Posted by The European Stoneflies Insect, Perla bipunctata, is an impressive insect with distinctive yellow markings. It takes three years to mature and up to 30 molts to reach full size. It can be found on rivers and streams, but rarely on ponds. Body length up to 1.6 inches (4 cm).
Stoneflies Insect Facts:
- Common name: Stoneflies
- Order: Plecoptera
- Class: Insecta
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Number of species: About 2,000 (465 US)
- Size: From about 0.2 in (5 mm) to 2.5 in (6 cm)
Key features: Adults fairly slim bodied, with a cylindrical appearance; head has 2 long, thin antennae and large, bulging compound eyes, chewing mouthparts present but never used; wings membranous, hind wings larger than forewings, wrapped around body and often much longer than the abdomen; some species lack wings, or they may be reduced in size in males, 1 pair of slim cerci, often quite long, on the end of the abdomen; nymphs look like wingless adults but with jaws for feeding; nymphs have gills on the abdomen
Habits: Adults always found near water and are often nocturnal; nymphs usually found in well-oxygenated water
Breeding: Males and females drum to one another during courtship, eggs into water
Diet: some adults do not feed, others eat algae and lichens, nymphs feed either on vegetable matter or more often on other small water creatures
Habitat: Fast-flowing rivers and streams and wave-lapped lakesides; just a few species in stiller waters
Distribution: Most species found in the cooler, temperate areas of the world
Stoneflies Insect Photos:
