Fall and Winter Stoneflies, or Plecoptera, of Illinois

The life of the fall and winter stoneflies is a striking exception to the general rule that insect activity ceases with the approach of cold weather. This rule holds true for the vast majority of insects living in temperate climates, particularly for those kinds which are conspicuous because of their large size, their bright coloring, or the damage that they do. To certain other insects, however, usually of smaller proportions and duller hues, a chilling temperature is the signal for their greatest activity, their most pronounced growth, and the reproduction of their kind.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe