Geology, Earth and Marine Sciences
Research Open Volume 3 Issue 2
Short Commentary
Caddisflies as an Underwater Architectures and
Indicator for Water Quality and Classification of Water
Habits
Hassan Vatandoost*
Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran
*Corresponding author: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran; Email:
[email protected]
Received: April 14, 2021; Accepted: April 21, 2021; Published: April 28, 2021
Trichoptera (Caddisflies) insects has long, silky hairs that cover marshland, small rapid stream, pond, pool, lake, temporary streams,
most of the body and wings. This order of insect is included: 21 depositional habitats, moss. The main habits of this insects are;
families, 145 Genera and 1200 species. This order is closely related clingers, burrowers, sprawlers, collectors, filterer, gatherer, scraper,
to Lepidoptera. The Immature stage is aquatic and respiration at the predator (engulfers), shredder, herbivores, piercers, climbers, chewer
larval stage by respiratory gills. Adults are active and winged insects (detritivore), scavenger, swimmer.
and they have broad diversity of habitats. Larvae are worm-like, soft
Caddisfly larvae best known for the construction of: nets, retreats
bodies, head contains a hard covering, color vary from yellow or
and cases. Different types of larval cases are: smooth mineral, case flat,
brown, but usually green, larvae are known for their construction
mineral tube with long plant pieces, tapered, flat tube of bark, sand
of hollow cases that they either carry with them or attach to rock,
construction case, case with stone, very slender case, case with wood
cases are built from sand, twigs, small stones, crushed shells, rolled
fragments, snail shell shaped, flask shaped case, a tube of fine mineral,
leaves, and bark pieces, cases used for protection and pupation,
cylinder case, curved cylinder shape with wood pieces, tapered shape,
length up to 1 inch. Larvae are Eruciform (caterpillar-like) body,
irregular strands of vegetation, Christmas tree shape, curved cylinder
abdomen usually enclosed in a case made of stones, leaves, twigs, or
of leaf pieces, square in cross-section, cylindrical of sand, rough
other natural materials.Head capsule well-developed with chewing
mineral (Figure 2).
mouthparts . Thread-like abdominal gills usually present in case-
makers . They have one pair of hooked prolegs often present at tip of Larvae change to pupae (Figure 3).
abdomen (Figure 1). larvae feed on algae,small bits of plant material
Adults are moth-like, brownish and usually nocturnal, wings
. Some species build nets where they catch drifting food, fed upon
thickly covered with hairs (Figure 4).
by several species of fish. They are sensitive to water pollution and
are used as important indicators in studies of water quality. The larval Water Quality Indicators are: dissolved oxygen (do), phosphorus,
habitats are; lotic, lentic, erosional,warm rivers, headwater stream, coliform bacteria, turbidity, pH and macro-invertebrates. The
cool streams, rock face streams, seeps, large rivers, small spring, presence, condition, and numbers of the types of Insects, can provide
Figure 1: Larvae of Caddisfly.
Geol Earth Mar Sci, Volume 3(2): 1–4, 2021
Hassan Vatandoost (2021) Caddisflies as an Underwater Architectures and Indicator for Water Quality and Classification of Water Habits
Geol Earth Mar Sci, Volume 3(2): 2–4, 2021
D
Hassan Vatandoost (2021) Caddisflies as an Underwater Architectures and Indicator for Water Quality and Classification of Water Habits
Figure 2: Different types of cases of caddisflies larvae.
Geol Earth Mar Sci, Volume 3(2): 3–4, 2021
Hassan Vatandoost (2021) Caddisflies as an Underwater Architectures and Indicator for Water Quality and Classification of Water Habits
Figure 3: Pupae of Caddisflies.
Figure 4: Adult of Caddisfly.
accurate information about the health of a specific river, stream, lake, 70% of known species of major groups of aquatic macro invertebrates
wetland, or estuary. Cadissflies are being used as biological indicators were identified in North America. Around 4000 species of aquatic
for assessing water quality and good tools of physico-chemical insects and water mites have been reported from Canada. Thus, as
properties of the water for classification. The most diverse group of a highly diverse group, benthic macroinvertebrates are excellent
freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates is the aquatic insects. Around candidates for studies of changes in biodiversity.
Citation:
Hassan Vatandoost (2021) Caddisflies as an Underwater Architectures and Indicator for Water Quality and Classification of Water Habits. Geol Earth Mar Sci Volume
3(2): 1-4.
Geol Earth Mar Sci, Volume 3(2): 4–4, 2021
