Code QT069999

Trichopterans which build fixed retreats of plant material or rock fragments in running water and construct a filter net in the current to capture algae, organic debris and small invertebrates as food. The larvae may be very abundant below outfalls of dams, where the current brings large amounts of filterable fine particulate organic matter (FPOM).

The larvae have all three thoracic nota sclerotised, two-branched abdominal gills on most abdominal segments, and freely separated anal prolegs with a conspicuous brush of long setae near the claw. Most species have two groups of fine transverse ridges on the underside of the head and these produce sound when rubbed by the raised edge of the fore femur.

The Hydropsychidae are world-wide and are one of the most speciose families of Trichoptera. In Australia there are 27 species described in 10 genera, representing each of the three subfamilies, Hydropsychinae, Diplectroninae and Macronematinae.

References:

Cartwright, D.I. and Dean, J.C. (1982) A key to the Victorian genera of free-living and retreat-making caddis-fly larvae (Insecta: Trichoptera). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 43 : 1-13.

Dean, J.C. (1991) Preliminary keys for identification of late instar larvae of Australian Hydropsychidae (Trichoptera). Taxonomy Workshop, Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Victoria, Australia.

Dean, J.C., St Clair, R.M. and Cartwright, D.J. (1995) A key to late instar larvae of Australian Trichoptera families. In: Hawking, J.H. (ed.) Monitoring River Health initiative: Taxonomic Workshop Handbook. Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Victoria, Australia.

Neboiss, A. (1991) Trichoptera. pp. 787-816. In: CSIRO, Insects of Australia . Volume 2. Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria.

Neboiss, A. (1992) Illustrated keys to the families and genera of Australian Trichoptera. 1. Adults. Australian Society for Limnology Special Publication 9. pp. 87.