BIO338 - Lab 2

Dragonflies, mayflies, stoneflies

Taxoboxes 4, 5, 6
Odonata
- damselfies and dragonflies
- tropical order, 6000 species
- half in suborder ZYGOPTERA
(damselfies) and remaining to
suborder EPIPROCTA (dragonflies)
- EPIPROCTA Epiophlebiidae, sister
to Anisoptera
- adults are medium to large (2-15
cm) maximum wingspan of 17cm in
South American giant damselfly
- mobile head, large, multifaceted
compound eyes, three ocelli, short
bristle-like antennae, mandibulate
mouthparts
- thorax enlarged to accommodate
flight muscles of two pairs of
elongate membranous wings
- slender 10 segmented abdomen
terminates in clasping organs
- males have secondary genitalia on
venter of second to third abdominal
segments
- female have ovipositor at ventral
apex of abdomen
- in adult zygopterans the eyes are
widely separated and the fore and
hind wings are equal in shape with
narrow bases
- Anisopteran have eyes that are

Plecoptera

Ephemeroptera

stoneflies
- 16 families, 2000 species, in
temperate and cool areas
- hemimetabolous
- adults like winged nymphs
- adult is mandibulate with filiform
antennae two or three ocelli
- thoracic segments are subequal
- fore and hind winds are
membranous and similar (hind wings
are broader)
- folded wings wrap the abdomen
and exten beyond the abdominal
apex
- aptery and brachyperty are
frequent
- tarsi comprise three segments
- abdomen is soft and 10 segmented
- vestiges of segments 11 and 12
serving as paraprocts, cerci, and
epiproct -> SERVE AS MALE
ACESSORY COPULATORY
STRUCTURES
- nymphs have 10-24 (rarely 33)
aquatic instars, with fully developed
mandible mouthparts
- wing pads are visible in half-grown
nymphs
- tracheal system is closed, with

- Mayflies
- 3000 species in 42 families
- in poor studied Neotropical region
- adults -> reduced mouthparts,
large compound eyes (especially in
males) and three ocelli
- antennae are filiform -> sometimes
multisegmented
- the thorax (especially mesothorax)
enlarged for flight, large triangular
fore wings and smaller hind wings
(sometimes absent)
- MALES have elongated fore legs
used to seize the female during
mating flight
- abdomen is 10-segmented (three
long, multi-segmented, caudal
filaments consisting of pair of
lateral cerci and usually a median
terminal filament)
- hemimetabolous
- nymphs have 12-45 aquatic
instars, with fully developed
mandibulate mouthparts
- GAS exchange aided by closed
tracheal system lacking spiracles
with abdominal lamellar gills on
some segments (sometimes on
maxillae and labium)

either contiguous or slightly

separated
-> wings are closed cells called
triange and hypertriangle
- hind wings are wider at the base
than the fore wings
- odonate nymphs have up to 20
aquatic instars, with fully developed
mandibulate mouthparts, including
extensive grasping LABIUM or
mask
- tracheal system is closed and lacks
spiracles specialized gas-exchange
surfaces present on abdomen as
external gills (ZYGOPTERA)
OR internal folds in rectum
(anisoptera)
- zygopteran nymphs head wider
than thorax, apex of abdomen with
three elongate treacheal gills
(caudal lamellae)
- anisopteran head isnt broader
than thorax, abdominal apex is an
anal pyramid consisting of three
short projections and pair of ceric in
older nymphs
- anisopterans nymphs rapidly eject
water from their anus jet
propulsion as escape mechanism
- prior to mating male fills secondary
genitalia with sperm from primary
genital opening on ninth abdominal
segment
- at mating male grasps female by
her neck or prothorax and the pair
fly to a perch

simple or plumose gills on basal

abdominal segments or near the
anus (sometimes extrusible) or on
mouthparts, neck, thorax or lacking
- cerci are mutlisegmented, and no
median terminal filament
- usually mate during daylight
- some species drum substrate with
their abdomen prior to mating
- eggs dropped into water, laid in a
jelly on water, or laid underneath
stones in water or into damp
crevices
- eggs may diapause
- nymphs may be omnivores,
detrivores, herbivores, predators
- adults feed on algae, lichen, higher
plants or rotten wood
- mature nymphs crawl to waters
edge where adult emerges
- nymphs occur on stony substrates
in cool wter
- INTOLERANT OF ORGANIC AND
THERMAL POLLUTION

- nymphs have three filiform caudal

filaments consisting of paried cerci
and a reduced median terminal
filament
- penultimate instar (SUBIMAGO
subadult) is fuly winged, and flies or
crawls
- subimago and adult are nonfeeding and short-lived
- imagos typically for mating swarms
(thousands of males over water or
nearby landmarks)
- copulation in flight, eggs laid in
water by female either dipping her
abdominal apex below surface or
crawling under water
- nymphs graze on periphyton
(ALGAE, DIATOMS, AQUATIC FUNGI)
or collect fine detritus
- some predatory on other aquatic
organisms
Development takes from 16 days to
over 1 year in cold and high-cool
fast flowing streams
- some tolerate evelated
temperatures, organic enrichment or
increased sediment loads

- female then bends abdomen

forward to connect to males
secondary genitalia forming wheel
position
- eggs laid on water surface, into
water, mud, sand or into plant tissue
- nymphs are predatory on other
aquatic organisms
- adults catch terrestrial aerial prey
- at metamorphosis the pharate
adult moves to water/land surface
where it starts atmospheric gas
exchange -> then craws from water,
anchors terrestrially and imago
emerges from cuticle of final-instar
nymph
- imago is long-lived, active, aerial
- nymphs occur in all waterbodies,
particularly in well-oxygenated,
standing waters, but elevated
temps, organic enrichment, or
increased sediment loads are
tolerated by many species