Tiny crab/bug in Pacific NW; makes shell out of rocks/sticks. What is it?
We encountered these guys in a small inland (freshwater) creek in southern WA. There were hundreds, covering low flat rocks in the water; every one carrying a shell made out of either tiny rocks, or a piece of a twig. They're probably 1/8" in diameter, maybe 3/4" long with the shell. Some were moving at a slow crawl along the rocks (below and above the surface), others were burrowing in and out of the dirt on the creek bottom.
Anyone know what these might've been? Are they native to the area or invasive?
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/q/12989. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
1 answer
Most likely a Caddisfly. They make homes of twigs and stones.
CADDISFLY: The caddisfly lives only a short time as an adult but may spend several years as a larva. Many larvae can do something few aquatic insects can – they build their own shelter. Different kinds of caddisflies build different types of homes. Some species build homes of leaves or twigs; others use tiny stones, while others are freeliving. A few types of caddisfies build a pebble house attached to a larger rock. Some caddisflies like to live in temporary stagnant ponds while other types will only live in swift streams. All caddisflies eat plants but some catch tiny bits of plants by building a net to trap food as it drifts past. The caddisflies are very important food for fish, especially trout.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/12991. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
0 comment threads
0 comment threads