USGS estimates N & P load to gulf 50% larger than 30 yr avg.

http://toxics.usgs.gov/hypoxia/mississippi/oct_jun/graphics.html




An email from the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee alerted us that the US Geological Survey has released a preliminary report indicating the highest Nitrogen and Phosphorous loads in three decades were delivered to the Gulf of Mexico's "Hypoxic Zone" between October and June this year.

It makes sense that historic, record breaking rainfall this year would wash almost all of the Spring fertilizers directly into the river. They are, after all, water soluble.

Nutrient flow was about 50% higher than the spring nutirient loads averaged since 1980. It should be interesting to see how big the Hypoxic Zone will be this year, but that picture won't be out until next year at least.

Robber Fly or Assassin Fly- Diptera Asilidae

Bernie Arnold sent this really cool picture of a predator gnawing on a hapless victim of nature (that profligate waster and spender of life).
We're thinking Diptera Asilidae efferia sp. The length is 2 to 3 times the width, and notice the sword-like ovipositor-- FEMALE!

Now, for extra points, who can identify it's lunch to the species level?

A really cool website for everything you ever wanted to know about these voracious predators can be found at: http://www.geller-grimm.de/asilidae.htm

And, of course, there is the ever helpful Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asilidae

Hungry. Send more bugs.

Common whitetail dragonfly at Watkins Creek

I took this slightly fuzzy picture of a "Common Whitetail dragonfly" or "Long tailed skimmer" on the lower reach of Watkins Creek between the old Coal Bank Rd bridge and the deadend posts.
While the Mississippi River is within easy flying distance, it is more probable that this creature emerged from Watkins creek. He was found at UTM Zone 15S, Easting 7,444,631.54 Northing 4,295,313.27

The squarish brown blocks on the wings and the distinctive white tail suggest this is Plathemis lydia (aka?) Libellula lydia and also tell us that this is a mature male (as only they get the white tail). "In 1955, M.E. Jacobs found that the white color of the male's abdomen was used in display to other males in a contest for territory and that its color did not influence female choice." http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/Pond/dragons/skimmers.html#LILY

I'll be looking for dragonfly larvae slightly upstream to rear in captivity to be sure. I found a copyrighted photo of this species larva at the University of Puget Sound's Slater Museum of Natural History here. with the actual picture here. A way to get copyright permissions was not immediately available.

This particular species does not appear in the USGS county level checklist for species known to inhabit St. Louis county. It does appear in the list and distribution map for St. Louis city. and the city/ county limit is very close to where this creature was found (though technically straying into county territory), but if this species were to be found spawning in watkins creek, the map should probably change.

A cool taxonomic key for the Odonates of Michigan can be found here, the dragonflies (Anisoptera families) here, and the crenallations specifying the species here.

Water quality monitoring papers since the 50's have identified this species as "facultative" or "moderately pollution tolerant" with no apparent distinction between members of the order or family at the species level.

Species taxonomy also found here: http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Libellula_lydia

Plecoptera- Stonefly distributions in the US

I found this picture at http://www.bugguide.net It is a good site for info on miscellaneous bugs. Copyrighted pic, used by permission of Donald Chandler.

Here is a link to the USGS distribution maps to county level and a lot of other information about Stoneflies. A county level checklist is available here, so that you can see which species of stonefly are known to live in your county. With this list in hand you could google images for the species name and may find the stoneflies in your creek.

I found this site through the Plecoptera Society of North America's workshop manual (pdf format)which you can download here.

Stoneflies are amazing, and one of the most sensitive bioindicator macs for pollution and other anthropogenic effects.
A web-based plecoptera key can be found at this University of New Brunswick (CA)website.

The USGS is still an amazing resource, despite having been cut to the bone so many times in recent years. They have similar websites for Mayflies and other taxa which WQ monitors are interested in.

Wikipedia and Tree of Life pages for Insecta

Odonata Anisoptera Libellulidae Sympetrum flaveolum
Common name: Yellow tailed darter.
Regretably, this little beauty is not a natural resident of the United States.
You can tell this by drilling down to the species list at:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/insects/dfly/usa/toc.htm


There are several internet websites that are laid out according to taxonomic systems in an attempt to chronicle all living organisms. Here is one such link for Insecta. To travel up the tree, click on the containing group link; in this case, hexapoda. To see members of insecta, click on branching links in the tree.
For instance, Odonata exists as a link at the end of the tree:
Pterygota
Insecta
Hexapoda
Arthropoda
Bilateria
Eukaryotes
Life on Earth

While the Infraorder sublinks are not clickable, (and therefore you cannot get to species level) there are, nevertheless, cool pictures and movies of dragonflys and damselflys to the right.

Compare this with the Wikipedia pages for dragonfly, where entries do more often branch to the species level and photos are creative commons licensed rather than private copyright. Information about the images above can be seen at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Sympetrum_flaveolum_-_side_%28aka%29.jpg

Do you have cool photos of macroinvertebrates that you have identified? Why not share them with the internet world.

Macroinvertebrate Field and Laboratory Methods for Evaluating the Biological Integrity of Surface Waters

The EPA's website for the 1994 manual:
Macroinvertebrate Field and Laboratory Methods for Evaluating the Biological Integrity of Surface Waters link

NABS macroinvertebrate taxonomic certification

Here is the North American Benthological Society's (NABS) website for taxonomic certification. Membership dues are $70 annually, running December to December and this certification covers more than the usual macroinvertebrates we encounter here in Missouri. It seems, the closest site for regular testing and training workshops is at the University of Illinois, Champaign; but their are some pretty cool photo and resource link pages here that can help you learn more than you need to know about macroinvertebrate systematics.

Workshops and tests cover:
Group 1 - Crustacea, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Megaloptera, Odonata, Trombidiformes
Group 2 - Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera
Group 3 - Chironomidae
Group 4 - Oligochaeta, Hirudinea
Group 5 - Mollusca

Ergonomic design for seated mac counting net frame

Bob Coffing, team leader for ST#2991 La Barque Creek, designed and built this light weight net holder and 5 gallon pail seat. It's a great idea that utilizes the net handles with two perpendicular handle spreaders with legs to maintain an easy working height with minimal back strain.

How to mount specimens for educational use.

Here is a USDA website and pdf version of a lab manual:

"Collecting and Preserving Insects and Mites: Tools and Techniques" an updated and modified version of the USDA Misc. Publication no. 1443 published by the Agricultural Research service in 1986 and Edited by George C. Steyskal, William L. Murphy, and Edna M. Hoover.

Everything you ever wanted to know about how to kill and preserve those tiny macroinvertebrates.