Submitted by Patina Mendez on
In this project, we survey adult aquatic insects to determine the life history of different species of caddisflies. We use ultraviolet light-traps to monitor sites on intermittent (seasonally flowing) and permanent streams. The current phase of the project is expanding to a new set of sites in the east bay hills, as well as lab processing and identification from sites near Mt. Diablo. We will sort the benthic macroinvertebrates from the collected material and make identifications using dichotomous keys and will be making “species notebook pages” to help rapidly identify California Caddisflies. We'll visit the field site monthly to sample. We will also modify a suite of open-source sensors (Arduino Mayflies) and deploy them at the sites to monitor the changing habitat conditions.
Sort and identify adult aquatic insects and other organisms from light trap samples. Work using a dissecting scope and use dichotomous and pictorial keys to identify organisms. Learn how to recognize freshwater aquatic invertebrates and identify organisms to the order and family level. Students with experience in entomology may learn some advanced techniques in preparing specimens. Some fieldwork to make new collections.
Qualifications include interest in biology, particularly in freshwater systems, entomology; good organization skills, and attention to detail. We are also looking for students who are interested in creating digital resources of specimen-level information from the taxonomic literature to speed adult identifications. We enjoy working with students that are motivated to learn and seek hands-on experience in aquatic entomology. Experience with basic insect identification useful, but are not required.