order
                        
                      
                                    Coleoptera
                                       “Adult Beetles”
                                  
                                    Coleoptera
                                       “Larval Beetles”
                                  
                                    Diptera
                                       “True Flies”
                                  
                                    Ephemeroptera
                                       “Mayflies”
                                  
                                    Hemiptera
                                       “True Bugs”
                                  
                                    Lepidoptera
                                       “Aquatic Caterpillars, Snout Moths”
                                  
                                    Megaloptera
                                       “Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies”
                                  
                                    Odonata
                                       “Dragonflies and Damselflies”
                                  
                                    Plecoptera
                                       “Stoneflies”
                                  
                                    Trichoptera
                                       “Caddisflies”
                                 family
                        
                     Leuctridae
               
            genus
                     Leuctra
            
                  “Rolled-winged Stoneflies”
               
      Genus Overview
                  
               
                        Not much is known about the life history of these larvae. Only 9 of the 26 species in North America are well described by science. Most are detritivorous shredders, like other shredders it is thought that they don’t get nutrients directly from the decaying leaves they eat, but from the periphyton and fungi growing on the leaves. Some may also be facultative collector-gatherers. They can be found in lotic-erosional and depositional habitats, usually preferring riffles. Typically, when found in small streams they are semivoltine (completing less than one generation per year), and in large warm streams they are univoltine (completing one generation per year). Generally, species of Leuctra are intolerant of pollution, but some species can tolerate low pH (very acid) conditions.
                  
               Characteristics
                  
               POLLUTION TOLERANCE
                        Southeast: 0.7
                                 Mid-Atlantic: 0
                              0 = least tolerant, 10 = most tolerant
                        FEEDING HABITS
                        
                                 Collector / Gatherer
Shredder / Detritivore
                        
                     Shredder / Detritivore
MOVEMENT
                        
                                 Clinger
Sprawler
                        
                     Sprawler
DISTRIBUTION
                        
                                 Widespread (east of the Rocky Mtns.)
                        
                     HABITAT
                        
                                 Lotic-depositional
Lotic-erosional
                        
                     Lotic-erosional
Diagnostic Characters
               order
                         
                                       
                                       
                                    Two Tails
                                  
                                       
                                       
                                    Two Tarsal Claws
                                 family
                         
                                       
                                       
                                    Hind Legs Don't Reach
                                  
                                       
                                       
                                    Large Postmentum
                                  
                                       
                                       
                                    Membranous Pleural Fold
                                  
                                       
                                       
                                    Parallel Hind Wing Pads
                                 
                  + Expanded Character List
                  
                     
               
            
                        Order:
                           Wings developing in wing pads. Mouthparts suitable for chewing. Gills digitiform and located near mouthparts, on neck, sides of thorax, or underside of base of abdomen, never on top or sides of abdomen. Two tarsal claws per leg. Only two tails (cerci).
                     
                     
                        Family:
                           Body long and slender, abdomen roughly cylindrical. Paraglossae and glossae about same length, suitable for shredding. Postmentum large, covering bases of maxillae. Hind wing pads more or less parallel with body axis, and typically longer than wide. First tarsal segment of each leg much longer than second. When extended, hind legs not reaching end of abdomen. Membranous pleural folds occur on no more than abdominal segments 1–7.
                     
                     
                        Genus:
                           Body long and narrow (length greater than 8 times width). Abdomen almost completely hairless or with variable coverage of curved setae. Abdominal terga with posterior fringe of short setae, but last few segments with 2–4 long setae. Abdominal segments 1–4 divided ventrolaterally by membranous pleural folds that are often inconspicuous.
                     
                   
                   
            Dorsal
               Ventral
               


