Undercut Banks: A Habitat for More Than Just Trout

Undercut banks have long been appreciated by fisheries managers for their value as cover for salmonids, but their value to other species has not been documented. In two spring-fed streams surrounded by open meadows (Mono County, California), we found that several species of adult aquatic insects hide beneath undercut banks during the day. A D-frame net was used to make collections from this habitat. Undercut banks may be especially important to adult insects in open meadows, where there is no overhead cover from shrubs or trees.