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Photo#1385314
Aquatic larva Southwest Alberta (CAN) May 27 2015 - small mountain creek - Oreoleptis torrenticola

Aquatic larva Southwest Alberta (CAN) May 27 2015 - small mountain creek - Oreoleptis torrenticola
Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada
May 27, 2015
Size: 13 mm
Only mouthparts are visible at anterior end, mandibles moving parallel to each other in a vertical plane. Slender projections along abdomen, with crochet hooks at end.

Second photo shows: 2 pairs of prolegs also with crochet hooks at posterior end, on opposite side of body from projections. Large spiracular disc. More crochet hooks next to spiracular disc.

Images of this individual: tag all
Aquatic larva Southwest Alberta (CAN) May 27 2015 - small mountain creek - Oreoleptis torrenticola Aquatic larva Southwest Alberta (CAN) May 27 2015 - small mountain creek - Oreoleptis torrenticola

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Oreoleptis torrenticola
Pretty sure of the ID. This will be a new family for the guide. Give me a bit to figure out where to place the family.

Congratulations on a good find. I've been working on aquatics in the Northwest for about 20 years and have never run across this critter.

 
Prolegs
I thought about this species, but I read that it has more prolegs than are visible here.

 
2 pairs prolegs on ab2-7
My first impression was Dicranota, but the overall appearance looked wrong -- prolegs too long, body shape different and no spiracular lobes evident. Then I noticed the extra prolegs visible on abdominal segment 5. I think most of the prolegs are difficult to see because many are out of the plane of focus. Also, note the dorsal knobs on abdominal segments 6 & 7.

 
dorsal knobs
This makes a lot of sense to me. I had almost reached the Athericidae/Oreoleptidae couplet in Merritt and Cummins but gave up because I felt like I was starting to guess. Description for Oreoleptis is pretty accurate: short dorsal crocheted knobs on ab 6-7 (which I incorrectly called prolegs). ab 2-7 each with two pairs of widely separated long, slender prolegs (which I thought might be prolegs but described as slender projections with crochet hooks).

 
Thanks very much!
Very cool! Let me know if you need any more info or pictures. Thanks!

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