Macroinvertebrates
Some macros spend their whole life cycle in the river. Others emerge to live nearby.
Macroinvertebrates are animals without a backbone that are large enough to see without a microscope. In the river, they include animals from such varied groups as insects, crustaceans, worms, and mollusks. As well as comprising an important part of the aquatic food web, macroinvertebrates are also key bioindicators of water quality. Some macroinvertebrates are highlighted below.
Please email your wildlife questions, stories, or images to wildlife@chicagoriver.org.
- Insects (larvae): Caddisfies, Dobsonflies, Stoneflies, Craneflies, Damselflies and Dragonflies
- Insects (adults): Waterboatman, Water scorpions and Water striders
- Crustaceans: Crayfish, Scuds and Sowbugs
- Mollusks: Snails (both gilled and lunged), Mussels (including Zebra mussels), and Clams
- Worms: Leeches and Planaria
Other resources:
- Ecology of the Chicago Region: Macroinvertebrates
- Macroinvertebrates of the Chicago River
- Macroinvertebrate Fact Sheet
- Key to Macroinvertebrate Life in the River
- Macroinvertebrate Identification Key - Illinois RiverWatch
- A Selection of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Illinois
- Freshwater Mussels of the Upper Mississippi River
- River Life Stories: dobsonfly larvae, mussels and clams, freshwater sponge and virile crayfish
