That's right, it is illegal to collect macroinvertebrates without a permit in NY.
That reminds me, I need to renew mine! I did a small research project on the benthic organizms of ponds fand I will be working with students on a macroinvertebrate project next fall.
Last I knew the "liscense to collect" permit was still $10 and a bunch of paperwork.
Ed
" Fishermen, hunters, wood choppers, and others,
spending their lives in the fields and woods,
in a peculiar sense a part of Nature themselves,
are often in a more favorable mood for observing her,
in the intervals of their pursuits,
than philosophers or poets even,
who approach her with expectation."
Henry David Thoreau