Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

Caddisfly larva

Trichoptera

Description:

bizzare small insect, body appears to be covered by tiny pebbles, lives in cold freshwater, has only been identified down to order, anything more specific would be appreciated

Habitat:

temperate forest, freshwater

Notes:

I spotted a few of the insects in the water where they washed clothes. I took one out of the water to photograph it. Last photo is of it in the water.

Species ID Suggestions



Sign in to suggest organism ID

9 Comments

LarsKorb
LarsKorb 12 years ago

yes, I meant freshwater, Dan.

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 12 years ago

Thanks for the info Lars, that makes a lot of sense now. What do you mean sweetwater? Like freshwater?

LarsKorb
LarsKorb 12 years ago

These are indeed tiny rocks on it's back. Caddisfly larvae collect anything they can find for the construction of their selfmade, camouflaging and covering home. Here's my spotting of a sweetwater specimen: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/618...

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 12 years ago

I know, eh Frank! Really amazing camouflage!

Frank Weaver
Frank Weaver 12 years ago

This is really amazing. I could swear those were tiny rocks on its back!

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 12 years ago

Thanks rhiannon, you're totally right. I do see some similar looking insects online. I would say the water system they were in was really healthy, so that is a good sign.

rhiannon
rhiannon 12 years ago

a caddis fly of some sort, we get them in Wales in rivers. Usually a sign of a healthy river/stream system.

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 12 years ago

You're probably right Emma, they look very much like little pebbles moving with the current.

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

Bizzarre! Good mimicry though! they could pass for pebbles to the sea gulls flying above!

Dan Doucette
Spotted by
Dan Doucette

Han Zhong Shi, Shan Xi Sheng, China

Spotted on Nov 26, 2011
Submitted on Jan 31, 2012

Related Spottings

Spotting Black Caddis fly Caddisfly caddisfly

Nearby Spottings

Japanese Spurge Lilac Puffball Club Beak Dead Man's Fingers

Reference

Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team