Bugs Below Zero

Discovering winter aquatic insects in Minnesota 

March 3, 2025
Insects & Wildlife
Student Life
Interdisciplinary Science

BY LOUISA SMITH, AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATION & MARKETING, BS '25

A mayfly on the snow.
​Mayflies are not flies but are in their own order called Ephemeroptera. Photo by Corrie Nyquist.

If you’ve ever looked closely at the snow banks by rivers or other bodies of water, you may have noticed little bugs crawling around. These bugs are some of the many species of aquatic insects in Minnesota that are active in the wintertime!

Bugs Below Zero (BBZ) is a research project at the University of Minnesota funded by the Minnesota Environmental & Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). The project supports winter aquatic insect research and outreach initiatives to help study these insects and build community. The team is composed of interdisciplinary experts in fields such as entomology, agricultural and environmental science, communications, and conservation biology.

My role in the project to support communication efforts. As a Science Communications and Outreach Intern, I have created and organized educational resources, flyers, and brochures. I also attend outreach events where I take photos and engage with the community. Recently, I helped create a food web activity display for the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge visitors center!

 

Meet the insects!

There are a wide variety of winter active insects. BBZ focuses on four main species; midges, mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies. These insects play an important role in our ecosystems, helping maintain healthy streams and food webs.

Hands holding aquatic insets.
Bugs Below Zero is supported by an interdisciplinary team of experts from the agricultural and environmental sciences, science communication, entomology, fisheries, wildlife, and conservation biology disciplines.

Aquatic insects are especially sensitive to changes in air or water temperature, oxygen levels, habitat modification, and other changes in water quality. Changes in the climate may decrease the abundance and diversity of insects that emerge in the winter. It is important that aquatic insect presence and diversity is documented by scientists to better understand the impact of these species and how to protect them.

Get involved!

Person looking for bugs in the snow.
Our unique Minnesota climate can help researchers understand interactions between weather, water, insects, and food webs across the globe.

Anyone can be involved in the project as a community scientist! Community science is an effort by members of the public to collect and share information with researchers. This data can help scientists understand information they could not get alone. By logging your observations on the Bugs Below Zero online Anecdata page, you can contribute to valuable research!

Learn more at Bugs Below Zero!