100 More Species #75: Winter Stonefly

[urbpan]

Winter stonefly, Family Taeniopterygidae

Hey look, the second outdoor arthropod of the year! I don't know why I didn't include this creature in the 100 more species project the last time I encountered it. Back then I momentarily mistook it for a caddisfly, explaining that while the adult insects look similar, the "larvae" of each kind is very different. Very different indeed! While caddisflies are close to moths, and undergo complete metamorphosis, the stonefly life cycle is more like that of the dragonfly: they undergo gradual metamorphosis. So their young aren't called "larvae" at all, they are nymphs.

That technical correction aside, it is good to see the winter stonefly again. As you might guess by the name, it isn't unusual to see the adult flying in wintertime (five more days, sun worshippers). It would be unusual to see this insect if I still lived deeper in the city--the nymph is aquatic and requires well-oxygenated water to survive. My beloved Muddy River does not qualify.


I offer this ventral view simply because the stonefly was on a glass door, and hey, maybe you wanted to see the underside of a winter stonefly.