A Macroinvertebrate Search

ALDERFLY
AQUATICWORMS
CADDISFLY
CRANEFLY
CRAYFISH
DAMSELFLY
DOBSONFLY
DRAGONFLY
LEECH
MAYFLY
MIDGE
MOSQUITOLARVA
MUSSEL
RIFFLEBEETLE
SALMONFLY
SIDESWIMMER
SNAIL
STONEFLY
WATERPENNY

Macroinvertebrates are a diverse group of animals, ranging from insects and crustaceans to molluscs and worms. They have been around for about 500 million years and some were even living in our waterways before the dinosaurs! Different aquatic macroinvertebrates have different tolerance levels to water pollution. Some water critters are sensitive to pollution, which means if the waterway was to become polluted they will die or move elsewhere. Other critters are tolerant to pollution, meaning they can survive in polluted water. By sampling a waterway for macroinvertebrates and identifying what’s there you will get a good indication of water quality and habitat condition. This word search contains the names of the different kinds of macroinvertebrate one might find in a typical freshwater stream. Good Luck!

Try to find all 19 words on this board.

R V G O O U E Z R Y Y Y O K N
A M L E S S U M L L L Z B M M
Y L W C F E I L F F W D O A H
L R E M M I W S E D I S M Y S
F U A V L N I N O W Q T N F I
N H N F X D A B A U L O P L F
O H Q B D R S T I H J N S Y Y
G O D A C O E T P V V E N H A
A H C A N R O C E Q Q F A C R
R P T F P L E G D I M L I E C
D N L E A L D E R F L Y L E G
R Y N R I F F L E B E E T L E
N N V M Z S A L M O N F L Y T
Y A Q U A T I C W O R M S Y L
R X Y L F L E S M A D B W T A
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Answer Key for A Macroinvertebrate Search

X
Y
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1# # # # # # # # # # Y Y # # #
2# # L E S S U M # L L # # M #
3Y # # # # # # # F F # # O A H
4L R E M M I W S E D I S # Y S
5F # # # # # I N O W Q T # F I
6N # # # # D A B A U # O # L F
7O # # # D R S T I # # N S Y Y
8G # # A C O E T # # # E N H A
9A # C # N R O # # # # F A C R
10R # # F P L E G D I M L I E C
11D # L E A L D E R F L Y L E #
12# Y N R I F F L E B E E T L E
13# N V # # S A L M O N F L Y #
14Y A Q U A T I C W O R M S # #
15# # Y L F L E S M A D # # # #
Word X Y Direction
ALDERFLY  511e
AQUATICWORMS  214e
CADDISFLY  39ne
CRANEFLY  58ne
CRAYFISH  1510n
DAMSELFLY  1115w
DOBSONFLY  104sw
DRAGONFLY  111n
LEECH  1412n
MAYFLY  142s
MIDGE  1110w
MOSQUITOLARVA  88sw
MUSSEL  82w
RIFFLEBEETLE  412e
SALMONFLY  613e
SIDESWIMMER  124w
SNAIL  137s
STONEFLY  124s
WATERPENNY  105sw