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Family HELICOPSYCHIDAE

Introduction

Small (wing span 10–16 mm), greyish-brown to black caddis-flies with rather slender wings. The integument of at least some abdominal sternites has reticulate pattern.

The family, known from all faunal regions, contains six genera and approximately 100 species; one genus, with 14 species, is known from Australia. In a recent paper, Johanson (1995) revised the genus and provided a key to all Australian species. St Clair (1997) provided a guide to late instar larvae.

 

Diagnosis

Adult: ocelli absent. Maxillary palpi 2 or 3-segmented in males, 5-segmented in females. Head with large, ovoid, posterior setal warts. Mesoscutum with a pair of small, rounded setal warts, and a rounded or transverse wart on scutellum. Wings narrow, wing coupling by row of hamuli; discoidal cell closed in forewing, open in hindwing.

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

Larva: with prominent labrum, well developed pronotal and mesonotal sclerites; metanotal sclerites small. Abdominal gills short and reduced in number; anal claw with a comb-like row of teeth. Larvae construct helical, snail shell-like, cases of sand grains. The habitat is lotic and lentic waters from cool, fast flowing streams to warm littoral zones of lakes. The larvae mainly feed on algae and fine organic material.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
11-Oct-2012 11-Oct-2012 MODIFIED
01-Nov-2011 01-Nov-2011 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)