Stoneflies Temporal range: Permian - Recent
Adult of genus Eusthenia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Hexapoda
Class:	Insecta
Subclass:	Pterygota
Infraclass:	Neoptera
Superorder:	Exopterygota
Order:	Plecoptera Burmeister , 1839
Suborders
Arctoperlaria

The Stonefly or Plecoptera are an order of aquatic insects . There are some 3,500 described species worldwide, and new ones are still being discovered. Although stoneflies are found worldwide , they are absent from Antarctica . Stoneflies are believed to be one of the most primitive groups of Neoptera . Their close relatives are identified from the Carboniferous and Lower Permian geological periods . True stoneflies, known from fossils , are only a little younger. The larva have claws on their legs . ^[1] This allows them to better hang on to things in their environment and withstand stronger current . ^[1] They need fast moving water in streams and rivers to survive. They cannot tolerate the low oxygen saturation found in warm water. They usually live in cold clean streams with a lot of turbulence (such as rapids ). ^[1] The adult stoneflies are easily identified by their wings that fold over their abdomen . ^[1] The pteronarcys Stoneflies, found only in North American waters, live for several years. ^[2]

References [ change | change source ]

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