The lifecycle of Stoneflies (Plecoptera)

For the creation of artificial flies, which are very similar to natural ones, we set at your disposal the products and materials of the GVS Realistic Fly Ting System that shall enable you to create very realistic Stonefly and concurrently challenge the water fauna during your outings to fish. Considering the almost complete similitude with the Natural Fly, it will be very easy for you to fool the fish. As a consequence, any capture thereof shall change into a successful challenge.

You can find here complete information related to the reason due to which Stoneflies are significant Flies for the Fly Fisher and you will furthermore know them better and you will be able to identify such.

Stoneflies are bugs tending to spend their lives near water, preferring rivers and brooks and they are among the bugs preferred by Fly Tiers. There are approximately 1,900 species of varied Stoneflies in the world. Stoneflies suffer a metamorphose, i.e. they do not have a pupa stage and it is deemed that they have an incomplete life cycle. The life cycle of the Stonefly is the same for the entire species, only the time interval between the varied stages can differ among them.  

Stoneflies in the stage of an Egg. Eggs are laid by the Female Stonefly in the shape of a sack directly left in the river or brook. They sometimes fly above water, other times they slip to the edge of the river to let the sack with eggs fall into the water. The eggs in their turn shall spread into the water and then grow up and give birth to the pupae.

Stoneflies in the stage of a Nymph. After the eggs laid by the Female Stonefly changed into Pupae, a period spanning between there months and three years can elapse before forming and growing up as Adult Flies. In this period, Nymph pass other phases, known as stages. Each development stage of the pupae is accompanied by replacing the exoskeleton, each period of taking off the clothes signalling the end of a stage. According to the species, the Nymph can pass through 12-23 stages. While approaching maturity, the Stonefly Nymph go to the shore and prepare their appearance. Males tend to grow up quicker and they go out before the females. The emergence occurs especially during night-time.

Stoneflies in the stage of an Adult. After going to the surface, on the stone coming out of the water or on the edges of rivers, the Stonefly go through a last vital stage. At the end of the growing up period, the pupa is now an Adult Fly. The stage of an adult tends to last from a couple of days up to a couple of weeks, according to the species. Those surviving only for a short time do not feed, as they focus on mating. Those living longer feed on pollen, plants and excrescences on the tree bark.

Mating of Stoneflies. Stoneflies tend to mate in swarms. In this time interval, they are often found in the vegetation of rivers or brooks. It may be any plant or trees nearby. They sometimes mate on land. Males attract their Partners by fluttering above the vegetation or soil. Certain species of Stoneflies mate several times, giving birth to more successors.

Reproduction of Stoneflies. In this stage, the Female Stonefly has the egg sack, returns to the water surface and drops it into the water. Certain species mate several times, creating several sacks to abandon them afterwards into the water. At this point, the reproduction process starts all over again.

Life stages of the Stonefly

• Egg;
• Nymph;
• Adult;
• Spent.