Identifying Florida Plecoptera

Checklist of Florida Stonefly Species

A list of publications and keys, many annotated, which we have found useful for identifying the Plecoptera of Florida.

Taken from:
Hubbard MD; Pescador ML; Rasmussen AK; Askevold IS; Jones J; Flowers RW; Epler JH. 1995. The freshwater macroinvertebrates of Florida. A guide to references for their identification. Florida Entomologist 78:161-177. download pdf file  [83 kb]

CLAASSEN, P. W. 1931. Plecoptera nymphs of America (North of Mexico). Thomas Say Foundation, Baltimore. 199p.
[Classic work on stonefly nymphs. Includes many illustration of eastern species and genera but nomenclature is outdated]

FRISON, T. H. 1935. The stoneflies, or Plecoptera, of Illinois. Bull. of the Illinois Natural History Survey 20:1471.
[Classic work which gives an overview of biology for the order and includes excellent nymphal illustrations for genera and species found in Florida. The nomenclature is somewhat outdated]

KONDRATIEFF, B. C., R. F. KIRCHNER, AND K. W. STEWART. 1988. A review of Perlinella Banks (Plecoptera: Perlidae). Ann. Soc. America 81:1927.
[Includes a name change for P. fumipennis and records of P. drymo and P. zwicki from Florida]

HARPER, P. P., AND K. W. STEWART. 1984. Plecoptera. Pages 182-230 in R. W. Merritt and K. W. Cummins (eds), An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America. Second edition. Kendall/Hunt Publ. Co., Dubuque, Iowa.

RAY, D. H., AND B. P. STARK. 1981. The Nearctic species of Hydroperla (Plecoptera: Perlodidae). Florida Entomol. 764:385395.
[H. phormidia is described from Florida]

STARK, B. P. 1983. The Tallaperla maria complex of eastern North America (Plecoptera: Peltoperlidae). J. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 56:398410.
[Includes Florida record of T. cornelia]

STARK, B. P. 1986. The Nearctic species of Agnetina (Plecoptera: Perlidae). J. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 59:437445.
[Includes Florida records of A. annulipes]

STARK, B. P., AND A. R. GAUFIN. 1979. The stoneflies (Plecoptera) of Florida. Transactions of the American Entomol. Soc. 104:391433.
[Species keys, distributions, and descriptions are provided. Needs to be revised with updated nomenclature and a few additions]

STARK, B. P., AND D. H. RAY. 1983. A revision of the genus Helopicus (Plecoptera: Perlodidae). Freshwater Invertebrate Biology 2:1627.
[Includes Florida records of H. bogaloosa]

STEWART, K. W., AND B. P. STARK. 1988. Nymphs of North American stonefly genera (Plecoptera). Thomas Say Foundation of the Entomol. Soc. of America. Hyattsville, Maryland. 460 pp.
[Includes illustrations and keys to all North American stonefly genera and a detailed overview of nymphal ecology]

UNZICKER, J. D., AND V. H. MCCASKILL. 1982. Plecoptera. Pages 5.15.50 in A. R. Brigham, W. U. Brigham, and A. Gnilka, (eds.), Aquatic insects and oligochaetes of North and South Carolina. Midwest Aquatic Enterprises, Mahomet, Illinois.
[Outdated nomenclature, but good coverage of southeastern stoneflies include many Florida species]