the.com/stonefly
a bug so allergic to pollution its mere presence certifies your water as drinkable.
means A stonefly is an aquatic insect of the order Plecoptera whose larvae live in clean, well-oxygenated streams, making them a classic biological indicator of good water quality.
from A plain English compound, 'stone' + 'fly,' naming the insect for where you find it: clinging to the stones of fast, cold streams, where its nymphs cling and crawl before emerging as winged adults. The scientific name Plecoptera is built from Greek 'plekein,' to braid or fold, plus 'pteron,' wing — a nod to the way the membranous hind wings fold pleated beneath the forewings at rest.
- pollution snitch
- Scientists use their presence to grade water quality.
- push-up display
- Males do push-ups to drum mating signals.
- ancient lineage
- Among the oldest winged insects, predating dinosaurs.
- barely fly
- Many species are weak, reluctant fliers.
- nymph years
- Larvae lurk underwater for up to three years.
plecoptera order — aquatic insect group with over 3,500 species found in clean, cold-water streams worldwide
golden stone fly — largest north american stonefly species (acroneuria californica), common in western rivers
isoperla bilineata — small dark stonefly species used as a water quality indicator in eastern u.s. streams