1. Troutnut Forum
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2. Get Bugs Identified
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3. Which aquatic insects are most vulnerable to pollution???

Stoneflies?
Mayflies?
Or Caddisflies

Depends on species and type of pollution. There are species within each that are adapted to somewhat reduced oxygen levels (a common result of organic and physical pollution). Of the three, I think there are few if any stoneflies that are adapted to warmer, lower O2 waters.

What is your interest? School project?

If I had to make an assumption based on what I have seen, its stonefly, mayfly and caddis in that order going from cleanest to polluted. There are a few streams in NJ that don't have stoneflies, have a few mayflies but are loaded with caddis, and these are streams running through and around semi-populated housing and business districts.

When I see stonefly shucks on the rocks of a new stream I have never fished...it makes me smile. They are the live canary in the cold mine. CJ

Byhaugh, It's tough to make generalizations about that topic. It's not that simple. Google Hilsenhoff tolerance values and that will get you started. Like Paul pointed out it depends upon what type of pollution you are taking about. For example, some stonefly genera can take a much lower pH than other stoneflies. Depending upon the specific type of pollution, there may be certain genera of a particular insect order present but others will not be there. So the point I suppose I'm trying to make is that to generalize on the order level of classification may not really be that meaningful.

sulfurs