Hydropsychidae sp. (family)

Net-spinning caddisfly at Melba, ACT

Hydropsychidae sp. (family) at Melba, ACT - 22 Apr 2025 10:30 PM
Hydropsychidae sp. (family) at Melba, ACT - 22 Apr 2025 10:30 PM
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Identification history

Hydropsychidae sp. (family) 28 Apr 2025 MichaelMulvaney
Unverified 24 Apr 2025 kasiaaus

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4 comments

Alice wrote:
   27 Apr 2025
It's a caddisfly, but hard to see defining features for family. Probably a hydropsychid (Hydropsychidae). The larvae build sand-grain shelters on the down side of flow over rocks and logs and spin a net that entraps small particles that they sweep up and feed on.
kasiaaus wrote:
   27 Apr 2025
Thanks @Alice. Is there any body part that I should be taking better photos of when I take photos of Caddisflies to make them easier to identify?
Alice wrote:
   28 Apr 2025
You ID hydroptilids successfully (small size, pointed wings with long fringes, although one or two genera have rounded wings). Beyond that, when keying out caddisflies presence or absence of ocelli on head ('eye spots' but these can be difficult to see); flexibility or not of last segment of maxillary palps (if flexible they usually fold back at rest); form of dorsal surface of middle segment of thorax; number of spurs on legs; a few species are easy to identify from their wing patterns. Other useful features are difficult to see on live specimens or without a microscope. Alice
kasiaaus wrote:
   28 Apr 2025
Thank you @Alice. I will do my best to capture the head in particular. Legs are hard to photograph unless I maybe turn it upside down. I could try that. There were unfortunately none yesterday to experiment with. Maybe it's getting too cold.

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  • 5mm to 12mm Animal size

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