The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia Encyclopedia World Factbook American Heritage Coll. North American species, of which there are more than 200, are yellowish, greenish, or brownish in the adult stage and have transparent wings, usually two pairs, but seldom fly. One to three years may be required to reach the adult stage.
Fishermen refer to adult stoneflies as browns and imitate their shape in lures.
Stoneflies are classified in the phylum Arthropoda , class Insecta, order Plecoptera. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.