Macroinvertebrates at the Wash

The most common creatures found along the Las Vegas Wash are also some of the most misunderstood and underappreciated. Made up mostly of insects, the term ‘macroinvertebrate’ refers to all animals without a defined vertebrae (including crustaceans, mollusks and worms) that are large enough to see with the naked eye. Their abundance and varied sensitivities to environmental changes make them good biological indicators of the health of a body of water or terrestrial ecosystem. With weir installations changing flow dynamics and weed removal and native revegetation changing plant assemblages, understanding the macroinvertebrate community is a great way to determine the health of the Wash.

Links

Benthic macroinvertebrate study

The purpose of the benthic macroinvertebrate study was to determine how erosion control structures and associated wetlands impact the aquatic macroinvertebrate fauna of the Las Vegas Wash. This kick-net survey collected samples from 26 sites along the Wash and its tributaries and analyzed them for the variety and abundance of species collected.

Terrestrial macroinvertebrate studies

In addition to surveys conducted within the water of the Las Vegas Wash, surveys also are conducted to better understand the invertebrates found out of the water. Collections and identifications are made year-round in all types of habitats — emergent vegetation, riparian areas, mesquite bosques and upland desert.

One study compared butterfly populations in areas mostly covered by non-native vegetation (common reed and salt cedar) to areas revegetated with native species. The study showed that areas with native vegetation had higher abundance and diversity of insects than areas dominated by non-native species

Macroinvertebrate studies

Taxa list
Order	Family	Genus/Species
Nematoda	Mermithidae
Oligochaeta	Enchytraeidae
	Tubificidae	Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri
	Lumbriculidae
	Naididae	Nais sp.
		Dero sp.
		Pristina sp.
Turbellaria	Planariidae	Dugesia sp.
Nemertea	Hoplonemertea	Prostoma sp.
Bivalvia	Veneroidea	Corbicula fluminalis
Gastropoda	Physidae	Physella sp.
	Lymnaeidae	Fossaria sp.
Crustacea	Ostracoda
	Cladocera
	Copepoda
	Amphipoda
	Decapoda	Pacifastacus leniusculus
		Procambarus clarkii
Hydracarina	Acari
Odonata: Zygoptera	Coenagrionidae	Argia sedula
		Enallagma civile
		Ischnura sp.
	Calopterygidae	Hetaerina americana
Odonata: Anisoptera	Aeshnidae	Anax junius
	Libellulidae	Brechmorhoga mendax
		Dythemis sp.
		Macrothemis sp.
	Gomphidae	Erpetogomphus sp.
		Ophiogomphus sp.
Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	Fallceon quilleri
		Camelobaetidius musseri sp.
		Callibaetis sp.
	Heptageniidae
Hemiptera	Veliidae	Microvelia sp.
	Corixidae	Trichocorixa sp.
	Notonectidae	Notonecta sp.
Trichoptera	Brachycentridae	Micrasema sp.
	Glossosomatidae	Glossosoma sp.
	Hydropsychidae	Smicridea sp.
		Hydropsyche sp.
	Hydroptilidae	Hydroptila sp.
		Oxyethira sp.
	Limnephilidae	Ecclisomyia sp.
Coleoptera	Dytiscidae	Neoclypeodytes sp.
	Elmidae	Heterlimnius sp.
		Zaitzevia sp.
	Hydraenidae	Hydraena sp.
	Hydrophilidae	Tropisternus sp.
		Berosus sp.
		Enochrus sp.
	Staphylinidae
Lepidoptera	Pyralidae	Petrophila sp.
Diptera	Ceratopoginidae	Bezzia sp.
		Forcipomyia sp.
	Culicidae	Anopheles sp.
		Culex sp.
	Dolichopodidae
	Empididae	Hemerodromia sp.
	Ephydridae	Notiphila sp.
	Muscidae	Limnophora sp.
	Psychodidae	Pericoma sp.
	Sciomyzidae	Sepedon sp.
	Simuliidae	Simulium sp.
	Stratiomyidae	Caloparyphus sp.
		Euparyphus sp.
		Nemotelus sp.
		Odontomyia sp.
	Tabanidae
	Tipulidae	Antocha sp.
		Erioptera sp.
		Limonia sp.
		Ormosia sp.
	Chironomidae	Ablabesmyia sp.
		Chironomus sp.
		Cladotanytarsus sp.
		Corynoneura sp.
		Cricotopus (Cricotopus)Group
		Cricotopus (Cricotopus) bicinctus
		Cryptochironomus sp.
		Diamesa sp.
		Dicrotendipes sp.
		Endotribelos sp.
		Eukiefferiella Pseudomontana Group
		Glyptotendipes sp.
		Goeldichironomus sp.
		Labrundinia sp.
		Microtendipes sp.
		Nanocladius sp.
		Nimbocera sp.
		Parachironomus sp.
		Paramerina sp.
		Parametriocnemus sp.
		Paraphaenocladius sp.
		Paratanytarsus sp.
		Paratendipes sp.
		Polypedilum sp.
		Procladius sp.
		Saetheria sp.
		Tanytarsus sp.
		Telmatopelopia sp.
		Thienemanniella sp.
		Thienemannimyia sp.