Family CALAMOCERATIDAE

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Introduction

Medium sized caddis-flies (wing span 15–26 mm), forewings rather broad, somewhat triangular, densely covered with short, sometimes distinctly coloured hairs, all species volant.

The family, although represented in all faunal regions, is more common in the subtropics. It contains six genera and about 100 species; only one genus, with 10 species, is known from Australia. St Clair (1997) provided a key to late instar larvae of Anisocentropus species.

Diagnosis

Adults: ocelli absent. Maxillary palpi 6-segmented in both sexes (Australian species), long and densely covered with long erect hairs, apical segment simple. Antennae are filiform, longer than forewing, basal segment shorter than head, subsequent segments slender. Mesoscutum without setal warts, but there are two, more or less distinct irregular bands of setiferous punctures, mesal separation of which is often indistinct; scutellum small, subquadrate, without setal warts. Forewings broadly triangular, discoidal and median cells both present; venation usually similar in sexes; an elongate, hyaline line between discoidal and median cells.

Tibial spurs 2: 4: 3 (Australian species).

Larva: head with labrum bearing transverse band of approximately 16 setae. Pronotal sclerites often with distinct anterolateral projection; mesonotum usually with two pairs, metanotum with one pair of small sclerites. Abdominal segment 1 with dorsal and lateral spacing humps; abdominal gills either single or branched; lateral fringe of fine filaments present; segment 8 with a row of bifid spicules. Larvae construct a dorso-ventrally flattened case from pieces of leaves, the upper ones being the widest, completely obscuring the ventral part as well as the end openings. The habitat is sluggish part of rivers, lakes and swamps. The larvae are plant detritus feeders.

General References

Neboiss, A. 1980. Australian species of the genus Anisocentropus McLachlan (Calamoceratidae: Trichoptera). Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 31: 193-213 [Date published 10 June 1980]

St Clair, R.M. 1997. Preliminary Guide to the Identification of Late Instar Larvae of Australian Philorheithridae, Calamoceratidae and Helicopsychidae (Insecta: Trichoptera). Co-operative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology, Identification Guide No. 12.

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