Hydropsychidae
family of insects
The Hydropsychidae are a family-level taxon consisting of net-spinning caddisflies. Hydropsychids are common among much of the world's streams, and a few species occupy the shorelines of freshwater lakes. Larvae of the hydropsychids construct nets at the open ends of their dwellings which are responsible for their "net-spinning caddisfly" common name.
Larvae
The hydropsychid larval stage, like most Trichoptera larvae, is spent entirely in fresh water. They construct dwellings known as "retreats", which are fixed to the sides of rocks. These retreats are typically composed of collected plant and mineral fragments. At the large open end of their retreats, hydropsychids spin a net or sieve made of fine silk, similar to the silk produced by the larval form of the Lepidoptera (caterpillars), one of their close relatives. These nets catch algae, detritus, and smaller invertebrates. Different genera spin nets of different mesh sizes and shapes depending on what food type they are targeting. Because of this technique of food collection, hydropsychids require flowing water to ensnare items of food into their nets.
“Hydropsychidae” enters the record as family of insects. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Hydropsychidae, family and insects can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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This entry incorporates text from “Hydropsychidae” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.