Pteronarcyidae
Encyclopedia
Pteronarcyidae, also known as giant stoneflies
or salmonflies, is a family
of the order Plecoptera
.
of Pteronarcyidae; Pteronarcys is found in all of North America
, while Pteronarcella is found only in the west. The two genera comprise 10 distinct species
, two of which are Pteronarcella. Life cycles range from one year to four years. The name "salmonflies" comes from their role in the diet of salmon and they play an important role in fly fishing. Adults emerge from April to June. The giant stoneflies are very sensitive to stress.
See Pteronarcys california.
-erosional habitat. Larva
e of giant stoneflies live in cool streams of small to medium size. They live in leaf and woody debris packs. They prefer swift riffle
s between cobbles and boulders. Although the Pteronarcyidae are primarily shredders-detritivores, there are some facultative scrapers. They chew and mine through leaf litter. They are intolerant to loss of coarse particulate organic matter that is their diet and habitat.
Plecoptera
Plecoptera are an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. There are some 3,500 described species worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica...
or salmonflies, is a family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of the order Plecoptera
Plecoptera
Plecoptera are an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. There are some 3,500 described species worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica...
.
Natural history
There are two generaGenus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of Pteronarcyidae; Pteronarcys is found in all of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, while Pteronarcella is found only in the west. The two genera comprise 10 distinct species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, two of which are Pteronarcella. Life cycles range from one year to four years. The name "salmonflies" comes from their role in the diet of salmon and they play an important role in fly fishing. Adults emerge from April to June. The giant stoneflies are very sensitive to stress.
See Pteronarcys california.
Habit and habitat
They live in a loticLotic System Ecology
A lotic ecosystem is the ecosystem of a river, stream or spring. Included in the environment are the biotic interactions as well as the abiotic interactions ....
-erosional habitat. Larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of giant stoneflies live in cool streams of small to medium size. They live in leaf and woody debris packs. They prefer swift riffle
Riffle
A Riffle is a short, relatively shallow and coarse-bedded length of stream over which the stream flows at higher velocity and higher turbulence than it normally does in comparison to a pool....
s between cobbles and boulders. Although the Pteronarcyidae are primarily shredders-detritivores, there are some facultative scrapers. They chew and mine through leaf litter. They are intolerant to loss of coarse particulate organic matter that is their diet and habitat.