Distinguishing Hydropsychidae from other families

Larvae

• Larvae caseless; spinning nets with rectangular or square meshes
• Pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum with hard sclerotized plates
• Abdominal segments I-VI or VII with a pair of tufted ventral gills
• Anal prolegs with terminal brush of long bristles

Adults

• Numbers of tibial spurs 2-4-4
• Ocelli absent
• maxillary palpi five-jointed in both sexes, terminal joint longer than the other joints together
• Apical fork no. 1 present in anterior and posterior wing
• 2nd joint of maxillary palpus longer than 3rd joint
• Basal segments of antennae with oblique black lines (only Hydropsyche)

Remarks

In the head of the chart of larvae (“Larven-Tabelle”) you find symbols of distinguishing morphological features for the identification of hydropsychid larvae. Pointing with the mouse cursor on a symbol will show an explanatory text in German, clicking this symbol will show a picture of the morphological feature.

Buttons with species names on the left are linked with the equivalent plate.
 

To start the chart of larvae you need the programm Acrobat Reader, that you can download with this button.                                                                                                                                                                      

Explanations of the symbols see below.

Three keys for genera, males and females and two special selection lists with links to identification plates for larvae and adults are provided.
 

At the moment the larvae of Hydropsyche contubernalis McLACHLAN, 1865 and H. contubernalis masovica MALICKY, 1977 can’t be distinguished.