Home › Volumes › Insects › Caddis Flies

Caddis Flies — Part 2

As common as are the caddis worms, and as often as they have been watched in streams and in aquaria, not a single full life history has been recorded in this country, and a fascinating field for original investigation is therefore open to the first comer.

Table of Families

Spines on the legs, three ocelli . . . . . 1

No spines, only hairs and spurs . . . . . 2

1--Four spurs on middle tibiae . . . . . Family Phryganeidae

Two or three spurs on middle tibiae . . . . . Family Limnephilidae

2--Last two joints of palpi not elongated, simple not flexible . . . . . 3

Last joint of palpi, elongate, flexible, palpi hairy . . . . . 5

3--Male palpi four-jointed, ocelli absent . . . . . 4

Male palpi five-jointed, ocelli often present, when absent the spurs 2-4-4 . . . . . Family Rhyacophilidae

4--No spurs on anterior legs . . . . . Family Hydroptilidae

Spurs present on anterior legs . . . . . Family Sericostomatidae

5--Basal joint of antenna long and large, wings slender, no ocelli . . . . . Family Leptoceridae

Basal joint of antenna shorter, wings broader, last joint of palpi multi-articulate . . . . . Family Hydropsychidae