Explanation of Names
Trichoptera = Greek 'hairy wing'
Caddis means cotton or silk; tape or ribbon of worsted yarn;
caddice men (vendors of ribbons, braids, etc.) pinned their wares on their coats
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Identification
Adults resemble moths, but wings are hairy instead of scaly.
Forewings usually dark, sturdy, sometimes with striking color patterns, held tightly together roof-like over the abdomen when at rest.
Hindwings often clear, relatively delicate, and hidden under forewings when at rest.
Antennae usually very long, threadlike, with many segments.
Chewing mouthparts with prominent palpi.
Tarsi have five segments.
Ocelli (simple eyes) present in some families.
Keys to NA families & genera in
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The aquatic larvae have three pairs of legs and a soft, elongate, segmented abdomen usually hidden inside a case; head well-developed with chewing mouthparts in most species.
Most species live in a mobile case constructed from plant material, algae, grains of sand, pieces of snail shells, or entirely of silk. The case is held together with strands of silk secreted by the larva. In some species the case is attached to a rock, log, or other underwater surface; a few species have no case and are free-living.
The case's shape and material is used in identification (e.g., helicopyschids use sand to build spiral cases that resemble snail shells.)
Range
worldwide and throughout NA
ranges for each species of our fauna in
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Habitat
Species most diverse in well-aerated streams, but also occur in lakes, ponds, and marshes. Adults rest on nearby vegetation during the day; flight activity begins at dusk. Adults are attracted - sometimes in great numbers - to artificial light.
Food
Some adults take liquid food, such as nectar, others do not feed. Larvae usually detritivorous, some are predatory.
Life Cycle
Usually univoltine, some polyvoltine; some take over a year to develop. Depending on species, adults may be long-lived (≥30 days) or short-lived.
Can have 5-7 larval stages.
(13)Remarks
Larvae are important as fish food (used as bait, too), tend to be intolerant of pollution and may be used for water quality indication.
The fungus
Erynia rhizospora infects adult caddisflies; they die stuck to the undersides of rocks/logs in streams
(14)See Also
moths have scaly wings and a coiled
proboscis Print References
Betten C. (1934) The caddisflies or Trichoptera of New York State. Bull. N.Y. State Mus. 292: 1-576. (
Full text)
Ross H.H. (1944) The caddisflies, or Trichoptera, of Illinois. Bull. Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv. 23: 1-326.
Armitage B.J., Hamilton S.W. (1990) Diagnostic atlas of the North American caddisfly adults. II. Ecnomidae, Polycentropodidae, Psychomyiidae, and Xiphocentronidae. The Caddis Press, Athens, AL.