Would love to see more aquatics. Here in Hawaii there are not too many.
Diving beetles once in a while, a few backswimmers, waterboatmen, a
whirlygig. But not too often . I think they are all introduced (alien)
MTF
>Now on to the fun parts of your post.<g> How wonderful to have an
>entomologist on the list. I would love to have the opportunity to pick
>your brain someday. I'm very interested in not only fish but aquatic
>ecosystems as a whole. I'm not a scientist in any way, but I do spend
>a lot of time looking under rocks both in the water. I am amazed at
>the large number of insects and small inverts in almost any permanent
>body of water. I try to keep as diverse a population in my tanks as
>possible, which includes gammarus, seed shrimp, etc.
>
>I've found some very interesting large aquatic beetles in the salt
>river here and also in a small creek up Sugar Loaf Mountain Road (one
>of my favorite local spots). I would like to try to keep more aquatic
>insects (I know most of these things aren't true insects) and other
>small inverts. Would large aquatic beetles be able to live off of
>daphnia too?
>
>I have two other questions I have that I have brought up on the list
>in the past that I would like to ask you also. Is there a good field
>guide for North American aquatic insects? The best thing I've got is a
>Golden Guides Pond field guide. Despite the fact the book is old and
>very limited it's about the best thing I've found for an amateur like
>me.
>
>The other question regards the study of aquatic insect populations.
>Considering that it seems that there are more non-native fish than
>native in our waters and the general increase in recent extinctions of
>higher animals, is anyone paying any attention to what's happening on
>a smaller scale? Are there any major efforts to see what if insect
>populations are changing in similar ways?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Rhonda
>(right next door on the Mesa-Apache Junction border)
Mach Fukada, Computer Specialist
Information Technology and Communications
Tokai University at Honolulu
"You need it, I'll make it. You break it, I'll fix it.
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