ggux

Have you been wondering what the dipper birds were eating all winter at -40 degrees? I was delighted to see hundreds of these ggux, pronounced "goo", crawling in the snow along our river trail the other day. Less than 1 cm long, these black, winged insects are probably newly emerged adult small winter stoneflies, part of the family Capniidae, and the stonefly order. Snowflies are adapted to cold weather and even hibernate during the summer heat. The adults emerge from the water in late winter and walk around on the snow to mate. Because of their cold tolerance, they are an important food source for many fish and other animals in winter. 

 

In Ahtna:

ggux, pronounced goo, generic word for bug, insect, or worm.