Code QT079999

Small to medium sized Trichoptera found in diverse habitats. Larvae with diverse modes of feeding - filter feeders, shredders and predators. Polycentropodid larvae build silken capture nets or tubular retreats with a flared opening. Larvae have only the head and pronotum sclerotised, the meso- and metanota membranous or with a partly sclerotised plate. Abdominal segments without gills but there may be anal papillae. The anal prolegs are very long and diverging, the claws often with slender accessory hooks and acute tooth-like points on the concave edge.

The larvae of the subfamily (sometimes family) Hyalopsychinae, known from adults from North Queensland, are unknown. All other Australian taxa belong to the subfamily Polycentropodinae, in which in Australia there are six genera containing some dozen species.

References:

Cartwright, D.I. (1991) Key to mature larvae of the families Ecnomidae, Philopotamidae and Polycentropodidae of Australia. Taxonomy Workshop, Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Victoria, Australia.

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.

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.