**Caddisfly Genus Hydroptila (Varicolored Microcaddisflies)**

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Caddisflies

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Taxonomic Navigation -?-

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

» Class Insecta (Insects)

» Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies)

» Family Hydroptilidae (Microcaddisflies)

» Genus Hydroptila (Varicolored Microcaddisflies)

Species in Hydroptila
Hydroptila albicornisVaricolored Microcaddis	0	0
Hydroptila arctiaVaricolored Microcaddis	0	0
Hydroptila argosaVaricolored Microcaddis	0	0
Hydroptila consimilisVaricolored Microcaddis	0	0
Hydroptila hamataVaricolored Microcaddis	0	0
Hydroptila jackmanniVaricolored Microcaddis	0	0
Hydroptila ronoVaricolored Microcaddis	0	0
Hydroptila waubesianaVaricolored Microcaddis	0	0

91 species aren't included.

Common Names

Match	Common Name
	Varicolored Microcaddisflies
	Microcaddisflies

Pictures Below ↓

There is a wide range of behaviors, locations, and emergence times within this diverse genus. Several species may be important and most trout streams hold at least one of them.

Larva & Pupa Biology

Shelter Type: Sand

Gary LaFontaine presented an interesting idea in Caddisflies:

Why is the Brassie, the nymph pattern with the copper body, becoming a popular fly in very small sizes -- 18, 20, and 22 -- on spring creeks across the country? It is my belief that the effectiveness of this fly in small sizes is linked with the drifting of Hydroptila larvae in their yellowish sand cases.

He is speaking here of the behavioral drift (Behavioral drift: The nymphs and larvae of many aquatic insects sometimes release their grip on the bottom and drift downstream for a while with synchronized timing. This phenomenon increases their vulnerability to trout just like emergence, but it is invisible to the angler above the surface. In many species it occurs daily, most often just after dusk or just before dawn.) phenomenon.

Pictures of 1 Caddisfly Specimen in the Genus Hydroptila:

Hydroptila (Varicolored Microcaddisflies) Caddisfly Nymph

View 1 Pictures

Collected April 8, 2005 from the Flathead River-Upper in Montana
Added to Troutnut.com by Bnewell on June 27, 2011

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Jargon Defined:

Behavioral drift: The nymphs and larvae of many aquatic insects sometimes release their grip on the bottom and drift downstream for a while with synchronized timing. This phenomenon increases their vulnerability to trout just like emergence, but it is invisible to the angler above the surface. In many species it occurs daily, most often just after dusk or just before dawn.

Emergence: The transformation of a nymph or pupa into the adult winged stage of an insect. The term may refer to the emergence of an individual, or the daily or yearly event in which all individuals of a species emerge.

Larvae: Many classes of aquatic insects, such as caddisflies, midges, craneflies, dobsonflies, alderflies, and many more, are known as "larvae" rather than "nymphs" in their juvenile stages. They have mostly soft bodies rather than hard exoskeletons. These insects also advance through a "pupa" stage before reaching adulthood.

Nymph: The juvenile, underwater stages of mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, and damselflies and other aquatic insects whose juvenile stages are covered by hard exoskeletons. The word can also refer to the fishing flies which imitate these creatures, in which case it is used as a blanket term for flies imitating any underwater stage of an invertebrate (except for crayfish and leeches).

Useful References:

LaFontaine, Gary. 1981. Caddisflies. The Lyons Press.

Swisher, Doug and Carl Richards. 2000. Selective Trout. The Lyons Press.