Great Lakes Benthic Invertebrate Guide
This guide was developed by Kit Hastings and Susan Daniel to support the EPA Long-term Benthic Monitoring Project and Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative. It is intended to be used in conjunction with relevant identification keys, to aid in the identification of aquatic invertebrates found in the benthos of the Great Lakes. This project is still in development, but eventually all of the species found in the EPA benthos samples will be represented in this guide. Microscope photos of relevant distinctive features will be on each species page to aid in identification.
Number of species
60
Oligochaeta
52
Chironomidae
18
Mollusca
9
Crustaceans
6
Hirudinea
12
Miscellaneous
Taxa List
Family Lumbriculidae
Family Naididae, Subfamily Naidinae
- Amphichaeta leydigi
- Arcteonais lomondi
- Chaetogaster diaphanus
- Chaetogaster diastrophus
- Chaetogaster setosus
- Dero digitata
- Nais barbata
- Nais bretscheri
- Nais communis
- Nais pardalis
- Nais simplex
- Nais variabilis
- Ophidonais serpentina
- Paranais frici
- Piguetiella blanci
- Piguetiella michiganensis
- Pristina aequiseta
- Pristina acuminata
- Pristina jenkinae
- Pristina longiseta
- Ripistes parasita
- Slavina appendiculata
- Specaria josinae
- Stephansoniana trivandrana
- Stylaria lacustris
- Uncinais uncinata
- Vejdovskyella comata
- Vejdovskyella intermedia
Family Naididae, Subfamily Tubificinae
- Aulodrilus americanus
- Aulodrilus limnobius
- Aulodrilus pigueti
- Aulodrilus pluriseta
- Branchiura sowerbyi
- Ilyodrilus templetoni
- Isochaetides freyi
- Limnodrilus cervix
- Limnodrilus claparedeianus
- Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri
- Limnodrilus maumeensis
- Limnodrilus profundicola
- Limnodrilus udekemianus
- Potamothrix bavaricus
- Potamothrix bedoti
- Potamothrix moldaviensis
- Potamothrix vejdovskyi
- Psammoryctides barbatus
- Quistadrilus multisetosus
- Rhyacodrilus coccineus
- Rhyacodrilus montana
- Rhyacodrilus sodalis
- Spirosperma ferox
- Spirosperma nikolskyi
- Tasserkidrilus americanus
- Tasserkidrilus superiorensis
- Thalassodrilus hallae
- Tubifex ignotus
- Tubifex tubifex
- Varichaetidrilus angustipenis
Family Enchytraeidae
- Enchytraeidae
- Acalcarella sp.
- Chironomus sp.
- Cladopelma sp.
- Coelotanypus sp.
- Cricotopus sp.
- Cryptochironomus sp.
- Cryptotendipes sp.
- Demicryptochironomus sp.
- Dicrotendipes fumidus
- Epoicocladius flavens
- Glyptotendipes sp.
- Harnischia sp.
- Heterotrissocladius marcidus group
- Heterotrissocladius subpilosus group
- Hydrobaenus sp.
- Hydrosmittia spp.
- Labrundinia sp.
- Microchironomus sp.
- Micropsectra sp.
- Microtendipes pedellus group
- Monodiamesa depectinata
- Monodiamesa tuberculata
- Orthocladius sp.
- Parachironomus chaetoalus complex
- Paracladopelma undine
- Paracladopelma winnelli
- Parakiefferiella nigra
- Parakiefferiella sp. A
- Paralauterborniella nigrohalteralis
- Paramerina sp.
- Paratanytarsus sp.
- Paratendipes albimanus
- Parochlus kiefferi
- Phaenopsectra obediens group
- Polypedilum halterale group
- Polypedilum scalaenum group
- Polypedilum tuberculum
- Potthastia longimanus group
- Procladius sp.
- Protanypus sp.
- Psectrocladius sp.
- Pseudochironomus sp.
- Pseudodiamesa spp.
- Rheotanytarsus sp.
- Sergentia spp.
- Stempellina sp.
- Stempellinella sp.
- Stictochironomus sp.
- Tanytarsus sp.
- Thienemanniella sp.
- Tribelos jucundum
- Zavrelia spp.
Bivalvia
- Dreissena polymorpha
- Dreissena rostriformis bugensis
- Pisidium spp.
- Musculium/Sphaerium spp.
Gastropoda
- Bithynia tentaculata
- Ferrissia rivularis
- Gyraulus spp.
- Helisoma anceps
- Physa sp.
- Potamopyrgus antipodarum
- Probythinella lacustris
- Somatogyrus subglobosus
- Stagnicola sp.
- Valvata lewisi
- Valvata perdepressa
- Valvata piscinalis
- Valvata sincera
- Valvata tricarinata
Amphipoda
- Diporeia spp.
- Echinogammarus ischnus
- Gammarus fasciatus
- Gammarus pseudolimnaeus
- Gammarus tigrinus
- Hyalella azteca
Isopoda
- Caecidotea sp.
- Lirceus sp.
Mysida
- Mysis diluviana
- Erpobdellidae
- Helobdella elongata
- Helobdella stagnalis
- Piscicola geometra
- Piscicola milneri
- Placobdella montifera
Nemertea
- Nemertea sp.
Polychaeta
- Manayunkia speciosa
Turbellaria
- Girardia tigrina
- Hydrolimax grisea
Hydridae
- Hydra sp.
Ephemeroptera
- Caenis sp.
- Hexagenia sp.
Hemiptera
- Trichocorixa borealis
Trichoptera
- Banksiola sp.
- Molanna flavicornis
- Oecetis sp.
- Polycentropus sp.