Macroinvertebrate Taxonomic Keys

Identification Keys

These files are all keys for the identification of various kinds of organisms. They were created by or for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, or its predecessor agencies.

• Amphipod Key, Volumes 1-5 - LeCroy, Sara E. An Illustrated Identification Guide to the Nearshore Marine and Estuarine Amphipoda of Florida:
  
  • Volume 1 (2000, PDF, 18 MB).
  • Volume 2 (2002, PDF, 16 MB).
  • Volume 3 (2004, PDF, 6 MB).
  • Volume 4 (2007, PDF, 5 MB).
  • Volume 5 (2011, PDF, 9 MB).
• Arrenurus Key - Risk, T. 2022. A key to Arrenurus spp. (Males) in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection reference collection [Based on keys or descriptions in Rutter (1999)]
• Beetles10.pdf *- Epler, J. H. 2010. The Water Beetles of Florida - an identification manual for the families Chrysomelidae, Curculionidae, Dryopidae, Dytiscidae, Elmidae, Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, Helophoridae, Hydraenidae, Hydrochidae, Hydrophilidae, Noteridae, Psephenidae, Ptilodactylidae and Scirtidae (PDF, 152 MB)  *For additions and corrections visit website, Johnepler.com.
• Beetles96.pdf - Epler, J. H. 1996. Identification manual for the water beetles of Florida (Coleoptera: Dryopidae, Dytiscidae, Elmidae, Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, Hydraenidae, Hydrophilidae, Noteridae, Psephenidae, Ptilodactylidae, Scirtidae). (PDF, 9.0 MB).
• Clams.pdf - Heard, W. H. 1979. Identification manual of the freshwater clams of Florida. (PDF, 2.7 MB).
• Cumacea Guide - Heard, R. T., D. Roccatagliata, and Iorgu Petrescu. 2007. An Illustrated Guide to Cumacea ( Crustacea: Malacostraca: Pericardia ) from Florida Coastal and Shelf Waters to Depths of 100 M. (PDF, 39MB).
• Decapods.pdf - Abele, L. G., and W. Kim. 1986. An illustrated guide to the marine decapod crustaceans of Florida. [with illustrations] (PDF, 35 MB) [with illustrations, 2 files] (PDF #1, 13 MB, PDF #2, 12 MB) [without illustrations] (PDF, 614 kB).
• Dragonflykey.pdf - Richardson, J. S. 2003. Identification Manual for the Dragonfly Larvae (Anisoptera) of Florida.(PDF, 104 MB).
• Frnpnhdl.pdf - Ross, L. T. 1989. An identification guide to the ferns of the Florida panhandle. (PDF, 135 kB).
• Gastropoda Key - Thompson, Fred G.2004.An Identification Manual for the Freshwater Snails of Florida. Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville.
• Heteroptera.pdf *- Epler, J.H.2006. Identification manual for the aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera of Florida (Belostomatidae, Corixidae, Gelastocoridae, Gerridae, Hebridae, Hydrometridae, Mesoveliidae, Naucoridae, Nepidae, Notonectidae, Ochteridae, Pleidae, Saldidae, Veliidae). (PDF, 37 MB).  *For additions and corrections visit website, Johnepler.com.
• Leeches.pdf - Klemm, D. J. 1995. Identification guide to the freshwater leeches (Annelida: Hirudinea ) of Florida and other southern states. (PDF, 3.1 MB)
• Mayflyguide.pdf - Pescador, M. and Richard, B. 2004. Guide to the Mayfly (Ephemeroptera) Nymphs of Florida, (PDF, 27.4 MB).
  
  • 2009 Update - September 2009 update to the 2004 Guide to the Mayfly (Ephemeroptera) Nymphs of Florida.
• Megaloptera - A. K. Rasmussen, Pescador, M. L. 2002. A guide to the Megaloptera and Aquatic Neuroptera of Florida, 78 pages. (PDF, 4 MB).
• Midges.pdf *- Epler, J. H. 1995. Identification manual for the larval Chironomidae (Diptera). (PDF, 9.2 MB)  *For additions and corrections visit website, johnepler.com.
• Mites.pdf - Pluchino, E. S. 1984. Guide to the common water mite genera of Florida. (PDF, 1.05 MB).
• Mysids.pdf - Farrell, D. H. 1979. Guide to shallow-water mysids from Florida. (PDF, 664 kB).
• Odonata.pdf – Tennessen, K. J. 2021. The Odonata of Florida: An identification manual for the suborders and families Aeshnidae, Gomphidae, Petaluridae, Corduligastridae, Macromiidae, Corduliidae, Libellulidae, Calopterygidae, Coenagrionidae, and Lestidae. (PDF, 47kB).
• Oligofw.pdf - Milligan, M. R. 1997. Identification Manual for the aquatic Oligochaeta of Florida. Vol. I. Freshwater oligochaetes. (PDF, 5.7 MB).
• Oligoest.pdf - Milligan, M. R. 1995. Identification Manual for the aquatic Oligochaeta of Florida. Vol. II. Estuarine and nearshore marine oligochaetes. (PDF, 8.6 MB).
• Sflampds.pdf - Thomas, J. D. 1993. Identification manual for the marine Amphipoda: (Gammaridea), I. Common coral reef and rocky bottom amphipods of south Florida. (PDF, 1073 kB).
• Stonefly.pdf - Pescador, M. L., A. K. Rasmussen, and B. A. Richard. 2000. A Guide to the Stoneflies (Plecoptera) of Florida.  (PDF, 3.0 MB).
  
  • 2009 Update - September 2009 update to the 2000 A Guide to Stoneflies (Plecoptera) of Florida.
• Tanaidacea.pdf - Heard, R., T. Hansknecht, and K. Larsen. 2003. An Illustrated Identification Guide to Florida Tanaidacea (Crustacea: Peracarida) Occurring in Depths of Less Than 200 m. (PDF, 42MB).
• Tanytarsini.pdf - Epler, J. H. 2014. Identification Guide To The Larvae Of The Tribe Tanytarsini (Diptera: Chironomidae) In Florida. (PDF 7 MB).
• Trichoptera - Pescador, M. L., A. K. Rasmussen, and S. C. Harris. 2004. Identification manual for the caddisfly (Trichoptera) larvae of Florida (Revised edition), 141 pages. (PDF, 3MB).
  
  • 2009 Update - September 2009 update to the 2004 (revised edition) identification manual for the caddisfly (Trichoptera) larvae of Florida
•  Trichoptera - PRELIMINARY Hydropsyche key of Florida. (pdf, 1MB).
• Zygoptera.pdf- Richardson, Johnny S. 2010, Identification Manual for the Damselfly Larvae (Zygoptera) of Florida, 62 pp. (pdf, 3MB).

Guides

Ross, L. T. 1989.
An identification guide to the ferns of the Florida panhandle. Fla. Dept. Environmental Regulation, Tech. Ser. 9(1). 26 pp. (PDF file size 135kb).

Field Guide to the Freshwater Snails of Florida, prepared by Fred G. Thompson, Curator of Malacology at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

Other links at the museum:

• Checklist of Vascular Plants of North Central Florida.
• Guide to Florida's Venomous Snakes.

View the current checklists for the Chironomidae, Heteroptera and the Coleoptera of Florida.