Aquatic Insects of Michigan

by Ethan Bright, Museum of Zoology Insect Division and School of Natural Resources and Environment
University of Michigan

Polycentropodidae (Tube-Making and Trumpet-Net Making Caddisflies) of Michigan - Identification

Introduction

Note that Phylocentropus is now included under the family Dipseudopsidae. Figures from Nimmo (1986), used by permission of the author.

Adults
(adapted from Nimmo 1986 and Schmid 1998)

1a	Spurs 2,4,4	Cerotina Ross
1b	Spurs 3,4,4	2
2a(1b)	Hindwing F-III present (Fig. 1)	Neureclipsis McLachlan
2b	Hindwing F-III absent (Fig. 2)	3
Fig. 1 Fig. 2
3a(2b)	Forewing with F-I present (Fig. 3), and absent or present in hindwing	Polycentropus Curtis
3b	Both wings with F-I absent	4
Fig. 3 Fig. 4
4a(3b)	Segment 2 of maxillary palp 3x as long as segment 3	Nyctiophylax Brauer
4b	Segment 2 of maxillary palp slightly shorter than third	Cyrnellus fraternus Banks

Larvae< (adapted from Wiggins 1996)

1a	a. Anal claw with several conspicuous pointed teeth arising from ventral, concave margin	Nyctiophylax Brauer
	b. A short, stout setae arising on each side of the pronotum
1b	a. Anal claw lacking conspicuous pointed teeth on ventral, concave margin, or a row with many tiny spines	2
	b. Often without such a stout setae arising from the side of the pronotum
2a(1b)	a. Basal segment of anal proleg approximately same length as distal segment, largely without setae	Neureclipsis McLachlan
	b. Concave margin of anal claw with a tiny row of spines
2b	a. Basal segment of anal proleg distinctly longer than distal segment, and bearing many setae	3
	b.Concave margin of anal claw lacking tiny spines
3a(2b)	a. Dorsal plate between claw and lateral sclerite of anal proleg with two dark bands separated mesally	Cyrnellus fraternus Banks
	b. Meso- and metanotal sa1 (=setal area 1) setae approximately same length as longest sa2 setae
3b	a. Dorsal plate bewteen claw and lateral sclerite of anal proleg with two dark bands fused mesally	4
	b. Metanotal and usually mesonotal sa1 setae not more than 1/3x long as longest sa2 setae
[note: Wiggins (1996, p. 161) cautions that the lack of associated larvae with adults of known North American species reduces the certainty of couplet 4]
4a(3b)	a. Foreleg tarsus elongate, about 2/3x length of foretibia, and anal claw curved approximately to 90°	Cerotina Ross
	b. mature larval length not more than 8 mm
4b	a. Foreleg tarsus short, about 1/2x length of foretibia, or foreleg tarsus elongate, about equal or slightly longer in length to foretibia, or anal claw not curved approximately as much as 90°	Polycentropus Curtis
	b. Mature larval length more than 10 mm

References

Nimmo, AP. 1986. The adult Polycentropodidae of Canada and adjacent United States. Quaestiones Entomologicae 22:143-252.
Schmid F. 1998. The Insects and Arachmids of Canada, Part 7: Genera of the Trichoptera of Canada and Adjoining or Adjacent United States. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Canada. 319 pp.
Wiggins GB. 1996. Larvae of the North American caddisfly genera (Trichoptera). University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Ontario. 457 + xiii.

Page created: July 17, 2003; Last edited: November 08, 2013 (EB)