Insect Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies)

A Brachycentrus "Apple Caddis" pupa scoots around in the surface film. Apparently it had some difficulty emerging, so I was able to slip my camera underneath it and take a picture from below.

In this picture: Caddisfly Species Brachycentrus appalachia (Apple Caddis).

Cased caddis larvae blanket this section of stream bottom.

In this picture: Insect Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies).

Hundreds of cased caddis larvae cling to sparse weed growth in the sand under heavy current.

In this picture: Insect Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies).

A variety of cased caddisfly larvae, probably mostly Neophylax, have clustered along the backside of a rock in fast water. There seem to be some Helicopsychidae larvae clustered along the bottom, and a few other taxa are mixed in. It's interesting that several larvae have especially large stones placed over the front openings of their cases, perhaps to block the case off for pupation.

It does seem to be the wrong time of year for Neophylax to be pupating, but that was the ID given for one of these which I collected and photographed up close.

In this picture: Caddisfly Genus Helicopsyche (Speckled Peters) and Caddisfly Genus Neophylax (Autumn Mottled Sedges).

The white blotches on this rock are Leucotrichia caddisfly cases, and the wispy tubes are cases made by a type of midge.

In this picture: Mayfly Species Ephemerella invaria (Sulphur Dun), Caddisfly Species Leucotrichia pictipes (Ring Horn Microcaddis), and True Fly Family Chironomidae (Midges).

There's a large Ephemerella subvaria nymph in the top left.

In this picture: Mayfly Species Ephemerella invaria (Sulphur Dun), Insect Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies), and Mayfly Species Ephemerella subvaria (Hendrickson).

These are glossosomatids, Jason. They are probably Glossosoma nigrior, though it is possible that we are looking at mixed species. The ones to the right with their aggregate of similar sized grains are classic Glossosoma, while the ones to the left with the large anchor pebbles could possibly be Agapetus. Regardless, they're all commonly referred to as saddle case makers.

In this picture: Caddisfly Family Glossosomatidae (Saddle-case Makers).