There is that startle factor when a little pile of fir needles or debris marches across the bottom of the pond. All spring and summer the bottom is alive with the larval caddisflies (Limnophilus in this case). The larval cases provide camouflage, shelter and protection for their soft bodies and stability in flowing currents. An excellent overview of this architecture was written by Rob Cannings and in the Royal BC Museum publication "Curious". http://curious.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/caddisfly-architecture/The story of how the caddisfly got it's name is delightful: Hundreds of years ago in England, itinerant sellers of cloth fastened scrap pieces of cotton and silk to their clothing to advertise their wares. In older English these scraps are called cadices, so these salesmen were dubbed “caddice men”. The little caddisfly larvae that labour away in streams and ponds, covering themselves with bits of sand and plants, probably got their name from these once-familiar figures. (Dr. Rob Cannings)
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AuthorsTwo biologists on a beautiful property armed with cameras, smart phones and a marginal knowledge of websites took up the challenge of documenting one species a day on that property. Join along! Posts and photographs by Leah Ramsay and David Fraser (unless otherwise stated); started January 1, 2014. Categories
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