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Insect Order Plecoptera (Stoneflies)

Mayflies

Caddisflies

Stoneflies

Taxonomic Navigation -?-

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

» Class Insecta (Insects)

» Order Plecoptera (Stoneflies)

Family in Plecoptera
CapniidaeSnowflies	10	25
ChloroperlidaeSallflies	18	56
LeuctridaeNeedleflies	4	8
NemouridaeForestflies	5	15
PeltoperlidaeRoachflies	5	25
PerlidaeGolden Stones	32	152
PerlodidaeSpringflies & Yellow Stones	20	78
PteronarcyidaeSalmonflies	7	49
TaeniopterygidaeWillowflies	15	52

1 family isn't included.

Common Name

Match	Common Name
	Stoneflies

Pictures Below ↓

This is page 3 of specimens of Plecoptera. Visit the main Plecoptera page for:

The behavior and habitat of Plecoptera.
6 underwater pictures of Plecoptera.

Pictures of 117 Stonefly Specimens:

Specimen Page:1 234...13

Female Perlesta (Golden Stones) Stonefly Adult

View 9 PicturesThis stonefly species was the most common insect over the small stream I fished one August afternoon; I saw dozens in their egg-laying flights.

Collected August 24, 2006 from Enfield Creek in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on August 27, 2006

Alloperla (Sallflies) Stonefly Adult

View 6 PicturesThis specimen was completely green when I collected it from among many others gathered on a midstream rock along with their nymphal shucks (

View Full Size

Here's an underwater view of the pupal shucks of several already-emerged Brachycentrus numerosus caddisflies.

Shuck: The shed exoskeleton left over when an insect molts into its next stage or instar. Most often it describes the last nymphal or pupal skin exited during emergence into a winged adult.) early in the morning. There was also a yellow one with them, which I assumed was a different species. Now that I've seen how this one started changing from green to yellow, I have to wonder if they weren't the same species and the yellow one was just older.

Collected May 29, 2007 from Brodhead Creek in Pennsylvania
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007

Agnetina capitata (Golden Stone) Stonefly Adult

View 8 PicturesThis stonefly emerged in my aquarium, and unfortunately I severely damaged its wings just trying to catch it. It's still an interesting specimen, especially since I was able to also photograph the nymphal shuck (

View Full Size

Here's an underwater view of the pupal shucks of several already-emerged Brachycentrus numerosus caddisflies.

Shuck: The shed exoskeleton left over when an insect molts into its next stage or instar. Most often it describes the last nymphal or pupal skin exited during emergence into a winged adult.) it emerged from. I was surprised by just how light it was shortly after emerging. I photographed it a couple days later when it had darkened considerably; it was a pale, almost pastel yellow at first.

Collected May 1, 2007 from Aquarium in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on May 3, 2007

Paragnetina media (Embossed Stonefly) Stonefly Larva

View 10 Pictures

Collected March 30, 2007 from Fall Creek in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on April 2, 2007

Sweltsa (Sallflies) Stonefly Nymph

View 6 Pictures

Collected May 13, 2007 from the Delaware River in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on May 18, 2007

Agnetina capitata (Golden Stone) Stonefly Nymph

View 8 Pictures

Collected March 30, 2007 from Fall Creek in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on April 2, 2007

Peltoperlidae (Roachflies) Stonefly Adult

View 5 PicturesThe adult stoneflies of this family look surprisingly normal given the strange shape of the nymphs.

Collected May 28, 2007 from Mystery Creek #42 in Pennsylvania
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007

Tallaperla (Roachflies) Stonefly Nymph

View 6 PicturesThis is the first specimen of the Peltoperlidae stonefly family that I've collected. It's very small and probably an early instar (Instar: Many invertebrates molt through dozens of progressively larger and better-developed stages as they grow. Each of these stages is known as an instar. Hard-bodied nymphs typically molt through more instars than soft-bodied larvae.), but I'm not choosy about new bugs.

Collected April 19, 2006 from Mongaup Creek in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on April 21, 2006

Taeniopterygidae (Willowflies) Stonefly Adult

View 7 Pictures

Collected March 29, 2005 from Salmon Creek in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on April 7, 2006

Tallaperla (Roachflies) Stonefly Nymph

View 7 Pictures

Collected April 1, 2007 from Mystery Creek #62 in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on April 3, 2007

Specimen Page:1 234...13

Jargon Defined:

Instar: Many invertebrates molt through dozens of progressively larger and better-developed stages as they grow. Each of these stages is known as an instar. Hard-bodied nymphs typically molt through more instars than soft-bodied larvae.

Nymphs: The juvenile, underwater stages of mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, and damselflies and other aquatic insects whose juvenile stages are covered by hard exoskeletons. The word can also refer to the fishing flies which imitate these creatures, in which case it is used as a blanket term for flies imitating any underwater stage of an invertebrate (except for crayfish and leeches).

View Full Size

Here's an underwater view of the pupal shucks of several already-emerged Brachycentrus numerosus caddisflies.

Shucks: The shed exoskeleton left over when an insect molts into its next stage or instar. Most often it describes the last nymphal or pupal skin exited during emergence into a winged adult.

Useful References:

Schwiebert, Ernest G. 1955. Matching the Hatch. MacMillan Publishing Company.

Swisher, Doug and Carl Richards. 2000. Selective Trout. The Lyons Press.