Giant Stonefly - (Pteronarcys species)

The Giant Stonefly is a sensitive and useful insect for anglers and biologists alike.

Staff Writer (8/1/2017): Giant Stoneflies are a narrow-bodied insect that are identifiable by their highly veined wings. These wings are very long and crossover the body when folded at rest, covering the Stonefly's whole body and even extending out over them. Giant Stoneflies also have long, thin antennae near their eyes. Their eyes are found on either side of the head. Bodies may appear to be black, brown or gray. A orange or red color may appear on the thorax ('neck').

Larvae are hatched in water where they spend their early phases of their lives. The naiads (juveniles) of Giant Stoneflies are incredibly sensitive to pollution and die off quickly in unclean waters. Biologists and fishermen and women use the presence of Giant Stoneflies as a mark, or indicator, of how clean the water is in that area.

Stoneflies are nocturnal creatures and generally live in areas near freshwater streams or rivers. Only the nymphs eat and they prefer to feed on algae and other plant material underwater. Adults do not eat at all.

Stoneflies, in general, can be attracted to artificial light in the late spring and early summer times of the year.

©2005-2017 www.InsectIdentification.org. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction Permitted. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from www.InsectIdentification.org is strictly prohibited. Material presented throughout this website is for entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for scientific research or medical advice (insect bites, etc...). Please consult licensed, degreed professionals for such information. Email corrections / Comments to InsectIdentification at Gmail dot com.

Details of the:
Giant Stonefly

Category: Stonefly
Common name: Giant Stonefly
Scientific Name: Pteronarcys species
Other Names: Salmonfly

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Plecoptera

Family: Pteronarcidae

Genus: Pteronarcys

Species: species

Size (Adult, Length): 40mm to 84mm (1.57in to 3.31in)

Identifying Colors: black; brown; gray

Additional Descriptors: veins, flying, helpful

North American Reach (Though Not Limited To*): Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming; Alberta; British Columbia; Manitoba; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nova Scotia; Ontario; Prince Edward Island; Quebec; Saskatchewan; Mexico

* Keep in mind that an insect's reach is not limited by lines on a map and therefore may appear in areas/regions/states beyond those listed above.

BUGFINDER: What Kind of Bug is This...

BUGFINDER allows for a quick search of the Insect Identification database by selecting primary color, secondary color, number of legs and the territory / state in question. If only one color is present on your insect, select it again as its SECONDARY color. Remember that the more details you can offer, the better your chances of finding a match. As a rule of thumb, six legs are typical for most insects whereas spiders generally have eight legs.

Primary Color:

Secondary Color:

Number of Legs:

State / Province:

General Category: