CADDISFLY LARVAE

Importance:

• Extremely sensitive to pollution
• Numerous different caddisfly species

Identification:

• There are two types of caddisfly larvae: free-living and armored.
• Caddisfly larvae with armor are protected by a "house" created of stones, shells, and other materials.
• The body color ranges from brown and yellow to green.
• The body of armored caddisfly larvae tends to curl slightly on a flat surface.

What it Eats:

• Different species of caddisfly eat different things. The predator species typically eat other aquatic insects, and have large jaws called mandibles. Herbivorous species eat algae and other plants.

Interesting Facts:

• Caddisfly larvae can produce silk. Some types of caddisfly larvae use the silk to glue together small stones, twigs, shells, and other material from the stream bottom to create a protective armor around themselves. Other types of caddisfly larvae are free-living, and do not build a "house" of armor. Some free-living caddisfly larvae can spin webs with their silk (similar to a spider web) and filter food particles from the water.

SCIENTIFIC ORDER: TRICHOPTERA

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