Macroinvertebrate Guides and Keys

Announcement 1: We published a spiral bound identification guide to help Citizen Volunteers perform accurate identifications of invertebrates collected as part of their volunteer water quality monitoring efforts. Recently, we developed an Interactive Verification Program to complement the spiral bound manual.

Announcement 2:New on the WV Save Our Streams web page is a "Field Guide to Aquatic Invertebrates".

Question: Is there a good basic key out there for BMI identification?

Announcement 1

From: Leonard C. Ferrington Jr., Ph.D. [mailto:ferri016@tc.umn.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 3:11 PM
To: Volunteer Monitoring List Serve Members
Subject: New On-line resource for Citizen Volunteer Monitoring Programs.

I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about a new on-line resource for Citizen Volunteer Monitoring Programs, and to ask for your assistance in helping us notify and advertise it to appropriate groups that may be involved in water quality monitoring efforts throughout the United States.

A couple of years ago we published a spiral bound identification guide to help Citizen Volunteers perform accurate identifications of invertebrates collected as part of their volunteer water quality monitoring efforts. To date more than 2000 copies have been disseminated, and many additional
copies have been downloaded from our on-line access site. This manual has been an astonishing success, and has facilitated improved accuracy of identifications by citizens who volunteer their personal time to help our collective efforts to improve water resources in our state. Information
about the manual can be located on-line at:

http://www.entomology.umn.edu/midge/GuidePage.htm

Recently, we developed an Interactive Verification Program to complement the spiral bound manual, and allow citizens to check the accuracy of their own identifications. We refer to the software as VSM-IVP, and it can be accessed at: http://www.entomology.umn.edu/midge/VSMIVP.htm

I would like to request that you help us in advertising this on-line VSM-IVP resource by telling your constituents about it. The software went on-line in early December and several states are evaluating it for use in their respective citizen volunteer programs. For instance, West Virginia has already provided links to our software on their official state web pages for water quality programs, and towns in Maryland have asked us for permission to endorse it as part of their local programs. Although the software was
originally designed for use in Minnesota, we are very excited about this early trend in national use of our software, and hope that you will assist us in notifying other potential user groups.

Sincerely,

Leonard Ferrington

Leonard C. Ferrington Jr., Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Entomology
University of Minnesota
219 Hodson Hall, 1980 Folwell Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota USA 55108-6125
TELEPHONE: (612) 624-3265
FAX: (612) 625-5299

Visit our web page at: http://www.entomology.umn.edu/midge/index.htm

Announcement 2

Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 08:06:55 -0500
From: Tim Craddock <TCRADDOCK@wvdep.org>
Subject: [CSREESVolMon] New aquatic invertebrate field guide on the WV Save Our
Streams web page

New on the WV Save Our Streams web page is a "Field Guide to Aquatic Invertebrates". This PDF file uses illustrations and Internet links to familiarize the user with commonly encountered families of aquatic invertebrates. The illustrations are from the "Guide to Macroinvertebrates of the Upper Midwest" and are used with permission from the University of Minnesota.

Timothy Craddock, Citizens Monitoring Coordinator
West Virginia Save Our Streams Program
601 57th Street, SE
Charleston, WV 25304

Office: 304-926-0499 (1040)
Mobile: 304-389-7630
E-mail: tcraddock@wvdep.org
Web Page: http://www.wvdep.org/dwwm/wvsos

Question

Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:00:37 -0500
From: Mary Hegarty <HegartyM@co.rockland.ny.us>
Subject: Re: [CSREESVolMon] Good key for BMI?

Hi all,
Is there a good basic key out there for BMI identification?
We are looking for a basic one that shows the actual tiny size of the critters, color and how they move (how they look alive in the pan) and other easy ID features, that one can see with the eye or magnified glass (not how they look under a microscope). We want an ID key for alive specimens.

Any help- would be great.
Thanks,
Mary Hegarty

Mary Hegarty
Environmental Management Assistant

Rockland County
Division of Environmental Resources &
Soil and Water Conservation District
50 Sanatorium Rd., Bldg. P
Pomona, NY 10970
845-364-2669
(fax) 845-364-2671
www.rocklandgov.com

Responses

Kris Stepenuck <kris.stepenuck@ces.uwex.edu> 4/4/2008 4:21 PM
Hi Mary

I'm not sure if you got replies on this? Anyhow, we have a key, but it's
not fully what you describe. There are descriptions by the drawings about
how the orgs. move and what color they are, but it's not in color. Here's
a link to it: http://watermonitoring.uwex.edu/pdf/level1/riverkey.pdf

We also have a booklet that goes along with it. I can send you a copy if
you like what it looks like. You can check it out online at:
http://watermonitoring.uwex.edu/pdf/level1/WWWC.pdf

I'd be curious about other replies you may have received as well which I
can post on our listserv archives.

Thanks!

Kris

>>> Barbara Liukkonen <liukk001@umn.edu> 3/3/2008 11:56 AM >>>
Mary

Here's a nice online version - mostly photographs, but nice
identification tips.
http://www.entomology.umn.edu/midge/VSMIVP.htm

You can also view, and download, our print Guide to BMI in the Midwest.
See the link on the same page.

Barb Liukkonen
Water Resources Center, O of MN
173 McNeal Hall
1985 Buford Ave
St. Paul, MN 55108
liukk001@umn.edu

Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:06:32 -0400
From: Mary Hegarty <HegartyM@co.rockland.ny.us>
Subject: Fwd: Re: [CSREESVolMon] Good key for BMI?

>>> <TStevenson@monroecounty.gov> 3/3/2008 12:28 PM >>>
Hello Mary,

We have a citizen volunteer stream monitoring program here in Monroe
County....although it is somewhat dormant at the moment (i.e. budget cuts).
I have attached a copy of the Participants Manual....which includes an ID
card for BMIs....though it is not a key. It may be of interest. What sort
of program do you have in Rockland County for stream monitoring?

Thanks,
Todd

See attached file: CWW Participants Manual Updated 2004.pdf (2.5 MB pdf file)

>>> "Smolen, Michael" <michael.smolen@okstate.edu> 3/3/2008 2:23 PM >>>
Dear Mary,
The following was supplied by Anndrea Navesky.
Mike Smolen

Michael D. Smolen
Professor and Water Quality Coordinator
218 Ag Hall
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078-6021
Phone: 405-744-8414
FAX: 405-744-6059
http://waterquality.okstate.edu
-------------------

From: Navesky, Anndrea N
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 12:46 PM
To: csreesvolmon-bounces@lists.uwex.edu
Subject: Good key for BMI's

Your e-mail was passed on to me with a suggestion to give you a link to
some basic ID cards for BMI. This site (if you haven't already been
there) puts out free information for teachers, or anyone else that wants
to use the materials.

http://creekconnections.allegheny.edu/Modules/On-LineActivities/AquaticM
acros/aquaticinsectfactsheets/AquaticInsectFactSheets.html

There are a few other things under their website that you may find
useful as well. They don't have anything showing how these insects move
in the water, but this is one of the best basic ID cards I've come
across in my searches. They talk about how the inverts move, but
nothing too great in detail. I've printed these off two to a page and
laminated them to take into the field for the people I'm instructing.
It works pretty well.

Good luck!

Anndrea Navesky
Oklahoma State University
Department of Entomology
127 Noble Research Center
Stillwater, OK 74078

Office (405) 744-5303
Fax (405) 744-6039

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