| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the families of Trichoptera (caddis flies) |
Adults. Antennae about as long as the fore-wings (if shorter, only slightly so). Ocelli present. Maxillary palps scarcely pubescent, 4 segmented (in males), or 5 segmented (in females, similar in form in both sexes). The maxillary palps of males 4 segmented. Maxillary palps filiform, with cylindrical segments; the terminal segment inflexible, not multi-articulated, not annulated, and not much elongated.
The fore-wings 10–27 mm long; with a discoidal cell; apical forks 4 (1, 2, 3 and 5, in males and some females), or 5 (some females with 4 as well). The hind-wings similar in width to the fore-wings to wider than the fore-wings; with a discoidal cell; apical forks 3 (1, 2 and 5 in males and some females), or 4 (some females with 3 as well).
Front tibia 2 spurred. Middle tibia 4 spurred. Hind tibia 4 spurred.
Larvae. The larvae constructing and living in transportable cases. The larval case constructed of vegetable matter arranged spirally, open at both ends (but not carried about by the larva, as in Triaenodes bicolor). The larvae eruciform. The anterior margin of the pronotum very heavily sclerotized. The mesonotum entirely membranous. The metanotum entirely membranous.
British representation. 10 species. Genera: Agrypnetes, Agrypnia, Oligotricha, Phryganea, Trichostegia.
Illustrations. • Agrypnia pagetana Curtis (Yarmouth Grannom, Caddis-fly: B. Ent. 540). • Agrypnia pagetana (B. Ent. 540, legend+text). This appears to contain Curtis's original description of the genus, to which he referred the species pagetana first described by him elsewhere the previous year. • Agrypnia pagetana (B. Ent. 540, legend cont.). • Trichostegia minor (Curtis): B. Ent. 592. • Trichostegia minor (Curtis): B. Ent. 592, legend+text. • Trichostegia minor (Curtis): B. Ent. 592, text cont.. • Agrypnia, Phryganea: wing venation. 1a and 1b, Phryganea grandis, fore-and hind-wings of male (1a) and of female, respectively. 2a and 2b, Agrypnia picta, fore- and hind-wings of male, and (2b) fore-wing of female. Apical forks of the veins numbered. From Mosely (1939). • 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). • Oligotricha and Phryganea: larvae and case. 1, Phryganea larva, removed from its case. 2, Oligotricha ruficrus larva, in its case (2a) and removed from it (2b). 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’.
