Agnetina capitata
This record describes Agnetina capitata (species). Recorded family: Perlidae. Recorded order: Plecoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Are known to drive mayfly naiads, Baetis tricaudatus and Ephemerella subvaria from the undersurface of stones and into exposed situations where they are susceptible to fish predation. A good example of facilitation between predator species. ( 3 )
Wikipedia reference for Agnetina capitata: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnetina_capitata.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Plecoptera (Stoneflies)
- Superfamily
- Perloidea
- Family
- Perlidae (Common Stoneflies)
- Subfamily
- Perlinae
- Genus
- Agnetina
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
map ; recorded in AR CT IA KY MA MD ME MI MN MO NB NH NS NY OH ON PA PE QC VA WI WV
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Agnetina capitata (Pictet 1841)
About Stoneflies: the wider group
Order-level background for Plecoptera, the group containing Agnetina capitata. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Plecoptera (stoneflies) includes ~3,700 described species. Stonefly nymphs are among the most pollution-sensitive aquatic insects - they require cold, clean, well-oxygenated running water to survive.
Ecological role of the group
Stonefly nymphs are important shredders of leaf litter in streams, breaking down organic material and making nutrients available to other organisms. Adults are a key food source for trout and are widely imitated in fly fishing.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Stoneflies are considered the gold standard bioindicator for water quality monitoring worldwide. Their absence from a stream is one of the strongest signals of pollution or environmental degradation.
Recorded sources for this group: EPA, freshwater ecology research, fly fishing industry. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Agnetina capitata (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by v belov , Marci Hess