**Caddisfly Genus Lepidostoma (Little Plain Brown Sedges)**

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Taxonomic Navigation -?-

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

» Class Insecta (Insects)

» Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies)

» Family Lepidostomatidae (Little Brown-Green Sedges)

» Genus Lepidostoma (Little Plain Brown Sedges)

Species in Lepidostoma
Lepidostoma bryantiLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma cascadenseLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma cinereumLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma costalisLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma griseumLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma pluvialeLittle Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma quercinaLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma rayneriLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma roafiLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma stigmaLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma togatumLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma unicolorLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma vernalisLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0

49 species aren't included.

Common Names

Match	Common Name
	Little Plain Brown Sedges
	Little Black Sedges
	Little Gray Sedges
	Little Brown-Green Sedges

Pictures Below ↓

This genus is very important for trout anglers. Many species of Lepidostoma may produce fishable hatches, especially in the West, where Lepidostoma pluviale is the most prolific. Lepidostoma togatum is the most important species of this genus in the East and Midwest.

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.

2 Caddisfly Specimens in the Genus Lepidostoma:

Lepidostoma (Little Plain Brown Sedges) Caddisfly Larva

View 6 Pictures

Region: Catskills

Collected May 13, 2007

Added May 18, 2007

Lepidostoma (Little Plain Brown Sedges) Caddisfly 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.

Region: Catskills

Collected May 6, 2007

Added May 18, 2007

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Jargon Defined:

Abdomen: The rear and usually the longest (ten-segmented in mayflies) portion of an insect's body, to which the tails are attached.

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.

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.

Pupae: Any insect which spends most of its juvenile lifetime as a larva first becomes a pupa for a time before emerging as a fully grown adult. Depending on the species, the pupal form can be very important for fly fishermen to imitate.

Useful References:

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

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