Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Family Hydropsychidae - Netspinning Caddisflies

caddisfly larva caddisfly #2 Caddisfly Hydropsyche venularis caddisfly - Hydropsyche insect black with gray spots caddisfly - Smicridea fasciatella Littleton Hydropsychid - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies)
Suborder Annulipalpia
Superfamily Hydropsychoidea
Family Hydropsychidae (Netspinning Caddisflies)
Explanation of Names
Hydropsychidae Curtis 1835
Numbers
~160 spp. in 11 genera in our area(1), almost 1000 spp. in ~60 genera total
Size
adults 6-19 mm
Range
worldwide
Habitat
larvae in streams and rivers, adults in nearby vegetation
Food
larvae feed on algae, diatoms, crustaceans, and immature aquatic insects that are swept by the current into their silken nets
Remarks
larvae do not build a case; they seek shelter in debris and under stones, and spin a concave silken net, facing upstream, at the entrance to their retreat, then position themselves at the downstream end of the net to await prey
Works Cited
1.Distributional checklist of Nearctic Trichoptera (2022 revision)
Rasmussen A.K., Morse J.C. 2023. FAMU, Tallahassee. 519 pp.