Freshwater Invertebrate Underwater Pictures, Page 3

These are probably 3rd instar larvae of Dicosmoecus gilvipes. The 4th instar larvae will be the round case made of sand grains.

In this picture: Caddisfly Species Dicosmoecus gilvipes (October Caddis).

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

In this picture: Insect Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies).

These big bucket-like nets on the weeds are home to Hydropsychid caddisflies, as I verified by actually taking one apart to look at its inhabitant.

In this picture: Caddisfly Family Hydropsychidae.

An Ephemerella subvaria nymph clings to a white rock in the foreground, and there are other nymphs in the background.

In this picture: Mayfly Species Ephemerella subvaria (Hendrickson) and 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).

I spotted this very large leech freely tumbling, and occasionally stopping, along the bottom of a clear, cool trout stream. I paid careful attention later and spotted two more like it, but this one was the largest -- probably over 7 inches stretched out.

There is one other picture of it.

In this picture: Animal Class Clitellata-Hirudinae (Leeches).

There are a couple Epeorus mayfly nymphs clinging to this rock. One interesting thing I've noticed is that even though the stream has a lot of clingers, they rarely show up in my photos, and I've started paying more attention to the river bottom while I'm fishing I've noticed that clinger nymphs generally see or feel me coming and scurry to the undersides of their rocks before I can get in picture range. I think I have the same problem with stoneflies.

In this picture: Mayfly Genus Epeorus (Little Maryatts).