I helped to investigate the Riffle Beetle along with the rest of my group. The Riffle Beetle is a pretty complex and very interesting macroinvertebrate that can be found in many rivers, including the Shenandoah River. One aspect of this organism that I found interesting is that it is classified as a Class 1 organism. This means that it needs a habitat of good water quality in order to survive and is therefore a good indicator of a water source with minimal pollution. I also learned that the Riffle Beetle larvae breath by plastron, a group of tightly packed hairs. The females lay an average of nine eggs in small crevices on the bottom of rivers or streams. Some Riffle Beetles have functioning wings, but some have vestigial wings, depending on the species of beetle. Also, the whole life cycle of this organism is relatively long compared to that of many macroinvertebrates at 3 to 4 years.
Mayfly
-The average Mayfly survives as an adult for only one day.
-Mayfly raise their tail up in self-defense when confronted.
Gilled Snail
-Some gilled snails have both sexes.
-The tissue that connects this snail's body to its shell hold oxygen.
Water Penny
-Water Pennies are nocturnal.
-They lay their eggs in plant stems which help to protect them from predators.
I really enjoyed the freedom we were given with this project. I loved how we could choose our partners and mode of presentation. I felt that I learned a lot because I was able to have control over these aspects of the project.
The most challenging aspect of this project was delegating which member of the group would do which job, while keeping these tasks equal to each person. I believe that through good communication and with each person being willing and able to do their job, we overcame this obstacle.
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