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| Common Name | Common Netspinner Caddisfly Larvae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Trichoptera |
| Family | Hydropsychidae |
| Description | 13-18mm, range 9-30mm. Larvae are almost always collected free from their dwellings. They have hardened plates on top of all three thorax segments.They have branched filamentous gills on the bottom of most abdomen segments and posterior hairs on the rear segment. For more photos, refer to our online gallery: tinyurl.com/vkj64mg |
| Habitat | Lives in a variety of flowing water. Most commonly found on rocks or the spaces between rocks, large enough to be stable even with the current. Some live in water-soaked logs and other woody debris. Common in submerged plants that grow in flowing water. |
| Feeding Information | Collector-filterers. Larvae create a mesh net facing the water current and near the opening of their tubular retreat. This net filters the water to obtain food, in which the larvae sticks their head out of the retreat to feed. |
| Water Quality Tolerance | Vary from facultative, somewhat sensitive to very sensitive. Facultative kinds are commonly found in streams with moderate levels of pollution, such as organic wastes or nutrients. Can be an indicator of pollution. |
| References | Voshell & Wright. 2002. |
