Freshwater Invertebrate Underwater Pictures, Page 8

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 Neophylax (Autumn Mottled Sedges) and Caddisfly Genus Helicopsyche (Speckled Peters).

This isn't really an underwater picture, but a picture taken into my aquarium of midge larvae which lived in the silt I used for substrate. Each larva has a little tower of detritus (Detritus: Small, loose pieces of decaying organic matter underwater.) built up along the bottom, while the bare larva waves around from the top.

In this picture: True Fly Family Chironomidae (Midges).

A couple tiny aquatic mites are clinging to this rock.

In this picture: Arthropod Order Acari (Mites).

Several fast-swimming Siphlonurus nymphs blend in very well with the silt in this slow backwater along a trout stream.

In this picture: Mayfly Genus Siphlonurus (Gray Drakes).

The caddis larvae in this picture built their cases from tiny pebbles.

In this picture: Insect Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies).

Several cased caddis larvae cling to the twigs of a fallen tree limb in a clear trout stream's strong current.

In this picture: Insect Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies).