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Upcoming Events

National Moth Week was July 19-27, and the Summer 2025 gathering in Louisiana, July 19-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Family Lepidostomatidae - Bizarre Caddisflies

Representative Images

ҨҦ - Lepidostoma Bizarre Caddisfly Caddisfly - Lepidostoma Lepidostomatidae, genus Lepidostoma - Lepidostoma Brown teardrop moth - Lepidostoma caddisfly - Lepidostoma podagrum - male L.j? - Lepidostoma - male L.j? - Lepidostoma - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies)
Suborder Integripalpia
Infraorder Plenitentoria
Superfamily Phryganeoidea
Family Lepidostomatidae (Bizarre Caddisflies)

Other Common Names

Lepidostomatid Case-makers (or Lepidostomatid Case Maker Caddisflies)
Log-cabin Caddisflies (but more often used in reference to family Brachycentridae)

Explanation of Names

Lepidostomatidae Ulmer 1903
LEPIDOSTOMATIDAE: from the Greek "lepis; lepidos" (a scale; husk) + "stoma; stomatos" (a mouth)

Numbers

77 species in 2 genera in Nearctic bioregion (Trichoptera World Checklist)

Identification

larvae construct "log cabin" cases or "chimney" cases made of leaf pieces, leaf stems, or sand grains; larva has a lateral hump on first abdominal segment, and its antennae is situated close to anterior edge of eye

Range

throughout North America

Habitat

larvae live in springs, streams, and large slow-moving rivers

Food

larvae feed on detritus (decomposing plant matter)

Internet References

live adult image of undetermined Lepidostomatidae species (Alex Wild, California)
live larva image, minus case of undetermined Lepidostoma species (David Larson, Western Washington U.)
Calif. DFG Aquatic Bioassessment Lab: Digital Reference Collection)
common name reference [Bizarre Caddisflies] and larval case description (Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota)
common name reference [Lepidostomatid Case-maker] (Big Creek Reserve, California)
Contributed by Tony on 16 April, 2005 - 10:13am
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, Chuck Entz, v belov
Last updated 22 December, 2014 - 8:59pm

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