There are about 900 species of ticks; most of them are hard ticks and about 90 of them are in North America. All ticks are parasitic, living on blood. Although not host specific, ticks tend to have a different host for a different life cycle.

Ticks are the bane of mammals. There isn’t a life cycle in this family that cannot suck blood. After each feeding they drop to the ground and molt into the next stage. The larvae of this family only have 6 legs; they gain the other 2 legs once they move to the nymph stage. In the colder area of the US, it can take up to 3 years for a tick to fully mature.

An adult female can lay an average of 2000-8000 eggs but are also known to lay up to 20,000 at one time. The tick’s life cycle requires 3 different hosts. After each feeding they drop to the ground and molt into the next stage.

Tick behavior is pretty interesting. They seek out their next meal by “questing” with the Haller’s organ. This is a sensory organ in their first pair of legs that detects heat, humidity, and chemicals. Questing is when they reach the plant’s uppermost area and wait with their forelegs extended.  When their meal brushes past them they grab hold. I visualize them seeking a big ol’ hug!

Once hard ticks attach to their meal, they produce a “cement” that glues the hypostome in place. The hypostome is harpoon-like and is lined with teeth to anchor the tick.

Ixodidae
Dermacentor variabilis 

Parasitidae 
Poecilochirus 

Podothrombiidae
Podothrombium 

Trombidiidae
Trombidium 

Uropodina (suborder) 

There are about 2000 species of known earwigs. Most earwigs are omnivorous but some eat only plants while others prefer decaying material. Earwigs are nocturnal. They spend their days tucked into crevices, under rocks, under logs, and under bark of trees. Adults will overwinter in the soil. Earwig females care for the eggs and their young through the first instar, which is somewhat unusual in the insect world.

Forfidulidae (Common Earwigs)
Forficula auricularia 

Baetidae (Small Minnow Mayflies)
Unknown 

Caenidae (Small Squaregilled Mayflies)
Caenis 

Ephemeridae  (Common Burrower Mayflies)
Hexagenia 
Hexagenia limbata 

Heptageniidae – Flatheaded Mayflies
Heptagenia elegantula 
Nixe inconspicua 
Stenacron interpunctatum 

Polymitarcyidae  (Pale Burrower Mayflies)
Ephoron album 

Unknown 

Centipede

Bittacidae (Hangingflies)
Bittacus  

Panorpidae (Common Scorpionflies)
Panorpa

These spiders are sometimes confused with Cellar spiders, but Harvestmen also do not use silk.

Unknown 

Phalangiidae
Phalangium opilio

Plecoptera epitomizes cold, clear, fresh water and are excellent indicators of water quality. They develop as nymphs in the water and live rather reclusively near to water. An interesting tidbit is the first recorded fly tied by a human mimicked a stonefly! These insects are close relatives of cockroaches but they have tails and the ability to fold their wings over their backs.

Their common name comes from the larval habit of crawling around and on top of stones and rocks. Their taxonomic name is derived from the “pleated wings” they have.

Here’s an interesting blog post, The Dragonfly Woman, written by an aquatic entomologist. In this particular link, she’s discussing how the know if the larvae you find is a stonefly, a mayfly, or a damselfly. If you’re a fly-fisherperson or just like to check out the local aquatic insect life, this is a good read.

Perlidae (Common Stoneflies)

Isoperla 
Perlesta
Perlesta nitida 

Pteronarcyidae (Giant Stoneflies)
Pteronarcys

Trichoptera (caddisflies) are the most diverse and abundant organisms in freshwater habitats. They are important trout food sources and make up the majority of a trout’s diet.

Trichoptera comes from the Greek words for hairy wings and with close inspection, this description is very appropriate. They undergo the same metamorphosis as moths and butterflies do. In fact, moths, butterflies and caddisflies are classified under the superfamily Amphiesmenoptera, meaning “dressed up wing.”  Trichoptera diverted from this evolutionary path when they developed respiratory systems that allowed them to be aquatic.

Trichoptera is a small order with only about 11,500 known species worldwide. There is an estimated 30,000 species yet to be described! North America has 26 known families with 23 of these familiar found in the eastern US.

Their life cycle takes nearly a year to complete, beginning with the initial egg. There are a few requiring two years to mature. Caddisfly larvae have a large range of temperatures, water quality, oxygen levels, food availability, and water currents in which they can survive and thrive. Most eggs will hatch in 2-4 weeks with some needing 9 months. Once hatched, the larvae have 5 stages of growth (called instars), normally completed in 6-10 months. Equally unique are the distinct pupal cases or shelters each larval species creates.

Adult caddisflies live 1-4 weeks, depending on the weather conditions. Once females are ready to lay their eggs, they return to their larval site. There are 4 basic egg-laying behaviors: 1) laying eggs beneath the water, 2) laying eggs on the water’s surface, 3) doing both, and 4) laying eggs at the edges of water.

Identification of Trichoptera is difficult. For the vast majority of caddis you cannot confidently use color.  About 33% of the adults have been matched to their larvae. There are a couple books that cover the caddis genera fairly well as adults and larvae.  But the species level literature requires numerous bookcases/file cabinets. Most females are more difficult to identify to species. In many genera (Nectopsyche, Wormaldia and others) they may be impossible to determine without using DNA.  And many females have yet to be associated with their male.