Family KOKIRIIDAE

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Introduction

Medium sized (wing span 14–24 mm), dark brown or blackish caddis-flies, of stocky build.

The family is restricted to Australian and Neotropical Regions with six genera and eight species; three genera and five species are known from Australia.

Diagnosis

Adult: ocelli absent. Maxillary palpi 3-segmented in male, 5-segmented in female. Antennae stout, about as long as forewing. Mouthparts more or less elongate, sometimes in form of proboscis. Mesoscutum and scutellum each with a pair of setal warts. Forewing vein R1 joined to Sc basad of pterostigma by a short cross-vein or sharp bend; R2 and R3 frequently fused; discoidal cell closed; in hindwing the vein R1 incomplete, terminating before reaching wing margin; discoidal cell open.

Tibial spurs 1: 4: 4 or 2: 4: 4.

Larva: head with the antennae close to the anterior margin of the head capsule, rather long; ventral apotome somewhat triangular, entirely separating the genae. Fore- and midlegs with tibia and tarsus fused into a single segment. Abdominal segment 1 without dorsal spacing hump; abdominal gills branched; lateral fringe present; segment 8 without lateral row of bifid spicules; anal claws with several accessory hooks. Larvae construct a tubular, sand grain case, somewhat depressed dorso-ventrally, with lateral flanges. Habitat is sandy substrates in streams and lakes.

General References

Cowley, D.R. 1978. Studies on the larvae of New Zealand Trichoptera. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 5: 639-750 [Date published 21 Dec. 1978]

Neboiss, A. 1974. Additions to the family Kokiriidae (Trichoptera). Victorian Naturalist 91: 175-179 [Date published June 1974]

Neboiss, A. 1977. A taxonomic and zoogeographic study of Tasmanian caddis-flies (Insecta: Trichoptera). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 38: 1-208 [Date published 4 Apr. 1977]

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