- 126 species in North America
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Ephemeroptera |
| Family: | Heptageniidae |
Identification Tips:
Larvae
• 3 tails and 3 pair of segmented legs
• Head flat with eyes on top
• Mouth parts not visible from above; covered with overhanging plate
• Body and legs flattened
• Pairs of plate like gills on most abdominal segments
• 5-20 mm
Life History:
• Found in all types of flowing water habitats
• Larvae cling tightly to solid objects
• Walk crab like in all directions
• Poor swimmers
• Feed by collecting or scraping periphyton
• One to two generations per year
| POLLUTION TOLERANCE | ||||
| Very Sensitive | Somewhat Sensitive | Facultative | Somewhat Tolerant | Very Tolerant |
| Most | Most | Some | ||
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Primary Information Source:
Voshell, J. Reese. 2002. A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company. Blacksburg, Virginia.
