“Net-tube Caddisflies”
Family Overview
Psychomyiidae
Net-tube Caddisflies
This family includes 5 North American genera with 17 species. The larvae often build tubular retreats, the tops of the structures are camouflaged with silk and pieces of detritus and pieces of substrate. They use the retreat to collect and gather food. As they add to the length of the tube to extend their grazing space, they occasionally harvest the old portion where they have cultivated periphyton. The larvae can be distinguished from other similar looking groups (such as the Philopotamidae) because the Psycomyiidae are the only caddisfly larvae with the foretrochantins (pair of hard projections between forecoxae and head) hatchet-shaped.
Characteristics
POLLUTION TOLERANCE
Upper Midwest: up to 2
Midwest: 1.9 - 2.8
Southeast: 2.6 - 4.3
0 = least tolerant, 10 = most tolerant
FEEDING HABITS
Collector / Gatherer
Scraper / Grazer
Scraper / Grazer
MOVEMENT
Clinger
Diagnostic Characters
Media
Audio description of family Psychomyiidae by Dr. John Morse
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