Rare stonefly only found in Lake Tahoe
This stonefly has only been found living beneath the surface of Lake Tahoe. Photo/UNR
By Emily Benson, New Scientist
Species: Capnia lacustra
Habitat: Lake Tahoe, 100 to 280 feet below the lake’s surface.
An autumn birthday means one of these rare aquatic insects was born live; but a spring birthday bash means it probably hatched from an egg.
The insect, a species of stonefly called Capnia lacustra, is one of 10 invertebrate species found only on the bed of Lake Tahoe.
And it is one of a kind among stoneflies. Most species in this group live in streams or rivers as juveniles, before emerging into the air as winged adults to mate and lay eggs. C. lacustra has a different strategy: it’s the only known species of stonefly that spends its entire life under water, never developing wings.
The creatures’ rarity and difficult-to-reach habitat make them hard to study. A lakewide survey in 2008 and 2009 revealed that C. lacustra – and the particular plant it lives on – appears to be much scarcer in Lake Tahoe now than in the 1960s.