This interactive guide to the Identification and Ecology of Australian Freshwater Invertebrates is designed to provide ecological and taxonomic information to enable community groups, students and scientists to readily identify inland aquatic invertebrates. The content focuses on invertebrates from fresh and inland saline surface waters of mainland Australia and Tasmania, in particular taxa utilised in routine biomonitoring. General information is given for each of the major aquatic invertebrate groups. Then successively more specific information is provided to genus level (not all groups). Taxonomic keys are provided to family level for the groups utilised in biomonitoring then to subfamily level or genus level for some families. Detailed information and key references are not included for the following major groups; Aphanoneura, Bryozoa, Gastrotrichia, Nematoda, Nematomorpha, Nemertea, Protozoa, Rotifera and Tardigrada. The status of taxonomic levels above Order are reviewed or debated as knowledge is gained or refuted with the majority of groupings remaining constant. For this reason, major groups and minor groups above Order level have not been assigned taxonomic status in this Guide.

This online resource is a compilation of taxonomic resources published by the various taxonomists working on invertebrates with aquatic life stages. Any information used from the description pages should be cited using the page name and referring to Hawking, Smith and LeBusque as editors.

Example: Micronecta In: Hawking JH, Smith LM, LeBusque K, Davey C (editors) (2013) Identification and Ecology of Australian Freshwater Invertebrates. Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre. http://www.mdfrc.org.au/bugguide Accessed [insert date viewed]

To reference a key used for identification, the original key reference (noted at the top of couplet one) must be used and can be found in Information Sources.

Example: "Note: Key from Tinerella 2013" should be cited as Tinerella PP (2013) Taxonomic revision and systematics of continental Australian pygmy water boatmen (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Corixoidea) Zootaxa 3623: 1-121

Example: "Note: Key from Horwitz et al. 1995, Lowry & Yerman 2002, Serov 2002" should be cited as Key to malacostracan orders In: Hawking JH, Smith LM, LeBusque K, Davey C (editors) (2013) Identification and Ecology of Australian Freshwater Invertebrates. http://www.mdfrc.org.au/bugguide. Accessed [insert date viewed] After: Horwitz et al. 1995, Lowry & Yerman 2002, Serov 2002 [then each citation should be included seperatley in your reference list]

When no key reference is noted in couplet one or if multiple sections of the online guide have been used then cite:

Hawking JH, Smith LM, LeBusque K, Davey C (editors) (2013) Identification and Ecology of Australian Freshwater Invertebrates. http://www.mdfrc.org.au/bugguide Accessed [insert date viewed]

• Click on Start Identification to begin identifying the specimen.
• Each key is dichotomous i.e. a series of couplets noting the presence or absence of particular diagnostic characters
• Colour digital images are provided to enhance identification
• Click on a thumbnail image within a key to view an enlarged image. The hover text for each image identifies the specimen.
• The guide then branches off to minor group, order, family, subfamily and generic keys (where possible).
• When an identification is reached at each taxonomic level, diagnostic and ecological information is given as well as juvenile, adult and habitat images (when available).
• At any time, click on glossary or terminology images for help with taxonomic and biological terms.

A list of names of the subsequent taxonomic groups within the current group i.e. at family level, a list of genera is given. The name given after a species name is the person who first described that species.

The status of taxonomic levels above Order are reviewed or debated as knowledge is gained or refuted with the majority of groupings remaining constant. For this reason, major groups and minor groups above Order have not been assigned taxonomic status in this guide. Species validation relies on published description of the adult specimen. "Larva unknown" means a distinct adult specimen has been recorded but a larva has yet to be associated with it. "Undescribed genus" or "undescribed species" means a morphologically distinct larval specimen has been recorded but a described adult has yet to be associated with it.

The functional feeding group (FFG) refers to the method by which each species of invertebrate obtains food. The relative abundance of macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups may reflect the in-stream processes of an aquatic habitat. Dominance of, or loss of a particular group may indicate a change in the ecological status of the stream or pool. The ideal 'healthy' aquatic habitat has representatives of each functional feeding group. In the absence of degradation of habitat or water quality, there will always be a natural dominance in relation to natural food sources e.g. an abundance of leaf litter will be reflected by an abundance of shredders.