Perlodidae (Stark and Szczytko, 1988)

Judson, Sarah W. & Nelson, C. Riley, 2012, 3541, Zootaxa 3541, pp. 1-118 : 39

Perlodidae

COMMON NAME: Springflies.

SIZE: Medium to large (10–50 mm).

FEEDING GROUP: Predators.

TOLERANCE VALUE: 2 (Low).

DIAGNOSIS: Adults dark or gray brown with golden or light brown patterns Male genitalic structures are highly variable throughout the family, usually with uniquely shaped paraprocts or aedeagus with species-specific spine patches. The female subgenital plate is also highly variable. The nymphs usually have high contrast patterns similar to Perlidae stoneflies, but lack branched gills on the thoracic segments although one genus, Megarcys has unbranched fingerlike gills on the thorax ( Fig. 233) and many species have submental gills ( Fig. 244). Gill remnants often persist in adult forms. As in other Systellognatha, the labium has a deep notch and paraglossa extending beyond glossa ( Fig. 8). In contrast to Chloroperlidae in particular, the hind wing pads are divergent from the body axis ( Fig. 22).

DISCUSSION: Perlodid stoneflies are most commonly found in flowing waters under stones and in snags and leaf packs. Occasionally, they are found along the edges of cold lakes.