Vernal Stone
Perlinella ephyre
This record describes Perlinella ephyre (species). Recorded family: Perlidae. Recorded order: Plecoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Plecoptera (Stoneflies)
- Superfamily
- Perloidea
- Family
- Perlidae (Common Stoneflies)
- Subfamily
- Acroneuriinae
- Genus
- Perlinella
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
map ; recorded in AL AR CT FL GA IA IN IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS NC NJ NY OH OK PA RI SC TN VA WI WV
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Perlinella ephyre (Newman 1839)
About Stoneflies: the wider group
Order-level background for Plecoptera, the group containing Perlinella ephyre. 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 Vernal Stone (4)
Photo credits: Contributed by Brad Barnd; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , v belov