Caddisfly Family Hydropsychidae
5 genera (Diplectrona, Homoplectra, Oropsyche, Smicridea, Synoestropsis)
aren't included.
This is page 2 of specimens of Hydropsychidae. Visit the main Hydropsychidae page for:
- The behavior and habitat of Hydropsychidae.
- 1 underwater picture of Hydropsychidae.
Pictures of 28 Caddisfly Specimens in the Family Hydropsychidae:
Hydropsyche californica (Spotted Sedge) Caddisfly Larva
View 5 PicturesSize - 14 mm
Condition - preserved
Habitat - cobble bottom, moderate flow run, at a depth of approx. 1 1/2 feet.
Key Characters - pair of large prosternal sclerites (Sclerite: A hard plate of chitinous material, such as those that form the exoskeletons of arthropods, uninterrupted by cracks or sutures.)
This is a very common taxon at this location. I collected using a kick net. In life, it is bright olive green ventrally, shading to a dull olive at its dorsal (Dorsal: Top.) abdominal surfaces. In the hand, the legs, thoraxic regions, and head appear medium chocolate brown. The stark contrast of the thoraxic plate's dark edges and light legs are effects of preserving. The plumouse anal hooks were duck down gray, not the color of the gills as appears in the preserved specimen.
The Lower Yuba River is a good habitat for this species, being a larger river with an open canopy. The Feather River just to the north of the Yuba system also finds H. californica in abundance. The other common Hydropsyche species in the area, Hydropsyche occidentalis, seems to prefer smaller, shaded streams.
Entoman Male Cheumatopsyche (Little Sister Sedges) Caddisfly Adult
View 12 PicturesI didn't identify this one directly, but I eventually identified one of several I collected from the same swarms that appeared to be of the same species. (I lost track of which specimen was which in storage.) The microscope pictures come from one of these specimen, not necessarily the same specimen as the DSLR pictures. They key to Cheumatopsyche, and the hind wing venation (Venation: The pattern in which the veins on the wings of an insect are arranged. It is usually one of the most useful identifying characteristics.) that separates them from Hydropsyche is pretty clear in the attached picture as well as another specimen I checked under the scope.
This specimen was one of tens of thousands we saw on a July 1st evening on the Madison, beginning with big swarms around every vehicle and tree at the Eight Mile Ford access point and continuing all up and down the river bank. We somehow didn't catch any trout, perhaps because they were stuffed with pupae from when these things emerged. Or maybe we just weren't fishing well. Either way, this one represents a major hatch there.
I somehow forgot to photograph this important specimen against the hooks size chart, but fortunately I preserved a few. The body length is about 6 mm, and total length from head to wingtip is 9 mm.