Meet the "Family": Macroinvertebrates in the NCR
Brentjens E and Nortrup M. 2026. Meet the "Family": Macroinvertebrates in the NCR. National Park Service
A resource brief about types of aquatic macroinvertebrates in National Capital Region parks. Explains the role of macroinvertebrates in stream ecosystems and the 152 taxa groups identified during monitoring from 2019 to 2022. The taxa group Chironomidae, often known as non-biting midges, makes up more than half of the macroinvertebrates identified in NCR streams.
- Type
- Resource Brief
- Authors
- Brentjens, Emma; Nortrup, Megan
- Date of Issue
- 2026-03
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- ANTI , CATO , GWMP , HAFE , MANA , MONO , NACE , NCRN , PRWI , ROCR , WOTR
- Keywords
- amphipoda, aquatic insects, aquatic macroinvertebrate, benthic macroinvertebrate, benthics, chironomidae, chironomids, diptera, ephemeroptera, EPT, macroinvertebrate, macros, macros brief, plecoptera, stream biota, stream biota brief, stream organisms, trichoptera