Explanation of Names
Trichoptera 'hairy wings'
Caddis means cotton or silk; tape or ribbon of worsted yarn;
caddice men (vendors of ribbons, braids, etc.) pinned their wares on their coats
(1)
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
(5); keys covering local faunas in
(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)...
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 diagnoctic (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
(2)(12)Habitat
most diverse in well-aerated streams, but also occur in lakes, ponds, marshes. Adults rest on nearby vegetation during the day; flight begins at dusk.
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. Adults may be long-lived (≥30 days) or short-lived. 5‒7 larval instars.
(13)See Also
moths have scaly wings and a coiled proboscis
Print References
Lloyd, J. T. (1921). The biology of the North American caddis fly larvae. J.U. & C.G. Lloyd (
Full Text)
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. (
Full Text)
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.
