| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the families of Trichoptera (caddis flies) |
Adults. Antennae with a short first segment. Ocelli present. Maxillary palps 5 segmented. The maxillary palps of males 5 segmented. Maxillary palps filiform, with cylindrical segments; the terminal segment flexible, multi-articulated, annulated and generally relatively elongated (Chimarra marginata), or inflexible, not multi-articulated, not annulated, and not much elongated (?). The mesoscutum without warts.
The fore-wings 6–11 mm long; with a discoidal cell; apical forks 5 (i.e., with forks 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). The hind-wings similar in width to the fore-wings; with a discoidal cell; apical forks 4 (forks 1, 2, 3 and 5).
Front tibia 1 spurred, or 2 spurred. Middle tibia 4 spurred. Hind tibia 4 spurred.
Larvae. The larvae constructing fixed, silken tubes, or case-less and free swimming; forming silken nets; campodeoid. The labrum not sclerotized. The anterior margin of the pronotum sclerotized, but only lightly so. The mesonotum entirely membranous. The metanotum entirely membranous. Abdominal segment 1 without retractable papillae. The larva with the terminal abdominal prolegs free of one another.
Comments. The larvae whitish with a chestnut-coloured head.
British representation. 5 species. Genera: Chimarra, Philopotamus, Wormaldia.
Illustrations. • Chimarra marginata (Marginated Caddis-fly: B. Ent. 561). • Chimarra marginata (B. Ent. 561, legend+text). • Chimarra marginata : B. Ent. 561, text cont.). • Chimarra marginata, female: Stephens VI, 1835. • Wings of assorted Trichoptera. Trichopteran wings. PHRYGANEIDAE: 1, female Oligotricha clathrata (fore-wing); 2, female Phryganea grandis (fore-wing); 3, female Phryganea striata (fore-wing); 4, female Phryganea varia (fore-wing). LIMNEPHILIDAE: 5, male Glyphotaelius pellucidus (fore-wing); 6, female Glyphotaelius pellucidus (fore-wing); 7, Rhadicoleptus alpestris (fore-wing); 8, Potamophylax latipennis (fore-wing); 9, Halesus digitatus (fore-wing); 10, Chaeropteryx villosa (fore-wing). SERICOSOMATIDAE: 11, male Lepidostoma hirtum ( hind-wing); 12, male Silo nigricornis (hind-wing). LEPTOCERIDAE: 13, Mystacides longicornis (fore-wing). HYDROPSYCHIDAE: 14, Hydropsyche instabilis (fore-wing). POLYCENTROPIDAE: 15, Plectronemia conspersa (fore-wing). PHILOPOTAMIDAE: 16, Philopotamus montanus (fore-wing). RHYACOPHILIDAE: Rhyacophila dorsalis (fore-wing). From Mosely (1939, with approximate wing lengths added). • Philopotamus montanus: larva. Larva of Philopotamus montanus. From Hickin (1952).
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. Insects of Britain and Ireland: the families of Trichoptera (caddis flies). Version: 27th July 2019. delta-intkey.com’.
