Aphelocheirus aestivalis
Local name: Vandvæggelus
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
25
Countries
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphelocheirus_aestivalis
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Hemiptera
Family
Aphelocheiridae
Genus
Aphelocheirus
Aphelocheirus aestivalis belongs to the family Aphelocheiridae, order Hemiptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Vandvæggelus faces severe threats from water pollution, particularly agricultural runoff and industrial contamination that degrades the clean, well-oxygenated waters essential for its survival. Habitat destruction through river channelization, dam construction, and urban development has fragmented populations and reduced available breeding sites. Climate change is altering water temperatures and flow patterns, further stressing this specialized aquatic insect.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Clean, fast-flowing rivers and streams with high oxygen content, typically found in well-vegetated catchments with natural flow regimes. The species requires unpolluted waters with stable substrates including stones, gravel, and aquatic vegetation where it can complete its aquatic life cycle.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Vandvæggelus faces severe threats from water pollution, particularly agricultural runoff and industrial contamination that degrades the clean, well-oxygenated waters essential for its survival. Habitat destruction through river channelization, dam construction, and urban development has fragmented populations and reduced available breeding sites. Climate change is altering water temperatures and flow patterns, further stressing this specialized aquatic insect.
Climate change altering water temperature and flow regimes
Dam construction fragmenting river systems
River channelization and habitat modification
Water pollution from agricultural and industrial sources
Urban development reducing riparian habitat quality
Found in 25 Countries
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Aphelocheirus aestivalis (Aphelocheirus aestivalis). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/vandvggelus