2nd Period to the Creek

Mayfly nymph

We had slightly better weather for today's field trip. It was overcast, but it wasn't raining. We found crayfish, mayfly larvae and other aquatic invertebrates under the rocks around the old dam site. There were lots of fallen leaves in the water, reminding us that most of the primary producers in this ecosystem live outside of the water. On our walk in and out we found a colony of aphids feeding on a beech tree. They were waving their fluffy fecal covered abdomens like a bunch of underwater creatures. Here is a link to an article about the aphids from the UMass Agricultural Extension website. Beech Blight Aphids.

Aphids