The Perlidae are a

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

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 mos ...

, with more than 50 genera and 1,100 described species. The majority of the Perlidae are found in eastern North America, but they occur worldwide except for Antarctica and parts of Africa. Their lifecycles range between one and three years. They adults emerge in the summer; they are very active and known to be attracted to light sources. They are usually very sensitive to changes in environment. Perlidae are usually

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

and

lentic A lake ecosystem or lacustrine ecosystem includes biotic (living) plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (non-living) physical and chemical interactions. Lake ecosystems are a prime example of lentic ecosystems (''lentic'' ref ...

erosional. They are found in cool, clear medium-sized to large streams and sometimes in larger, warm rivers that carry

silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension with water. Silt usually has a floury feel wh ...

. They are crawlers and can move quickly. In still water, no water moves over their

gills 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 ...

, so they move their bodies up and down to keep oxygen flowing over them. They are engulfer-predators. They consume all types of

invertebrates Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

. Very young

larvae A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. T ...

are collector-gatherers.

Genera

These 56 genera belong to the family Perlidae: * ''

Acroneuria ''Acroneuria'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae. There are more than 30 described species in ''Acroneuria''. Species These 32 species belong to the genus ''Acroneuria'': * '' Acroneuria abnormis'' (Newman, 1838) (common ...

'' Pictet, 1841 * ''

Agnetina ''Agnetina'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae. There are at least 30 described species in ''Agnetina''. Species These 31 species belong to the genus ''Agnetina'': * ''Agnetina aequalis'' (Banks, 1937) * '' Agnetina annul ...

'' Klapálek, 1907 * '' Anacroneuria'' Klapálek, 1909 * ''

Attaneuria ''Attaneuria'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae. It is monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not ...

'' Ricker, 1954 * '' Beloneuria'' Needham & Claassen, 1925 * ''

Brahmana The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas. They are a secondary layer or classification of Sanskrit texts embedded within ea ...

'' Klapálek, 1914 * ''

Calineuria ''Calineuria'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae. There are about seven described species in ''Calineuria''. Species These seven species belong to the genus ''Calineuria'': * ''Calineuria californica'' (Banks, 1905) (wester ...

'' Ricker, 1954 * '' Caroperla'' Kohno, 1946 * '' CHINOPERLa'' Zwick, 1980 * ''

Claassenia ''Claassenia'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae. There are about 12 described species in ''Claassenia''. Species These 12 species belong to the genus ''Claassenia'': * ''Claassenia bischoffi'' (Wu, 1935) * ''Claassenia br ...

'' Wu, 1934 * ''

Dinocras ''Dinocras'' is a genus of stoneflies belonging to the family Perlidae, one of the oldest order of insects (about 220 million of years ago). Species * ''Dinocras cephalotes'' (Curtis, 1827) * ''Dinocras ferreri'' (Pictet, 1841) * ''Dinocras meg ...

'' Klapálek, 1907 * ''

Doroneuria ''Doroneuria'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae. There are at least two described species in ''Doroneuria''. Species These two species belong to the genus ''Doroneuria'': * ''Doroneuria baumanni'' Stark & Gaufin, 1974 (cas ...

'' Needham & Claassen, 1925 * ''

Eccoptura ''Eccoptura'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae. There is at least one described species in ''Eccoptura'', ''E. xanthenes''. It is known as the "yellow stone" and is found in North America. References Further reading ...

'' Klapálek, 1921 * '' Enderleina'' Jewett, 1960 * '' Eoperla'' Illies, 1956 * '' Etrocorema'' Klapálek, 1909 * '' Flavoperla'' Chu, 1929 * '' Furcaperla'' Sivec, 1988 * '' Gibosia'' Okamoto, 1912 * '' Hansonoperla'' Nelson, 1979 * '' Helenoperla'' Sivec, 1997 * '' Hemacroneuria'' Enderlein, 1909 * ''

Hesperoperla ''Hesperoperla'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae The Perlidae are a family of stoneflies, with more than 50 genera and 1,100 described species. The majority of the Perlidae are found in eastern North America, but they ...

'' Banks, 1938 * '' Inconeuria'' Klapálek, 1916 * '' Kamimuria'' Klapálek, 1907 * '' Kempnyella'' Illies, 1964 * '' Kempnyia'' Klapálek, 1914 * '' Kiotina'' Klapálek, 1907 * '' Klapalekia'' Claassen, 1936 * '' Macrogynoplax'' Enderlein, 1909 * '' Marthamea'' Klapálek, 1907 * '' Mesoperla'' Klapálek, 1913 * '' Miniperla'' Kawai, 1967 * ''

Neoperla ''Neoperla'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae The Perlidae are a family of stoneflies, with more than 50 genera and 1,100 described species. The majority of the Perlidae are found in eastern North America, but they occ ...

'' Needham, 1905 * '' Neoperlops'' Banks, 1939 * '' Nigroperla'' Illies, 1964 * '' Niponiella'' Klapálek, 1907 * '' Nishineuria'' Uchida, 1990 * '' Onychoplax'' Klapálek, 1914 * '' Oyamia'' Klapálek, 1907 * '' Paragnetina'' Klapálek, 1907 * '' Perla'' Geoffroy, 1762 * ''

Perlesta ''Perlesta'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae The Perlidae are a family of stoneflies, with more than 50 genera and 1,100 described species. The majority of the Perlidae are found in eastern North America, but they occ ...

'' Banks, 1906 * ''

Perlinella ''Perlinella'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae. There are at least three described species in ''Perlinella''. Species These three species belong to the genus ''Perlinella'': * ''Perlinella drymo'' (Newman, 1839) (striped ...

'' Banks, 1900 * '' Phanoperla'' Banks, 1938 * '' Pictetoperla'' Illies, 1964 * '' Sinacroneuria'' Yang & Yang, 1995 * '' Tetropina'' Klapálek, 1909 * '' Togoperla'' Klapálek, 1907 * '' Tyloperla'' Sivec & Stark, 1988 * '' Xanthoneuria'' Uchida, Stark & Sivec, 2011 * † '' Archaeoperla'' Liu, Ren & Sinitshenkova, 2008 * † '' Dominiperla'' Stark & Lentz, 1992 * † '' Electroneuria'' Sroka, Staniczek & Kondratieff, 2018 * † '' Largusoperla'' Chen, Wang & Du, 2018 * † '' Pinguisoperla'' Chen, 2018

References

Plecoptera families {{Plecoptera-stub