Field Guide

Aquatic Invertebrates

Showing 1 - 7 of 7 results
Photo of a predaceous diving beetle
Predaceous Diving Beetles (Water Tigers)
Species in the beetle family Dytiscidae
Like many aquatic insects, these large oval beetles prey voraciously on other aquatic organisms. Excellent swimmers, they fly well, too, and are often attracted to lights.
Water boatman viewed from above
Water Boatmen
About 125 species in North America in the family Corixidae
Water boatmen are one of the few aquatic true bugs that are not predatory and do not bite people. Instead, they suck juices from algae and detritus. Only a few types eat other small aquatic creatures.
Photograph of several mosquito larvae resting at water surface
Mosquito Larvae
There are about 50 species of mosquitoes in our state.
The larvae of mosquitoes, often called “wrigglers,” have a large head and thorax and a narrow, wormlike abdomen; they typically hang just below the water surface. When disturbed, they wriggle downward.
Photo of two water penny beetles clinging to a wet rock.
Water Penny Beetle Larvae
Beetles in the family Psephenidae
Water penny beetle larvae are truly nifty aquatic invertebrates that bring out the child in all of us. Some of them really do look like pennies!
Water springtails congregate in water above soggy dead leaves
Water Springtail
Podura aquatica
In early spring, clusters of water springtails float on the surface of quiet waters, on muddy banks, and on protruding objects. Adults are bluish gray with reddish appendages.
Adult riffle beetle walking on a rock under water
Riffle Beetles
About 100 species in North America north of Mexico
Riffle beetles live underwater, in shallow, swift-flowing streams, as both adults and larvae. The adults, the size of small ants, are oval with long legs. The larvae are elongated, multi-segmented, and rather hard and stiff; they reach about ½ inch long.
Riffle beetle larva photographed in water in a dish
Riffle Beetle Larvae
About 100 species in North America north of Mexico
Riffle beetles live underwater, in shallow, swift-flowing streams, as both adults and larvae. The larvae are elongated, multi-segmented, and rather hard and stiff; they reach about ½ inch long. The adults, the size of small ants, are oval with long legs.
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About Aquatic Invertebrates in Missouri

Missouri's streams, lakes, and other aquatic habitats hold thousands of kinds of invertebrates — worms, freshwater mussels, snails, crayfish, insects, and other animals without backbones. These creatures are vital links in the aquatic food chain, and their presence and numbers tell us a lot about water quality.