Explore our video library of aquatic macroinvertebrates wriggling, swimming, and crawling through stream water! Collected during a stream study with materials from the Leaf Pack Network®, many of these critters may be found in streams and ponds near you.
Use these videos to help confirm your identifications or simply to appreciate the cool way the macroinvertebrates move! If you prefer, you can watch the playlist on YouTube.
There is also a quiz version of the video library if you would like to test your or your students’ macroinvertebrate identification skills.
This video features aquatic snipe flies (Order Diptera, Family Athericidae) and caddisflies (Order Trichoptera, Family Leptoceridae).
This video features crane flies (Order Diptera, Family Tipulidae).
This video features a dragonfly (Suborder Anisoptera, Family Gomphidae) and damselfly (Suborder Zygoptera, Family Calopterygidae).
This video features dragonflies (Order Odonata, Family Gomphidae) of different instars (developmental stages).
This video features fishflies (Order Megaloptera, Family Corydalidae).
This video features a crayfish (Order Decapoda, Subphylum Crustacea); mayfly (Order Ephemeroptera, and two Families: Ephemerellidae and Heptageniidae); water penny (Order Coleoptera, Family Psephenidae); stonefly (Order Plecoptera, Family Perlidae); and crane fly (Order Diptera, Family Tipulidae).
This video features a leech (Phylum Annelida, Subclass Hirudinea).
This video features mayflies (Order Ephemeroptera, Families Heptageniidae and Ephemerellidae).
This video features stoneflies (Order Plecoptera). The one doing pushups to get more oxygen over its gills belongs to the Family Perlidae and the other to the Family Pteronarcyidae.
This video features a stonefly (Order Plecoptera, Family Perlidae).
This video features caddisflies (Order Trichoptera, Families Philopotamidae (orange in color)) and various case-making caddisflies (families unknown).
This video features a caddisfly (Order Trichoptera, Family Limnephilidae).
This video features a variety of macroinvertebrates, including stoneflies (Order Plecoptera), water pennies (Order Coleoptera, Family Psephenidae), aquatic snipe flies (Order Diptera, Family Athericidae), mayflies (Order Ephemeroptera, Family Isonychiidae), and caddisflies (Order Trichoptera, Families Hydropsychidae, Philopotamidae, and Lepidostomatidae).
This video features a variety of macroinvertebrates including crane flies (Order Diptera, Family Tipulidae), a sow bug (Order Isopoda), a case-making caddisfly (Order Trichoptera, Family Limnephilidae), a scud (Order Amphipoda), and a planarian (Class Turbellaria, on the side of the container).
This video features a black fly (Order Diptera, Family Simulidae).
This video features snails (Phylum Mollusca, Class Gastropoda). Do you think this is a left-handed/lunged snail or right-handed/gilled snail?
