Family POLYCENTROPODIDAE

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Introduction

Small to medium size caddis-flies (wing span 8–25 mm), of rather stocky-build, usually dark brown, mottled with whitish to cream or golden spots; live in a wide variety of lotic and lentic habitats.

The family is known from all faunal regions with 25 genera and approximately 300 species; in Australia six genera and 18 species are recorded. Neboiss (1992) reassessed the diagnoses of Nyctophylax Brauer and Paranyctiophylax Tsuda, assigning the two Australian Nyctiphylax species to Paranyctiophylax and Neboiss (1994) described six new northern Australian species of Paranyctiophylax. Cartwright (1997) provided a guide to late instar larvae.

The Hyalopsychinae, previously considered to be a subfamily in Polycentropodidae (see Neboiss 1988), although considered by Schmid to warrant family status, has been synonymised in Dipseudopsidae (Wells & Cartwright 1993).

 

Diagnosis

Adult: ocelli absent. Maxillary palpi 5-segmented in both sexes, first two segments short, each shorter than the third; the third segment arises before the apex of the second, apical segment long, annulated, flexible. Antennae stout, about as long or slightly shorter than forewing, individual segments short. Mesoscutum with a pair of rounded setal warts, sometimes setiferous punctures also present; scutellum with a single rounded mesal wart. Forewings moderately broad, densely pubescent, discoidal and median cells closed; R1 not forked apically. Abdominal sternite 5 with lateral filament.

Tibial spurs 3: 4: 4; in females the mid-tibia usually flattened.

Larva: only pronotum sclerotized; meso- and metanotum membranous, all three pairs of legs approximately the same size, fore trochantin acute; abdominal segments without gills, but anal papillae present in some groups; lateral fringe present; anal prolegs very long, diverging claws often with slender accessory hooks. Larvae construct a variety of silken capture nets or tube retreats with flared opening. Feeding habits are variable and even within one genus there may be filter feeders, shredders or predators.

 

General References

Cartwright, D.I. 1998. Preliminary Guide to the Identification of Late Instar Larvae of Australian Polycentropodidae, Glossosomatidae, Dipseudopsidae and Psychomyiidae (Insecta: Trichoptera). Co-operative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology Identification Guide No. 15. Co-operative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology, Albury. 28 pp.

Cartwright, D.I. & Dean, J.C. 1982. A key to the Victorian genera of free-living and retreat-making caddis-fly larvae (Insecta: Trichoptera). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 43: 1-13 [Date published 8 Oct. 1982]

Mosely, M.E. & Kimmins, D.E. 1953. The Trichoptera (Caddis-flies) of Australia and New Zealand. London : British Museum (Natural History) 550 pp. [Date published 6 Feb. 1953]

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]

Neboiss, A. 1980. First record of the subfamily Hyalopsychinae from Australia (Trichoptera: Polycentropodidae). Archiv für Hydrobiologie 90: 357-361 [Date published Nov. 1980]

Neboiss, A. 1992. Revised definitions of the genera Nyctiophylax Brauer and Paranyctiophylax Tsuda (Trichoptera: Polycentropodidae). pp. 107-111 in Otto, C. (ed.). Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Trichoptera. Netherlands : Backhuys.

Neboiss, A. 1994. A review of the genus Paranyctiophylax Tsuda from Sulawesi, Papua New Guinea and northern Australia (Trichoptera: Polycentropodidae). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 54: 191-205

Oláh, J. & Johanson, K.A. 2010. Generic review of Polycentropodidae with description of 32 new species and 19 new species records from the Oriental, Australian and Afrotropical Biogeographical Regions. Zootaxa 2435: 1-63

Schmid, F. 1980. Genera des Trichoptères du Canada et des États adjacents. Les Insectes et Arachnides du Canada. Partie 7. Québec : Hull, Agriculture Canada 296 pp.

Wells, A. & Cartwright, D. 1993. Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Odonata of the Jardine River area, Cape York, northern Queensland. pp. 221-230 in Royal Geographical Society of Queensland Inc. (ed.). Report of the Cape York Peninsula Scientific Expedition. Brisbane : Royal Geographical Society of Queensland Inc. Vol. 1.

Wiggins, G.B. 1982. Trichoptera. pp. 599-612 in Parker, S.P. (ed.). Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. New York : McGraw-Hill Vol. 2.

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
11-Oct-2012		11-Oct-2012	MOVED
01-Nov-2011		01-Nov-2011	MODIFIED
		21-Nov-2010	MODIFIED