Aquatic Invertebrate Fauna of the BNZ LTER:

Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed, Monument Creek, and West Fork of the Chena River

  1. INSECTA
    1. Collembola
    2. Ephemeroptera
      1. Baetidae
        1. Baetis sp.1,2
        2. Acentrella sp.3
      2. Ephemerellidae
        1. Drunella sp.2,3
        2. Ephemerella sp.2,3
      3. Heptageniidae
        1. Cinygma sp.2
        2. Cinygmula sp.1,2,3
        3. Epeorus sp.1,2,3
        4. Ironodes sp.2
      4. Siphlonuridae
        1. Ameletus sp.1,2,3
        2. Siphlonurus sp.2
    3. Plecoptera
      1. Capniidae1,3
        1. Capnia confusa2
        2. Capnia petila2
        3. Eucapnopsis brevicauda2
        4. Utacapnia columbiana2
      2. Chloroperlidae
        1. Alloperla delicta2
        2. Alloperla serrata2
        3. Neaviperla forcipata2,3
        4. Paraperla frontalis2
        5. Plumiperla sp.1,3
        6. Suwallia pallidula2
        7. Triznaka diversa2
        8. Utaperla sopladora2
      3. Leuctridae
        1. Paraleuctra sp.1,3
        2. Paraleuctra vershina2
      4. Nemouridae
        1. Nemoura sp.1,3
        2. Podmosta sp.1,3
        3. Zapada sp.1,3
        4. Zapada cinctipes1
        5. Zapada glacier2
        6. Zapada haysi2
      5. Perlodidae
        1. Diura sp.1
        2. Isoperla sp.3
        3. Isoperla sordida2
        4. Arcyopteryx sp.3
      6. Pteronarcydae
        1. Pteronarcella sp.1
      7. Taeniopterygidae
        1. Taenionema pacificum2
    4. Hemiptera
      1. Corixidae
        1. Sigaria sp. (?)1
    5. Trichoptera
      1. Brachycentridae
        1. Brachycentrus americanus2
      2. Glossosomatidae
        1. Glossosoma sp.3
        2. Glossosoma alascense2
        3. Glossosoma verdona2
      3. Limnephilidae
        1. Apatania sp.3
        2. Apatania crymophila2
        3. Chyranda centralis1,2,3
        4. Hydatophylax variabilis2
        5. Ecclisomyia sp.1,3
        6. Ecclisomyia conspersa2
        7. Onocosmoecus unicolor2
        8. Psychoglypha sp. (?)1
        9. Allomyia sp.3
      4. Rhyacophildae
        1. Rhyacophila sp.1,3
        2. Rhyacophila vofixa2
    6. Diptera
      1. Ceratopogonidae1
        1. Culicoides sp.3
        2. Ceratopogon sp. (?)3
        3. Forcipomyia sp. (?)3
        4. Palpomyia sp. (?)3
      2. Chironomidae1,2,3
        1. Brillia sp.2
        2. Corynoneura sp.2
        3. Cricotopus tremulus group2
        4. Diamesia spp. (at least four species)2
        5. Pagastia sp.2
        6. Pseudodiamesa sp.2
        7. Rheocricotopus sp.2
        8. Tanytarsus sp.2
        9. Thienemanniella xena2
        10. Tuetenia bavarica group2
      3. Dixidae
        1. Dixa sp.1,3
      4. Dolichopodidae
      5. Empididae
        1. Chelifera sp.1,3
        2. Clinocera sp.3
        3. Oreogeton sp.1,3
      6. Psychodidae
        1. Pericoma/Telmatoscopus1
        2. Pericoma sp.3
      7. Simuliidae
        1. Gymnopais sp.1,3
        2. Metacnephia sp.3
        3. Prosimulium sp.1,2,3
        4. Simulium sp.2,3
      8. Tipulidae
        1. Dicranota sp.1,3
        2. Molophilus sp.3
        3. Ormosia sp. (?)1
        4. Tipula sp.2,3
  2. OLIGOCHAETA1,3
  3. NEMATODA1,3
  4. HYDRACARINA1,3
  5. PLATYHELMINTHES1,3
  6. AMPHIPODA3

1 Little Poker Creek. See Oswood et al. (1984, 1989). These identifications were done by CA Cowan and JG Irons on samples from one sub-basin in CPCRW (C4, or Little Poker Creek). They were done before publication of the major Plecoptera key, Stewart, K. W., and B. P. Stark. 1988. Nymphs of North American stonefly genera (Plecoptera), so some identifications may have changed since then.

2 Monument Creek and West Fork of the Chena River. See Cowan et al. 1983, Howe 1981, Irons 1985, 1988 for details of identifications. See Irons (1993) for details of the Chironomidae identifications by S Peek.

3Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed, six sites (C2 trib, C2, C3, CB, CJ, PC) on a size gradient from first to fourth order. See Smidt (1997) for details.

Keys used for identifications in CPCRW and Monument Creek:

Merritt, R. W., and K. W. Cummins. 1984 and 1996. An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America, 2nd and 3rd ed. Kendall/Hunt Publ. Co., Dubuque.

Wiggins, G. B. 1977 and 1996. Larvae of the North American caddisfly genera (Trichoptera). 1st and 2nd. ed.  Univ. Toronto Press, Toronto.

Edmunds, G. F., Jr., S. L. Jensen, and L. Berner. 1976. The mayflies of North and Central America. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.

Notes:
There are likely many genera and species of Chironomidae; however, they have never been identified to a level below family in CPCRW. In Monument Creek, as part of the dissertation project of JG Irons, S Peek identified several genera of Chironomidae; these have not been verified.
 

Literature Cited

Cowan, C.A. 1983. Phenology of detritus input, storage and processing in an Alaskan subarctic stream. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Cowan, C.A., M.W. Oswood, C.A. Buttimore, and P.W. Flanagan. 1983. Processing and macroinvertebrate colonization of detritus in an Alaskan subarctic stream. Holarct. Ecol. 6: 340-348.

Howe, A.L. 1981. Life histories and community structures of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera in two Alaskan subarctic streams. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Irons, J.G., III. 1985. The life histories and community structure of the caddisflies (Trichoptera) of two Alaskan subarctic streams. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Irons, J.G., III. 1988. Life history patterns and trophic ecology of Trichoptera in two Alaskan (U.S.A.) subarctic streams. Can. J. Zool. 66: 1258-1265.

Irons, J.G., III. 1993. Latitudinal gradients in leaf litter decomposition in streams: effects of chemistry and temperature. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK.

Oswood, M.W., J.G. Irons III, J.W. Hilgert, and C.W. Slaughter. 1989. Effects of riparian vegetation removal on an Alaskan subarctic stream. Pages 3-13 in W.S. Ashton, ed. Groundwater: Alaska's hidden resource. Proceedings, Am. Water Resources Assoc. March 1989, Chena Hot Springs Resort, AK. Water Res. Ctr. Rep. IWR-112, Inst. N. Engr., University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK.

Oswood, M.W., C.W. Slaughter, and J.W. Hilgert. 1984. Effects of vegetation removal in an Alaskan subarctic watershed: preimpact benthic invertebrate studies. Pages 183-193 in S. R. Bredthauer, ed. Alaska's water: a critical resource. Proc. Amer. Water Res. Assoc. Report IWR-106, Inst. Water Res., University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Smidt, S.M. 1997. Spatial variation in the community structure of stream macroinvertebrates within a subarctic Alaskan watershed. M.Sc. thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK.

This document was compiled by John G. Irons III
Last revised: 19 August 1998.