Clarksburg, West Virginia — Most West Virginians welcome the cold because it kills bugs, but one type of insect seen in Clarksburg this week thrives in the winter.
In mid-February, a few WBOY employees were startled to find dozens of centimeter-long insects crawling on the sides of buildings and vehicles at the Clarksburg studio. Unlike other insects, winter stoneflies or willowflies do all of their growing, mating, and hatching in the winter before hibernating for the majority of the spring and summer.
Winter stonefly larvae hatch in the winter and early spring, then hibernate before resuming activity in the fall, all while remaining in the water. In the winter, they mature and emerge as adult stoneflies, living only long enough to mate and continue the cycle near small streams, creeks, and rivers such as Clarksburg’s West Fork River.
Adults are dark in color, with slim bodies, veiny wings rolled on their backs, and long antennae. Despite having wings, adult stoneflies rarely fly.
The sight of bugs crawling around in mid-winter may seem strange, but stoneflies are harmless to humans and are not considered pests. According to the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association, they can only survive in highly oxygenated water with limited pollution, making them excellent indicators of stream health.
During their brief adult life, winter stoneflies are most commonly seen in February, March, and April, according to nature reporting websites such as iNaturalist. There are over 140 species of stoneflies in West Virginia, and thousands more on every continent except Antarctica.
