Fresh Water
Macroinvertebrates
A Book About the
Upper Esopus Creek
by Mrs. Babcock's
7th Grade Class
Spring 2013
Made possible by a grant
from Dutchess County Arts Council
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Dobsonfly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Crayfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Scud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Fresh Water Mussel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Water Penny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Leech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Damselfly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Sow Bug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Snail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Black Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Riffle Beetle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Caddisfly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Introduction
Our book shows freshwater macroinvertebrates
of the Upper Esopus Creek in Boiceville, NY.
It is researched, written, and illustrated by the
students of Alyssa Babcock's 7th-grade biology
classes at Onteora Middle School. Local children's
book illustrator Durga Yael Bernhard worked with
the students to create a class field guide to the
animals studied through direct observation, internet
research, and library research.
This residency was made possible by a grant from
Dutchess County Arts Council. Special thanks to
Eve Madalengoitia.
Dobsonfly
by Miles Eberhard
Scientific name: Chauliodirae
Appearance
The Fishfly can grow to 1.18in to 1.97in. It has many legs as a nymph. The
colors it can be when it is an adult is either black, gray, or brown. When it
becomes an adult it grows wings so it can fly from predators.
Adaptations
The teeth of the fishfly help it protect itself from its predators. It is also able to
fly away with its wings. But that is only when itís an adult because when its
young its wings have not developed yet.
Life Cycle
It goes through four stages of metamorphosis which is a complete cycle, not
an incomplete cycle. It starts out as an egg, then it transforms into a nymph
and then the cycle goes above water and the fishfly gains wings.
Role in the ecosystem
It lives in the stream depending on the species that are there and then it also
lives in still water where it is calm. It is an herbivore --it eats plants and small
animals such as minnows and tadpoles.
Interesting facts
The FishFly lives in mainly cold places such as Antarctica. Another fact is that
the adults have identical pairs of wings. And the last fact is that the adults have
no gills.
Crayfish
Scientific name: parastacidae
Appearance
The crayfish is a light brown crab-like creature. It has a long skinny
body. It has long legs with little claws on the end. The crayfish has
two large claws in the front to protect from predators. They have a
shrimp like tail at the end of their tail to help them swim better.
Adaptations
The crayfish grow through a process known as molting. The old shell
peels off to reveal a new one.
Life cycle
Crayfish live in a wide range of habitats including low lying swamps,
rivers and dams. Some burrow into the banks. Crayfish also hide
under rocks and branches to hide from predators.
Role in the ecosystem
The crayfish is an invertebrate because it has no backbone. When
a predator is after the crayfish, it dives under water so it can get
away from predators.
Interesting facts
Females use their tail flap to protect their eggs.
Crayfish are popular for fishermen
Crayfish dig very deep burrows
Crayfish can survive a drought
by Mark Kellerhouse
Scud
by Carolin Brunner
Scientific name: Amphipoda
Appearance
They can grow up to 2 inches. They are slightly curled and flattened sideways. They
have hard segments each with a pair of legs. They have 20 legs.
Adaptations
The tail (to swim), legs (to crawl), and the gills (to breathe) help them survive. The
behaviors that help them survive is swimming, crawling, and breathing.
Life Cycle
The babies hatch in one to three weeks. They hatch about 750 eggs. The Life cycle
starts with the egg, grows into a young scud, and then into an adult after they shed
their skin.
Role in Stream Ecosystem
They live in shallow areas, mostly under rocks or on plants. They are omnivores.
They eat dead plant and animal matter. Many species of fish eat them, making
them important in the food chain.
Interesting Facts
There are approximately 6,000 species of amphipods worldwide.
Roughly 1,200 of them live in freshwater.
When mating, the male wraps part of his body around the female.
Fresh Water Mussel
Appearance
Grey or sometimes black, covered in lines and oval shaped.
Adaptations
Mussels have a hard shell and an artificial leg to move across mud or sand.
Life cycle
Its shell grows every 2 weeks until it dies. The rings around its shell tell how old
it is in years. It is both male and female at the same time. When they are born
they are very tiny and over the years they get bigger and bigger.
Role in the ecosystem
They eat algae so
they are part
of the food chain.
Interesting facts
They have an artificial
leg that helps them move.
It only opens its shell
to clean out sand
and mud.
It never leaves
its shell
for anything.
by Andrew McFarland
Water Penny
by Alizay Shah
Scientific name: Eubria Palistris
Appearance
The Water Penny is at least
the size of your finger tip,
so itís very tiny. The Water
Penny is an oval shape.
It has small legs and has a
round back. They resemble
pennies, thatís why they
are called Water Pennies.
Adaptations
The Water Pennyís legs help them
scrape food off of rocks. They would
die without their legs, They wouldnít have any
other way to get food. The Water Penny holds
on to rocks when there is a heavy current.
Life Cycle
Water pennies undergo complete metamorphosis with the larvae only vaguely
similar to the adults. Larvae live in fast-running streams, also called riffles, until
they are ready to pupate. The adult beetle has leathery forewings covering the
body, and can be found under streamside rock and logs. The adults do not feed.
Role in the Stream Ecosystem
The Water Penny lives on the underside of rocks or submerged wood in fast
flowing water. The Water Penny eats algae. The Water Penny gets eaten by fire
flies, lady bugs, and weevils.
Interesting Facts
The Water Penny is part of the largest groups of species in the animal kingdom.
Beetles cannot see very well.
Most beetles only live for a year.
Leech
by William Sanicola
Scientific name:
hirudine
Appearance
7mm to 80mm. Leeches
look like cylindrical
worms with a sucker
on each end.
Adaptations
The suckers
help them eat
blood.
Life Cycle
It does not go through
metamorphosis. There are three
tages of the creature's life cycle.
Habitat
It lives in mud and slow moving water. It eats blood. Leeches get eaten
by fish and birds.
Facts about leeches
Leeches can help some people with bad blood, they eat the bad blood
so you don't die.
The second fact is that leeches look a lot like small worms.
The third fact is there are more than 650 species of leeches identified.
Damselfly
Scientific name: Zygoptera
Appearance
It is about 16 to 33mm long.
It has a slender body, three long taillike gills, and the legs close behind
their head.
Adaptations
They capture prey by using a
modified lower lip (called a labium)
that shoots out rapidly and seizes
the prey.
Life cycle
The life cycle of the damselfly is an
incomplete life cycle.
The stages of the damselfly are: the
egg, then the nymph stage, and then
the adult stage.
Role in the stream ecosystem
The damselfly lives at the bottom of
fresh water in stream, ponds, lakes,
wetlands, and rivers.
The damselfly as adults eats insects,
small crustaceans and fish.
by Audrey Rogers
Interesting facts
Many species are 7-8 cm long; however some extinct forms are nearly a meter
long.
They do not go through a pupa stage to become an adult.
More than eight tenths of their brain is devoted to analyzing visual information.
Sow Bug
by Marcel D'Aprile
Scientific name: Isopoda
Appearance
The sow Beetle has:
Three body parts: head, thorax,
abdomen
One prominent pair of antennae
(one inconspicuous pair)
Simple eyes
Seven pairs of legs
Seven separate segments on thorax
The color of the Sow Bug is a
lackish-brown color.
Adaptations
The adaptation of a sow bug is when threatened/disturbed, the sow bug
will curl up into a defensive ball. The sow bug can move very fast, making
the sow bug tricky to catch.
Life Cycle
The sow bug goes through incomplete metamorphosis.
The sow bug lives in the stream as an egg, nymph, and adult.
Role in the Stream Ecosystem
The sow bug lives under rocks, logs, leaf litter, and crevices.
The sow bug is an omnivore. It usually indulges in decaying
plants and animals, and sometimes living plants. The predators
of the sow bug are lizards, snakes, spiders, small mammals, and birds.
Interesting Facts
Can barely swim, forced to crawl.
They are the worst swimmers of all freshwater crustaceans.
Sow Bugs make up the second most diverse group of crustaceans.
Snail
Scientific name: Gastropoda
Appearance
They can grow up to 3-25mm long. Snails have a spiral shell encasing their
soft bodies.
Adaptations
The spiral shell around the body of the snail helps it survive.
When the snail gets disturbed it will go inside of its shell.
Life cycle
The snail lays fertilized eggs. It lives in the water for its entire life.
Role in the stream Ecosystem
They can be found in water that has a calcium concentrate of 20mg or more.
The snail eats algae, dead and decaying plants in the water. It is an herbivore.
Interesting Facts
Their tongue is a belt with layers of teeth along it. They are hermaphrodites with
male and female reproductive organs.
They are really slow
moving creatures.
Creatures that eat the
snail are lizards,
snakes, raccoons,
fish and birds.
by Alanna Hughes
Black Fly
by Jaiah Rashid
Scientific name: Culicomorpha-Infraorder
Appearance
The Black Fly is pretty small. In the Pupa and Larva stage they have a small
head. Their body is in 3 sections. As an Adult it is also in 3 sections. It has
2 wings and 2 big eyes. Since their eyes are so big, they can see in many
directions.
Adaptations
As an adult the Black Fly its wings let it fly out of dangerous situations. Also
its eyes are made so it can see in many directions and get out of bad places.
The Black Fly gets some of its food from nectar.
Life Cycle
The Black Fly goes through a complete metamorphosis. It goes egg, larva,
pupa, and then the adult. The part of the cycle were the fly is in the stream
is the larva.
Role in the Ecosystem
The larva lives next to rocks, vegetation, and logs. It is a herbivore and it
eats blood, small organ tissue, and nectar. Some things that eat it are fish
and frogs.
Riffle Beetle
by Jade Ledsome
Scientific name: Stenelmis Gammoni
Appearance
The riffle beetle is dark and hard shelled and tube-shaped larvae with a leather
texture. They have 3 legged joints with a single case. The end of the end of
abdomen has a trapdoor-like operculum, which can close over the anal gills.
Their length is 1mm to 10mm.
Adaptation
The riffle beetle is commonly found in freshwater streams. They are found all
over except Antarctica. Riffle beetles move slowly, so when in the water, the
beetle doesnít move away with the current. Both larvae and adults are fully
aquatic, extracting oxygen from the water around them.
Life Cycle
All beetles undergo complete metamorphosis with life cycles containing of an
egg a larva with multiple instars. All life stages except that of the egg take
place throughout the year. Itís a riffle beetle adult when it is in the stream.
Role in the stream Ecosystem
The riffle beetle feeds on microorganisms and debris scraped from the substrate.
The riffle beetles threat is that exotic species negatively affect the beetle through
competition for food, displacement or destruction of aquatic vegetation, and
general habitat degradation.
Interesting facts
Riffle beetles are tiny aquatic insects. They eat plant material.
Caddisfly
by Atticus Ramos-Johnson
Scientific name: Trichoptera
Appearance
The caddisfly larva is caterpillar-like in size. Their three part body system
is lined with fine hairs. They have three pairs of legs near their heads.
Adaptations
The Caddisfly larva builds its own portable little house out of materials it
finds in the stream. This serves as a protection against predators.
Life Cycle
The caddisfly lives in the water as a larva. It builds its cocoon there and
stays there during its entire pupal stage. When it emerges from its pupa as
an adult, it lays eggs at the edge of the stream, which is probably all it will
get done in its short lifetime.
Role in the Ecosystem
Caddisflies are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and small insects.
They are eaten by birds as adults and eaten by macroinvertebrates as
larvae.
Interesting Facts
They are an indicator of good water quality
Scientists once put gold in a stream and the caddisflies made golden houses