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Psilotreta labida Order Trichoptera Family Odontoceridae Genus Psilotreta Species labida |
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Psilotreta labida Pronounced - sigh lo tree tah - lab ee duh Common Name - Dark Blue Sedge, Black Caddis Size Hook - 16 Millimeter - 13 to 14.5 Type - Tube case maker Case Type - Cases are tubular, consisting of small stone, sand, and pebbles. Adult Body Color - Black thorax, abdomen, black with a dark gray tint, light gray lateral stripe that appears iridescent green under magnification. Wing Color - Black Key to Family - Ocelli absent. Scutellum is domelike and cointains one large wart. Maxillary palps of male and female are both five segmented, with long thick hair. Legs - small black spines. Key to Genus - Maxillary palps covered with long thick hair, first two segments short, and thick. Foreleg spurs 2, middle 4, hind 4. Antennae thick, and longer than forewing. Key to Species - P. libida - Lobe on second segment of maxillary palps with long brush like hairs. Large lobes on head absent. Modified from, C. R. Parker and C. B. Wiggins - 1987 - Revision of the Caddisfly Genus Psilotreta. |
Six species of Psilotreta inhabit cold to moderately cool water streams in the Northeastern United States placeing them in prime to borderline trout habitat. This fact alone should place them high on the flyfishers list of imoportant Caddisflies. Psilotreta larvae spend their time foraging in the gravel bottoms of medium to fast riffles. As they mature Psilotreta larvae migrate to the river's edge and build curved shaped stone tube cases. Large numbers of larvae seek out the same areas building what amounts to a colony of cases, on the curved edges of stones. Large numbers of cases can be found stacked one on top of the other. As metamorphises progresses the incased pupa darken as they mature. Wings, legs, and antennae begin to form as almost clear membrane, as time passes they begin to take shape, and become reconizable. An immature pupa pictured above about one week prior to emergence, shows that the wings, legs, and antennae are now formed, but are an almost transparent pale blond color. Closely related to P. frontalis, and is another insect that earns the right to be called a super hatch. Beginning slowly for the first few days, one here and there, then suddenly the air is alive with a swarm of thousands. At the height of activity P. frontalis produces giant hatches, and egg laying flights. During their egg laying flights Psilotreta females hop, run, and flutter about the stream surface, in a frenzy, as they attempt to drop the egg sack from their abdomen into the water. |
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