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Nisqually Reach Nature Center
4949 D'Milluhr Dr. NE
Olympia WA 98516-2311

(360) 459-0387
NRNC@NisquallyEstuary.org

Wildlife	Invertebrates	Birds

INVERTEBRATES

NRNC is in the midst of completing its third round of invertebrate identification as part of an estuarine restoration study being conducted by Nisqually Wildlife Refuge and Nisqually Tribe biologists. The invertebrate identification portion of the study serves as a determinant as to whether or not estuary restoration facilitates the increase in population of invertebrate species included in the salmon diet and to what extent.
 
The invertebrate monitoring partnership began in 2005 when one part-time employee, a couple of interns, and a group of dedicated volunteers spent hundreds of hours sorting and identifying terrestrial, benthic, and nueston (from the water column) samples. The long hours and volunteer dedication paid off and we are hard at work at the microscope again.
 
Results from the project's interrelated salmon gut analysis study gave evidence indicating that the diet of salmon in the studied habitats correlates strongly with terrestrial fallout insects. Due to this discovery, we are now putting all of our focus towards the slightly more macroscopic terrestrial samples. This allows for a little less eyestrain on our data collectors since we can actually see most of the specimens with the naked eye! But it does take a gentle touch with the tweezers to count the wing venation.
 
One of our new interns, Leia Gartner and new volunteer Karly McKee, have revised the Invertebrate Monitoring Identification Records and Procedures (IMIRP) notebook, and they and a handful of volunteers have been gathering data at a steady rate. Center Direcor Daniel Hull has also put together a slide presentation to help guide interns and volunteers through the process of identification and recording data. We are thrilled that our efforts have been a success so far. It is exciting to see students and the public actively participating in scientific research conducted in their community. We are looking to complete this round of identification this winter, so if it sparks your interest, let us know by calling the Center at 459-0387. We would be glad to show you the ropes and have you join our invertebrate monitoring team!
 
The following is a list of invertebrates identified as part of restoration monitoring:

Class: Order	Description	Family or Species Name
Insecta: Diptera	Midges	Chironomidae (Unid)
Insecta: Diptera	Midges	Chironomidae larvae/pupae
Insecta: Diptera	Shore Flies	Ephydridae (Unid)
Insecta: Diptera	Shore Fly Larvae	Ephydridae larvae (Unid)
Insecta: Diptera	Biting Midges, Punkies, No-see-ums	Ceratopogonidae (aka Heleidae) (Unid)
Insecta: Diptera	Crane Flies	Tipulidae
Insecta: Lepidoptera	Moths	Microlepidoptera
Insecta: Hemiptera	True Bugs	Hemiptera (Unid)
Insecta: Hymenoptera	Sawflies, Parasitic Wasps, Wasps, and Bees	Hymenoptera (Unid)
Insecta: Hymenoptera	Ants	Formicidae
Crustacea: Amphpoda	Amphipod	Corophium salmonis
Crustacea: Amphpoda	Amphipod	Corophiium spinicorne
Crustacea: Amphpoda	Amphipod	Corophium spp.
Crustacea: Amphpoda	Amphipod	Eogammarus confervicolus
Crustacea: Amphpoda	Amphipod	Eogammarus spp.
Crustacea: Amphpoda	Amphipod	Parathemisto pacifica
Crustacea: Amphpoda	Amphipod	Anisogammarus pugettensis
Crustacea: Amphpoda	Amphipod	Hyperiidae
Crustacea: Cladocera	Water Flea	Daphnia spp.
Crustacea: Copepoda	Calanoid Copepod	Calanoid
Crustacea: Copepoda	Cyclopoid Copepod	Cyclopoid
Crustacea: Copepoda	Harpacticoid Copepod	Harpacticoid
Crustacea: Copepoda	Copepods	Copepoda nauplius larvae
Crustacea: Cirripedia	Barnacles	Cirripedian nauplius larvae
Crustacea: Cumacea		Cumacea
Crustacea: Decapoda	Blue Mud Shrimp	Upogebia pugettensis
Crustacea: Decapoda	Bay Ghost Shrimp	Calianassa/Neotrypaea californiensis
Crustacea: Decapoda	Shrimp	Crangon spp.
Crustacea: Decapoda	Zoae etc.	Brachyuran Crab Zoea
Crustacea: Decapoda	Crab	Cancer spp.
Crustacea: Euphausiacea	Krill	Euphausia pacifica
Crustacea: Mysidacea	Opossum Shrimp	Neomysis mercedis
Crustacea: Isopoda	Isopod	Gnorimosphaeroma oregonese
Crustacea: Isopoda	Isopod	Isopod Unid.
Appendicularia: Copelata	Larvacean	Oikopleura spp.
Arachnida: Acari	Mites/Ticks	Acari (aka Acarina)
Arachnida: Araneae	Spiders	Araneae
Insecta: Coleoptera	Beetles	Coleoptera
Insecta: Homoptera	Cicada, Aphid	Homoptera
Insecta: Collembola	Springtail	Collembola
Crustacea: Ostracoda	Ostracod	Ostracod
Crustacea: Cladocera	Cladoceran	Cladocera
Crustacea: Cirripedia	Barnacles	Cirripedian Cypris
Crustacea: Tanaidacea	Tanaid	Tanaidacea
Sarcodina: Foraminifera
Annelida	Worms
Unidentified
Nematoda
Chaetognatha
Insecta: Thysanoptera	Thrips	Thysanoptera
Insecta: Orthoptera		Orthoptera
Insecta: Coleoptera	Beetle Larvae	Coleoptera larvae
Insecta: Psocoptera	Booklice & Barklice	Psocoptera
Insecta: Collembola	Springtails	Collembola
Mollusca: Gastropoda		Gastropod
Crustacea	Unidentified Crustacea	Crustacea
Crustacea: Amphipoda	Amphipod	Unidentified
Fish larva
Insecta: Diptera	Long-legged Flies	Dolichopodidae
Insecta: Diptera	Dark-winged Fungus Gnats	Sciaridae
Insecta: Diptera	Moth & Sand Flies	Psychodidae
Insecta: Diptera	Gall Gnats	Cecidomyiidae
Insecta: Diptera	Syrphid Flies	Syrphidae
Insecta: Diptera	Diastatid Flies	Diastatidae
Insecta: Diptera	Muscid Flies	Muscidae
Insecta: Diptera	Leaf Miner Flies	Agromyzidae
Insecta: Diptera	Humpbacked Flies	Phoridae
Insecta: Diptera	Pomace Flies	Drosophilidae
Insecta: Diptera	Minute Black Scavenger Flies	Scatopsidae
Insecta: Diptera	Fruit Flies	Chloropidae
Insecta: Diptera	Unid. Diptera (adults)
Insecta: Diptera	Unid. Diptera (larvae)
Insecta: Diptera	Unid. Diptera (pupae)
Insecta: Diptera	Punkie Pupae	Ceratopoginidae Pupae
Insecta: Diptera		Nematocera Pupae