My thanks to Chris Firkus, who answered my question this week about how a stonefly changes from breathing water through gills as a naiad to breathing air as an adult. Here's the answer he posted on facebook:
"The gills are directly attached to the spiracles and are a continuation of the internal circulatory system to the gills. Then when they shed the gills at the spiracle, the spiracle is what is left. Both are passive respiration by diffusion."
Chris will be receiving an original Trout Lily Studios woodblock print in thanks for his answer. I'm very grateful for his input, and for satisfying my curiosity where Google failed.
Keep an eye out for the next post!
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