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.

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

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1# # # # # Y L F E N A R C # #
2# # # D R A G O N F L Y # A C
3# # # R A L D E R F L Y V Q A
4E L T E E B E L F F I R # U D
5C E # Y # M # # # # A # # A D
6R E # L # # M # # L # # # T I
7A C # F # # # I O # # L # I S
8Y H # E # # # T W E E # # C F
9F Y # N # L I A N S G # # W L
10I L # O # U # # S # E D # O Y
11S F # T Q # # U # # # D I R #
12H Y # S A L M O N F L Y I M #
13# A O # Y L F N O S B O D S #
14# M # D A M S E L F L Y # # #
15# # # Y N N E P R E T A W # #
Word X Y Direction
ALDERFLY  53e
AQUATICWORMS  142s
CADDISFLY  152s
CRANEFLY  131w
CRAYFISH  15s
DAMSELFLY  414e
DOBSONFLY  1313w
DRAGONFLY  42e
LEECH  24s
MAYFLY  214n
MIDGE  1412nw
MOSQUITOLARVA  88ne
MUSSEL  712ne
RIFFLEBEETLE  124w
SALMONFLY  412e
SIDESWIMMER  1413nw
SNAIL  109w
STONEFLY  412n
WATERPENNY  1315w