, giving the family its common name. The family has a primarily Holarctic distribution with significant diversity in China, Europe, and North America. Larvae develop in freshwater habitats, with some species exhibiting unusual life cycles involving brackish water or coastal areas.
Nemouridae
spring stoneflies, brown stoneflies, forestflies, tiny winter blacks
Nemouridae is a family of stoneflies (Plecoptera) comprising over 700 described species, primarily distributed in the Holarctic region. Members are commonly known as spring stoneflies, brown stoneflies, or forestflies, and are important indicators of water quality in aquatic ecosystems. The family is characterized by small size, with adults typically measuring 5–8 millimeters in body length. Nemouridae occupy diverse flowing-water habitats, though they are most prevalent in smaller streams.
Nemouroidea
Rolled-winged Stoneflies, Forest Stoneflies, Winter Stoneflies
Nemouroidea is a superfamily of stoneflies (Plecoptera) within the suborder Arctoperlaria, comprising five families: Capniidae (winter stoneflies), Taeniopterygidae, Nemouridae, Notonemouridae, and Leuctridae. These stoneflies are predominantly found in freshwater habitats across the Northern Hemisphere. The group includes notable cold-adapted species such as snow flies that emerge during winter months.
Paraperlinae
Paraperlinae is a subfamily of stoneflies within Chloroperlidae, established by Ricker in 1943. Members of this subfamily are part of the green stonefly group, characterized by their placement in the family Chloroperlidae alongside other subfamilies. The subfamily is classified within the suborder Systellognatha, indicating relationships to predatory stonefly lineages.
Peltoperlidae
roach-like stoneflies, roachflies
Peltoperlidae is a family of stoneflies comprising 11 genera and approximately 46 known species. Larvae are dorsoventrally flattened with expanded thoracic plates, giving them a distinctive roach-like appearance. The family exhibits semivoltine life cycles lasting one to two years, with adult emergence typically occurring from April through June. Members are classified as shredder-detritivores, playing a significant role in leaf litter decomposition in lotic systems.
Perlodidae
perlodid stoneflies, stripetails, springflies, Stripetail and Springfly Stoneflies
Perlodidae is a family of stoneflies comprising at least 50 genera and over 350 species, with fossil records extending to the Triassic. Adults are commonly known as stripetails or springflies and typically emerge from April to June. The family is characterized by larvae with flattened bodies, patterned heads and thoraces, long tails, and divergent hind wing pads that lack the branching thoracic gills found in similar stonefly families.
Perlodinae
Springflies
Perlodinae is a subfamily of stoneflies in the family Perlodidae, first described by Klapálek in 1909. The subfamily comprises at least 20 genera and approximately 60 described species. Perlodinae is distributed across Asia and other regions, with notable diversity in China. The tribal classification within Perlodinae remains under discussion, with three recognized tribes but ongoing questions about their validity.
Shipsa rotunda
Intrepid Forestfly
Shipsa rotunda is a Nearctic stonefly species in the family Nemouridae with an extensive distribution across Canada and the United States. Despite its wide geographic range, the species exhibits remarkably little morphological variation in both males and females. Reproductive terminalia have been examined using scanning electron microscopy from specimens across its range, revealing consistent structural features. The species was originally described as Nemoura rotunda by Claassen in 1923 and later transferred to the genus Shipsa.
Skwala
springflies
Skwala is a genus of springflies (Plecoptera: Perlodidae) established by Ricker in 1943, containing approximately five described species distributed across North America and Asia. Species in this genus are amphibiotic, with aquatic nymphal stages in freshwater streams and terrestrial adults. At least one species, Skwala pusilla, has been documented as predatory. The genus has been subject to cytogenetic study, with Skwala compacta representing the first photographic documentation of stonefly chromosomes.
Sweltsa
green stoneflies
Sweltsa is a genus of green stoneflies in the family Chloroperlidae, established by Ricker in 1943. The genus comprises more than 50 described species worldwide, with documented diversity in North America and Asia. Species are small to medium-sized stoneflies recognized by their characteristic green or yellow-green wing coloration. Adults are typically collected in mid-summer months in mountainous stream habitats.
Tallaperla
roach-like stoneflies, roachflies
Tallaperla is a genus of stoneflies in the family Peltoperlidae, commonly known as roach-like stoneflies or roachflies. The genus contains seven described species distributed in eastern North America. Members of this genus are aquatic insects whose nymphs inhabit forested headwater streams and function as shredders in stream food webs. Adults emerge in late spring to early summer.