Caddisflies - Trichoptera
@transpotato5 thank you for reminding me of this species ! ! And, @jettfisch, you might like these, considering you like bone collector caterpillars.
A/N: It is a bit of a short and chaotic post, this one, but yeah, I hope you will enjoy it :DD
Introduction
Caddisflies, or Trichoptera, are a group of insects with aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults.
Integripalpian larvae of caddisflies construct a portable casing to protect themselves as they move around looking for food, while annulipalpian larvae make themselves a fixed retreat in which they remain, waiting for food to come to them.
In this post, I will mostly highlight the suborder Integripalpia.
Examples of Case Building Caddisflies
Below you can see two members of the genus Neophylax, these are caddisflies who specifically belong to the family Uenoidae, who are more commonly called stonecase caddisflies.
On the left: Uenoid caddisfly larva, Neophylax mitchelli. On the right: Uenoid caddisfly larva, Neophylax consimilis.
However, I think they (caddisflies larvae) might be better known for aiding in creating the art of Hupert Duprat, a French artist. The casings made by these larvae are just gorgeous, at least in my opinion.
Duprat’s aquatic caddis fly larvae, with cases incorporating gold, pearls, and turquoise, among other materials.
Examples of Caseless Caddisflies
As gorgeous as case-building caddisfly larvae are, the caseless ones are rather gorgeous too. Take, for example, Rhyacophila fuscula, or green sedge caddisfly larvae, which have a gorgeous bright green colour.
Rhyacophila fuscula, or green sedge larvae.