Mayfly

Three tails, gills on abdomen

Stonefly

No gills on abdomen, two tails

Most Caddisfly

No gills on abdomen (not fuzzy bellied)

Three pairs of legs, long squishy abdomen

Netspinner Caddisfly

Gills on abdomen, (fuzzy belly), three hardened plates on thorax, Three pairs of legs, long squishy abdomen

Casemaker Caddisfly

Case made of rock or vegetation (leaves, pine needles)

ALWAYS PRESERVE CASEMAKERS

Dragonfly

Large abdomen, does not have hardened wing coverings,

view from bottom would reveal retractable jaw

Damselfly

Three paddle like tails, view from underneath would reveal a retractable jaw like a dragonfly

Hellgrammite

Feelers on abdomen (not legs), two hooks on end of abdomen, large pinching jaws

Alderfly

One long tail at end of abdomen, body is long with filaments on sides of abdomen, large pinching jaws

Waterpenny

Hardened exoskeleton, has the shape of a penny, beetle body parts are underneath

Long Toed Beetle

No visible antennae hardened exoskelteon, rounded blunt abdomen with hardened wing coverings

Riffle Beetle Larvae

Hardened exoskeleton, body is in the shape of a comma

note operculum covering at the end of the abdomen (hardened flap that closes like a cargo plane door covering gills at the end of the abdomen)

Ptilodactylidae larva (beetle)

Hardened exoskeleton, body may be in shape of a comma, lighter in color

DOES NOT HAVE OPERCULUM COVERING at the end of the abdomen (gills at the end of the abdomen are exposed, and cannot be covered by cargo plane door like flap)

Riffle Beetle Adult

Hardened exoskeleton, visible antennae, rounded blunt abdomen, hardened wing coverings

Midge

Fleshy, squishy body with visual segments,  has prolegs on front and rear.  Has visible head. 

Blackfly

Bowling pin body shape, has prolegs on the first segment of the thorax

Scud

Different length legs, skinny body, swims like a shrimp on its side

Sowbug

Same or similar lenght legs, flat body, curls up or crawls along the bottom

Lunged Snail

When the apex (point) is held up, the shell opening is on the left

Planorbid Snail (Lunged Snail)

Shell is coiled on one plane like a hose

Gilled Snail

When apex (point) is held up shell opening is on the right

Preserve gilled snails to be identified to family in the lab

Asian Clam

Shell is composed of two halfs that join at a hinge, shell is rough like a washboard

Pea Clam

Shell is composed of two halfs that join at a hinge, shell looks smother, ridges are very small

Worm

Body like and earthwork, tapered at both ends with fleshy segments, no visible head

Flatworm

Body like a small grey blob on the net; in water resembles a small slug with a triangular head and eyespots