Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Caddisflies (Trichoptera) » Annulipalpia » Philopotamoidea » Fingernet Caddisflies (Philopotamidae)

Family Philopotamidae - Fingernet Caddisflies

Philopotamidae, genus Dolophilodes - Dolophilodes

Philopotamidae, genus Chimarra - Chimarra

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies)

Suborder Annulipalpia

Superfamily Philopotamoidea

Family Philopotamidae (Fingernet Caddisflies)

Explanation of Names

Philopotamidae Stephens 1829

Philopotamus = 'loving rivers'

FINGERNET: larvae construct groups of silken nets shaped like fingers

Numbers

51 spp. in 4 genera (2 subfam.) in our area(1), ~1170 spp. in ~20 genera (3 subfam.) total(2)

Size

wing span 12–20 mm(3); adult body 5-9 mm

Identification

Adult: many are uniformly dark brown to black; 5th segment of maxillary palp 2-3 times as long as the 4th; females of the eastern Dolophilodes distinctus are wingless

Larva: metanotum membranous; labrum membranous, T-shaped(4)

key to MI spp.(5)

diagnostic atlas (6)

Range

throughout North America and much of the world(1)(3)

Habitat

larvae in fast-flowing portions of rivers and streams

Season

in Dolophilodes distinctus, both sexes active year-round; others from spring through fall

Food

larvae are filter-feeders, eating small particles trapped in their nets

Remarks

Larvae spin very fine-meshed nets, usually grouped together on the undersides of rocks near the upstream edge. The nets collapse when the rocks they are attached to are removed from the water.

Works Cited

1.	Rohrbeck R. (2004-2014) Flyfishing entomology

2.	Order Trichoptera Kirby, 1813. In: Zhang Z.-Q. (ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification... Holzenthal R.W., Morse J.C., Kjer K.M. 2011. Zootaxa 3148: 209–211.

3.	Australian Faunal Directory

4.	How to Know the Insects Roger G. Bland, H.E. Jaques. 1978. WCB/McGraw-Hill.

5.	Bright E. (2002-2011) Aquatic Insects of Michigan

6.	Diagnostic atlas of the North American caddisfly adults. I. Philopotamidae, 2nd ed. Armitage B.J. 1991. The Caddis Press, Athens, AL. 72 pp.

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 30 November, 2005 - 10:09pm
Additional contributions by v belov
Last updated 22 May, 2023 - 8:23pm

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