The Peltoperlidae, also known as roach-like stoneflies or roachflies, are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

stoneflies Plecoptera is an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. Stoneflies are believed to be one of the mo ...

. The family Peltoperlidae comprises 11 genera and 46 known species. Species are semivoltine, meaning their lifecycles last 1 to 2 years. Adults of the family usually emerge in late spring or early summer, April through June. Larvae are flattened and brown in color, and they are roach-like in appearance because of the expanded thoracic plates covering the bases of their legs, heads, and abdomens. Tapering

gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

s occur on the

thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...

at the bases of the

legs A leg is a weight-bearing and locomotive anatomical structure, usually having a columnar shape. During locomotion, legs function as "extensible struts". The combination of movements at all joints can be modeled as a single, linear element ...

. These tracheal gills are multifunctional and key to many biological processes. No dense tufts or branching gills are found on their thoraces or abdomens, unlike other

Plecoptera Plecoptera is an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. Stoneflies are believed to be one of the mo ...

families. The larvae also possess broad, chisel-like mandibles. Adults have two

ocelli A simple eye (sometimes called a pigment pit) refers to a form of eye or an optical arrangement composed of a single lens and without an elaborate retina such as occurs in most vertebrates. In this sense "simple eye" is distinct from a multi-l ...

in addition to its two

compound eyes A compound eye is a visual organ found in arthropods such as insects and crustaceans. It may consist of thousands of ommatidia, which are tiny independent photoreception units that consist of a cornea, lens, and photoreceptor cells which distin ...

. Male epiprocts are sclerotized and rod-like in shape, and both sexes lack cross-veins in the anal lobe of the forewings. Peltoperlidae are generally

lotic River ecosystems are flowing waters that drain the landscape, and include the Biotic component, biotic (living) interactions amongst plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical interactions of its man ...

erosional and depositional. These habitats are flowing streams marked by

sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand an ...

vascular plant Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They al ...

s, and

detritus In biology, detritus () is dead particulate organic material, as distinguished from dissolved organic material. Detritus typically includes the bodies or fragments of bodies of dead organisms, and fecal material. Detritus typically hosts commun ...

. Roach-like stoneflies are generally found in

leaf litter Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that have fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituent ...

and debris piles trapped in either riffles or pools. This family is considered to be clingers-sprawlers; they attach to surface in erosional habitats or rest loosely on the top surfaces of substrates, respectively. The body of this stonefly is flattened and streamlined to aid in minimizing water resistance in a flowing stream. The Peltoperlidae are classified as in the feeding group shredders-detritivores. They chew and mine through leaf litter in their habitats. They are a significant contributor to leaf breakdown in streams. This family is very sensitive to disturbances in environmental conditions. They are intolerant to loss of coarse particulate organic matter for food and habitat. Given this low tolerance, Peltoperlids make potential

bioindicators A bioindicator is any species (an indicator species) or group of species whose function, population, or status can reveal the qualitative status of the environment. The most common indicator species are animals. For example, copepods and other sma ...

.Qin, Chun-Yan et al (2014). Quantitative tolerance values for common stream benthic microinvertebrates in the Yangtze River Delta, Eastern China. Environ Monit Assess. Vol 186: 5883-5895.

Genera

These 10 genera belong to the family Peltoperlidae: * '' Cryptoperla'' Needham, 1909 * '' Microperla'' Chu, 1928 * '' Peltoperla'' Needham, 1905 * '' Peltoperlopsis'' Illies, 1966 * '' Peltopteryx'' Stark, 1989 * ''

Sierraperla ''Sierraperla'' is a genus of roach-like stoneflies in the family Peltoperlidae The Peltoperlidae, also known as roach-like stoneflies or roachflies, are a family of stoneflies. The family Peltoperlidae comprises 11 genera and 46 known speci ...

'' Jewett, 1954 * '' Soliperla'' Ricker, 1952 * ''

Tallaperla ''Tallaperla'' is a genus of roach-like stoneflies in the family Peltoperlidae The Peltoperlidae, also known as roach-like stoneflies or roachflies, are a family of stoneflies. The family Peltoperlidae comprises 11 genera and 46 known specie ...

'' Stark & Stewart, 1981 * '' Viehoperla'' Ricker, 1952 * ''

Yoraperla ''Yoraperla'' is a genus of roach-like stoneflies in the family Peltoperlidae The Peltoperlidae, also known as roach-like stoneflies or roachflies, are a family of stoneflies. The family Peltoperlidae comprises 11 genera and 46 known species ...

'' Ricker, 1952

References

Insects of North America Plecoptera families {{Plecoptera-stub