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Mayfly in the classroom
Mayfly on the radar
Reintroducing invertebrates
Europe's largest mayfly
BMWP scores
Interesting Stuff 6
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5
So what's the score
- Blue Winged Olives - and the others
The Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) scoring system is a method of assessing water quality using the families of insects - e.g. mayflies and stoneflies - and other aquatic invertebrates such as freshwater shrimps present in a river. Species are allotted points to rank their importance in the ecosystem, the less tolerant a group of invertebrates is to pollution the higher the points they are allotted.
This explains the distinction the Riverfly Partnership data sheets make between Blue Winged Olives, Ephemerellidae, which are particularly intolerant to pollution, scoring 10 points in the BMWP system and the other up winged flies called Olives, Baetidae, which only score 4 points - an appreciable difference.
Learning to distinguish between these two particular groups is an important part of our monitoring which deserves particular attention.
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GROUP
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FAMILIES
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SCORE
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Mayflies
Stoneflies
River bug
Caddis or Sedge flies
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Siphlonuridae, Heptageniidae, Leptophlebiidae
Ephemerellidae, Potamanthidae, Ephemeridae
Taeniopterygidae, Leuctridae, Caprniidae, Perlodidae, Perlidae, Chloroperlidae
Aphelocheridae
Phryganeidae, Molannidae, Beraeidae, Odontoceridae, Leptoceridae, Goeridae, Lepidostomatidae, Brachycentridae, Sericostomatidae
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10
10
10
10
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Crayfish
Dragonflies
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Astacidae
Lestidae, Agriidae, Gomphidae, Cordulegasteridae, Aeshnidae, Corduliidae, Libelluiidae
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8
8
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Mayflies
Stoneflies
Caddis or Sedge flies
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Caenidae
Nemouridae
Rhyacophilidae, Polycentropidae, Limnephilidae
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7
7
7
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Snails
Caddis or Sedge flies
Mussels
Shrimps
Dragonflies
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Neritidae, Viviparidae, Ancylidae
Hydroptilidae
Unionidae
Corophiidae, Gammaridae
Platycnemididae, Coenagriidae
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6
6
6
6
6
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Bugs
Beetles
Caddis or Sedge flies Craneflies/Blackflies
Flatworms
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Mesoveliidae, Hydrometridae, Gerridae, Nepidae, Naucoridae, Notonectidae, Pleidae, Corixidae
Haliplidae, Hygrobiidae, Dytiscidae, Gyrinidae, Hydrophilidae, Clambidae, Helodidae, Dryopidae, Elmidae, Chrysomelidae, Curculionidae
Hydropsychidae
Tipulidae, Simuliidae
Planariidae, Dendrocoelidae
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5
5
5
5
5
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Mayflies
Alderflies
Leeches
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Baetidae
Sialidae
Piscicolidae
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4
4
4
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Snails
Cockles
Leeches
Hog Louse
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Valvatidae, Hydrobiidae, Lymnaeidae, Physidae, Planorbidae
Sphaeriidae
Glossiphoniidae, Hirudidae, Erpobdellidae
Asellidae
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3
3
3
3
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Midges
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Chironomidae
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2
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Worms
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Oligochaeta (whole class)
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1
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Sheep Dip
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Cypermethrin
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0 |
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