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Caddisfly
Caddisfly
06th March 2020- NZ Classification Some species are Endemic, others are Native
- Conservation Status Unknown
- Life Strategy Specialised
- Feeding Level Consumer / Some species are herbivores, some are carnivores and others are omnivores
- Habitat Mainly freshwater, but also marine environments
- Population Unknown
Caddisfly
A caddisfly is a type of insect that spends most of its life in the water as larva.
Most species live in freshwater; some species are found in seawater, in the intertidal zone (the area of the marine shoreline that is exposed to air at low tide, and covered with seawater when the tide is high); one European species lives in damp leaf litter, while one or two other species are found in brackish water, which is slightly salty water (think of river estuaries).
Of the over 240 species that live in New Zealand, just about 40 species have been described. If you look for caddisfly larvae in creeks in the Kepler area, you may find them anchored to stones, especially where water is shallow and fast moving, and discover a species that has not yet been identified!
Some caddisfly larvae protect their bodies with cases, whereas others spin protective lairs (hideouts) or are free-living. The larvae make silk which they use to stick everything together. They produce silk from glands on the lower lip (labium). Some caddisfly larvae make their cases out of sand while others use tiny rock fragments. Some build little ‘log cabin’ cases out of sticks or cut lengths of hollow reed and use those.
Questions Asked
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What do they eat
Hello and apologies for the late reply! Although most larvae feed on aquatic plants, algae, diatoms, or plant debris, a few are predatory on other aquatic insects, crustaceans, and mollusks, and a few are omnivorous (more info here: https://www.britannica.com/animal/caddisfly)