Bugs

[tugboat]

For Earthday and a member of TU I do presentation on clear cold water with a display of bugs. I need big and unusal bugs. Something that will jar a 3rd and 4th grades mind. Mite there be a place to buy or mite someone donate to my cause. Thanks

[Kerry Pitt]

You need Water Tigers and Dragonfly Nymphs....seperated of course

[stenacron]

Get yourself some replacement screen window netting, staple it to a couple of broom handles, and hit your local waterways. Hold the net downstream of you, reach back and kick over some stones and dredge up the bottom and you will have all you need in pretty short order.

It would be even better to get the kids out there with you when you collect, but I understand the logistics (and probably legal issues) would likely prevent that from happening.

[stenacron]

I probably should add that collecting macro's is MUCH easier with two (2) people; one holding the netting, and the other disturbing the stream bed... and an old garden pitchfork really helps with the latter.

I used to take my daughter with me and she would record the species as I removed them from the netting. Each scoop netted well over one hundred (100) specimens... and for your purposes you'll get some "bonus" species once in a while too (sculpins, crayfish, madtoms, etc.).

My daughter hard at work trying to keep up, "BAETIS, CORNUTA, HYDRO, CORNUTA, INVARIA,..."


Here's your dragonfly nymph


Stonefly nymphs are all very cool looking


March Brown... quite the oddity from this particular stream


Depending on your timing, you may even get some hatching right in the net

[Rip Tide]

Hellgramites are big and ugly and if you live in smallmouth country, you might actually find some being sold as bait.
I remember when I was a kid you could buy "perch bugs" (dragonfly larva) as well, but I haven't seen that in a while.

[theboz]

Originally Posted by Rip Tide

Hellgramites are big and ugly and if you live in smallmouth country, you might actually find some being sold as bait.
I remember when I was a kid you could buy "perch bugs" (dragonfly larva) as well, but I haven't seen that in a while.

We still have a bait shop(in a house) here that sells dragonfly larva,
. Never heard the term perch bugs thats a new one to me{heard them called just about everything else though!)

---------- Post added at 08:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:43 PM ----------

Everyone sells hellgramites especially near the river. Probably be a riot if they sold out!