Family ATRIPLECTIDIDAE

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Introduction

Medium sized caddis-flies (wing span 20–28 mm), of slender build, brown with subdued mottled appearance and long, slender antennae.

The family contains three genera, restricted to Australia (1 genus, 2 species) and the Seychelles (2 genera, 2 species). In southern Australia, Atriplectides dubius Mosely is widely distributed in the SE coastal region and in Tasmania, but in SW Australia it is restricted to a small coastal area south of Perth; the second species was described from NE Queensland. Dean (2000) provided preliminary keys for identification of late instar larvae.

Diagnosis

Adults: ocelli absent. Maxillary palpi stout, 5-segmented and similar in both sexes. Antennae longer than forewing, basal segment short, bulbous. Pronotal setal warts transversely elongate; mesocutum with two longitudinal bands of setiferous punctures; scutellum with a single mesal wart. Forewings narrow, discoidal cell present, wing coupling with hamuli along the anterior margin of hindwing, all species volant.

Tibial spurs 2: 4: 4.

Larva: head narrow, elongate; ecdysial sutures not visible; antennae situated at the anterolateral margins. Pronotum very slender with two pairs of dorsal sclerites anteriorly and long membranous rectractile posterior portion; mesonotum wider than pronotum with two pairs of sclerites; metanotum with small median sclerite. Hindlegs long. Abdominal gills filiform; segment 1 with dorsal spacing hump, lateral humps reduced; segment 8 with a row of bifid spicules; claw of the anal proleg with a single accessory hook. The larval case is tubular (slightly curved) and constructed of sand grains, somewhat angular anteriorly. They are found in the bottom sediment of lakes and slow flowing rivers.

General References

Dean, J.C. 2000. Preliminary Keys for the Identification of Australian Caddisfly Larvae of the Families Antipodoeciidae, Atriplectididae, Limnephilidae and Plectrotarsidae. Identification Guide No. 31. Co-operative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology, Albury. 16 pp.

Neboiss, A. 1978. Atriplectididae, a new caddis-fly family (Trichoptera: Atriplectididae). pp. 67-73 in Crichton, M.I. (ed.). Proceedings 2nd International Symposium on Trichoptera, University of Reading, England 25–29 July, 1977. The Hague : W. Junk.

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