Numbers
17 species in North America listed at
nearctica.comSize
adult length about 20 mm (head to wingtip, at rest)
Identification
Adult: body and forewing uniformly reddish-brown except for dark gray blotch near middle of wing, an irregular crescent-shaped patch distal to the blotch, and a dark band along lower half of outer margin; forewing outer margin pointed, somewhat V-shaped; antennae thick, slightly shorter than length of forewing
Larva: body yellow with unbranched abdominal gills; third thoracic segment has narrowly separated sclerites; final-instar larvae of some species such as P. guttifer construct cases of woody materials; other species construct cases from small pebbles; early instars of all species generally use plant materials for case construction
Range
North America east of the Rockies, except the southwest and arctic; also occurs in Washington state (see
distribution map of
P. guttifer)
Habitat
larvae develop in streams and small rivers in forested areas; adults rest on nearby vegetation during day, becoming active at night, and are attracted to light
Season
adults fly in September and October
Food
larvae process autumn-shed leaves; bacteria and fungi colonize the decaying leaves, providing a nutritious food source
Life Cycle
in fall, females land on shoreline objects, then crawl underwater to lay eggs, which hatch in a few days; larvae feed on decaying leaves throughout fall and winter; in spring and early summer, final instar larvae enter pre-pupal period of quiescence (diapause) lasting from 1 to 6 months, during which they either attach their cases to the undersides of rocks, or bury themselves in gravel of streambed; pupation occurs from mid-summer to early fall; pupae crawl out of water onto shore, where adults emerge; one generation per year
Print References
(1) [has illustration of adult
Pycnopsyche species]
Pobst, Dick. and Carl Richards. 1998. The Caddisfly Handbook: An Orvis Streamside Guide. Lyons Press. 160 pp. - see
amazon.ca [has illustration of adult
Pycnopsyche guttifer]
Internet References
live adult image of
P. guttifer (Thomas Ames, New Hampshire)
larva images plus habitat, food, seasonality, biology (Wilfred Laurier U., Ontario)
larva and larval case images (Valley City State U., North Dakota)
photo of larval case (U. of Massachusetts)
habits and biology (Jason Neuswanger, troutnut.com)
distribution map of
P. guttifer (Pennsylvania Aquatic Flies, Penn State U.)
list of species in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (courtesy U. of Georgia)
list of species in Michigan (Ethan Bright, U. of Michigan)
Contributed by
Robin McLeod on 30 October, 2006 - 10:15pm
Additional contributions by
v belovLast updated 22 December, 2014 - 9:54pm