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What are water bugs?
What are water bugs?
Water bugs, or aquatic macroinvertebrates, are small creatures that have no backbone and can be seen with the naked eye. They live all or part of their life in water, providing a food source for larger animals such as fish, frogs and birds. Macroinvertebrates include snails, beetles, dragonflies, yabbies and worms.
Macro = visible to the naked eye
Invertebrate = animal without a backbone
What do they tell us about the health of the water?
What do they tell us about the health of the water?
Macroinvertebrate sampling can provide a quick assessment of the condition of a site at a particular time. When we are looking for waterbugs a general rule is if we find at least three different species of sensitive bugs (at least 10 examples of each), we know their presence indicates healthy water.
Tolerant or Sensitive?
Tolerant or Sensitive?
What are water bugs?
What are water bugs?
At a local dam we found this collection of insects. Lets start by identifying these three insects, please answer what water bug it is and if it is rated as sensitive or tolerant.
At a local dam we found this collection of insects. Lets start by identifying these three insects, please answer what water bug it is and if it is rated as sensitive or tolerant.
(TIP the water bug id sheet will to help you sort and identify the bugs).
(TIP the water bug id sheet will to help you sort and identify the bugs).
Name this water bug:_______________
Is it sensitive or tolerant?_____________
Name this water bug:_______________
Is it sensitive or tolerant?_____________
Name this water bug :_____________
Is it sensitive or Tolerant? _____________
This is a sample of insects we need your help to identify.
This is a sample of insects we need your help to identify.
They were collected with a dip net on 6th May 2020 at the local dam which is home to many platypodes*.
They were collected with a dip net on 6th May 2020 at the local dam which is home to many platypodes*.
*Platypodes is the plural of platypus.
*Platypodes is the plural of platypus.
There were many different water bugs found in the dam as seen in this carousel of magnified images below .
There were many different water bugs found in the dam as seen in this carousel of magnified images below .
Please try and identify which ones we found using the water bug id sheet and then sort them into their categories of very tolerant, tolerant, sensitive or very sensitive in the form below.
Please try and identify which ones we found using the water bug id sheet and then sort them into their categories of very tolerant, tolerant, sensitive or very sensitive in the form below.
waterwatch_bug_detective_guide.pdfNow you have identified what the water bugs were that we found in the dam, tally them into the correct category below.
Now you have identified what the water bugs were that we found in the dam, tally them into the correct category below.
For example is if you can spot a Diving Beetle you can see that it is from the very tolerant section on the id sheet above. If the water bug is tolerant it will be in the light orange category, if it is sensitive it will be found in light blue and if it is very sensitive it can be found in dark blue section.
For example is if you can spot a Diving Beetle you can see that it is from the very tolerant section on the id sheet above. If the water bug is tolerant it will be in the light orange category, if it is sensitive it will be found in light blue and if it is very sensitive it can be found in dark blue section.
Bug Survey Template.docxRemembering that Macroinvertebrate sampling can provide a quick assessment of the condition of a site at a particular time.
Remembering that Macroinvertebrate sampling can provide a quick assessment of the condition of a site at a particular time.
Remember also that when investigating waterbugs a general rule is if we find at least three different species of sensitive or very sensitive bugs (at least 10 examples of each), we know their presence indicates healthy water.
Remember also that when investigating waterbugs a general rule is if we find at least three different species of sensitive or very sensitive bugs (at least 10 examples of each), we know their presence indicates healthy water.
With this in mind, what do you findings in the tally tell you?
With this in mind, what do you findings in the tally tell you?
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