Troutnut.com Fly Fishing for Trout Home
User Password
or register.
Scientific name search:

Little Brown Sedge Genus Lepidostoma (Little Brown Sedges)

Taxonomic Navigation -?-
» Genus Lepidostoma (Little Brown Sedges)
Species in LepidostomaNumber of SpecimensNumber of Pictures
Lepidostoma bryantiLittle Plain Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma cascadenseLittle Plain Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma cinereumLittle Plain Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma costalisLittle Plain Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma griseumLittle Plain Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma pluvialeLittle Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma podagrumLittle Brown Sedge49
Lepidostoma quercinaLittle Plain Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma rayneriLittle Plain Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma roafiLittle Plain Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma stigmaLittle Plain Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma togatumLittle Plain Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma unicolorLittle Plain Brown Sedge00
Lepidostoma vernalisLittle Plain Brown Sedge00

48 species aren't included.
Common Names
MatchCommon Name
****Little Brown Sedges
**Little Plain Brown Sedges
*Little Black Sedges
*Little Gray Sedges
*Little Brown-Green Sedges
Pictures Below ↓
This genus is important for trout anglers. Many species of Lepidostoma produce excellent hatches, especially in the West. Lepidostoma can be very prolific in spring creek environments or smaller runoff streams with springs. Lepidostoma togatum is the most important species of this genus in the East and Midwest. The West has several species that are important.  

Where & When


This genus is widely distributed with important species nationwide in all types of water. Some are especially prolific in small streams, and Gary LaFontaine had interesting comments on that in Caddisflies:

I know many fly fishermen, some in the East and some in the Midwest, who have fallen in love with a certain type of trout stream. The big brawling rivers are not for them; no, they stalk the overgrown tributaries of these heavily fished waters instead. ... For these fly-fishing cronies I once had a picture postcard custom made showing an adult of Lepidostoma.

Hatching Behavior


Time Of Day (?): Evenings

The pupae swim up to the surface in slow to medium water and presumably emerge there on the surface. They ride the water for a long time before taking flight. Trout may feed heavily on the drifting pupae, emerging adults, or the emerged wing-drying adults.

Egg-Laying Behavior


Lepidostoma adults lay their eggs on or near the surface, but I haven't found the specifics and they probably vary by species.

Larva & Pupa Biology


Diet: Leaves or pine needles

Shelter Type: Four-sided case of bark or leaf pieces, sand case in a round tube shape, or case of tiny twigs "log cabin" style
Lepidostoma larvae are especially likely to undergo 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.) in June.

Lepidostoma Fly Fishing Tips


In spite of the common names for this genus, the two most important species (Lepidostoma togatum and Lepidostoma pluviale) have green bodies.

Pictures of 6 Little Brown Sedge Specimens:

Specimen Page:12
Lepidostoma (Little Brown Sedges) Little Brown Sedge LarvaLepidostoma (Little Brown Sedges) Little Brown Sedge Larva View 6 Pictures
Collected May 13, 2007 from the Delaware River in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on May 18, 2007
Female Lepidostoma podagrum (Little Brown Sedge) Little Brown Sedge AdultFemale Lepidostoma podagrum (Little Brown Sedge) Little Brown Sedge Adult View 3 PicturesThese specimens are still alive, just very cold, so the colors are accurate. I put them in the freezer for a bit to settle them down and overdid it a little:)
Collected May 12, 2011 from the Fall River in California
Added to Troutnut.com by Entoman on December 14, 2011
Lepidostoma (Little Brown Sedges) Little Brown Sedge LarvaLepidostoma (Little Brown Sedges) Little Brown Sedge Larva View 6 PicturesThis one got a little bit damaged in the abdomen when I extracted it from its case. That's a delicate job.
Collected May 6, 2007 from Mongaup Creek in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on May 18, 2007
Specimen Page:12

Your Thoughts On Lepidostoma:

You must log in at the top of the page to post. If you haven't registered yet, it's this easy:

Username:          Email:

Password:    Confirm Password:

I am at least 13 years old and agree to the rules.
Top 10 Fly Hatches
BaetidaeEphemerellidaeHexagenia limbataBaetisHeptageniidaeChironomidaeIsonychiaHydropsychidaeEphemerellaEphemerella subvaria
Top Gift Shop Designs
I outfish my daddy!Electric blue Hendrickson dun.I love buggers. Big, green, wooly ones.I outfish my husband!Be the trout.
Eat mayflies.
Top Insect Specimens
Rhyacophila fuscula Caddisfly LarvaEphemerella subvaria Mayfly DunHexagenia limbata Mayfly NymphCorydalus Hellgrammite LarvaEphemera guttulata Mayfly Dun
Miscellaneous Sites