What are benthic macroinvertebrates?

Specialized vocabulary for Leaf Pack Investigation

• Benthic: describes something that lives on the bottom areas

• Freshwater: streams, rivers, lakes, ponds are freshwater sources

• Outfall: where a river, drain or sewer flows into the sea, a lake or stream • Macro: big or somewhat large • Invertebrate: animals without vertebrae or a backbone

Characteristics of benthic, freshwater macroinvertebrates

• Live under fresh water sources like the bottoms of lakes, rivers, streams and ponds. • They are bugs without backbones. • Love to munch or eat leaves. • Can be seen by your eyes without microscope.

• Some macroinvertebrates have a COMPLETE life cycle, some have an INCOMPLETE!

Where can benthic macroinvertebrates be found?

Benthic macroinvertebrates can be found in bottom of freshwater sources like lakes, rivers, streams and even ponds. Also, they can be found near an outfall.

In Lodi Lake, we found macroinvertebrates in the leaf packs we placed by the lake boathouse, the river pump area, and at the slough west of Cattail Creek path. We also placed a leaf pack by the Pigs Lake north end by the fence at Lodi Lake, but we did not find the leaf pack to study the bugs in it. I think maybe a beaver or some fish got to it.

Examples of benthic or freshwater macroinvertebrates • Stonefly • True bug • Mayfly • Water beetle • True flies • Midge larvae • Caddisfly • Dragonfly • Saw bug • Scud