The 2nd Hoosier Mystery in the Making!
Ron,
Here is another mystery for you. His name is George.(Not really. We named the creature that because it is George Washington's birthday today!)
The creature is a macroinvertebrate. Macro means you can see him without a microscope. It has no backbone. It is related to a worm and a snail. The creature is a nymph. That means it is a baby. We have more clues for you if you need them.
Mrs. Newton's Mystery Makers
posted by Mrs. Newton @ Wednesday, February 22, 2006
4 Comments:
George arrived.........but before I reply to George's identity, I have some
questions for you:
1) What does George mean for the quality of water where he lived in Indiana?
2) Why do I have a bunch of little boxes filled with fuzzy little imitations
of George in all his life stages?
3) Why do my wife and I spend countless hours and hours pouring over maps
and planning vacations to go catch something that likes to eat George?
4) Why is George one of the most important macroinvertebrates to me and my
fishing buddies?
5) Why did I know your water is going to be good for the whales when I saw George?
and many more questions and comments about this way cool creature!!!!
Your Friend, Ron
A healthy "George" means that the stream or pond where he lives is healthy, not dirty or polluted.
Cara
We like to fish and think that you have a bunch of boxes with little copies of George because it sounds like you like to fish on vacations. We think this because stoneflies or fish are predators of George.
Jacob and Dawson
So are the little boxes fishing tackle boxes and are the imitation Georges fishing "flies" that you use for bait when you fish?
Mrs. Newton
Could "George" be important to the whales because if the water is bad for little George, it is even more bad for big whales?
Dylan
Mrs. N. read some pages to us from your book about Grizzly Bears. We saw "George's" real name in the book. George is important to Grizzly Bears, but we don't have those bears here. We are wondering what other animals George would be important to. Maybe raccoons?
Wow, everything is connected like a long chain.
Kylie
Do you know "George's" real name?
Taylor
I think Kylie said it all, something that is so important to all life. Yes, Kylie, EVERYTHING is connected like a long chain. And, when some parts of the chain are missing or get hurt or start to disappear, the rest is weaker.
George is a Mayfly, a very delicate water insect. Mayflies are important in many food chains that lead to the mouths of otters, bears, raccoons, crows, herons, eagles, and many other animals. Near my home, fish that eat mayflies swim out into the sea and are eaten by whales.
No matter where mayflies live, they are great creatures to watch. Their scientific name means "I don't live very long as an adult". In fact mayfly kids live a long time. The adults come popping out of the stream or pond as the weather gets nicer. They change from the kid form a lot like butterflies, metamorphosing from the wiggly kids to become a flying insect. Some mayflies live only a few minutes as adults! Their entire purpose being to get some more eggs into the water before they die.
A lot of people mainly like mayflies because, as they say, they are indicators of good water quality. This is a good way of thinking. Mayflies have gills, a lot like fish. They take oxygen from water through the gills and breathe. If the water gets too mucky, the gills can't work right. So, clean water is a place mayflies like to hang out. That is why a lot of water quality testers (lots of kids do this) look for mayflies as indicators of good water.
I have loved mayflies most of my life because I fly fish. Mayflies are as important to me as chocolate is to someone like my daughter who is a chef. They are ingredients I use to catch trout! I tie little mayflies onto hooks, go fishing, catch a trout, then let it swim away............into the mouth of a BEAR! Or a WHALE!
That way, I get to watch the food chain work. I know if there are whales, there are fish. And, there are mayflies to feed the fish that eat the bugs........and you know the rest of the food chain!
From the River and Shore, Ron
Post a Comment
<< Home