Keystoner on Oct 4, 2010October 4th, 2010, 7:36 am EDT
Can anyone tell me what these are?? Look like they were left by some sort of aquatic life. They were discovered about a month ago in the Maiden Creek, Kempton, PA. The weather at that time was still hot, and water in the creek was very low. Also, I believe the Maiden is a freestone creek, but I could be wrong. Thanks.
"Out into the cool of the evening, strolls the Pretender. He knows that all his hopes and dreams, begin and end there." -JB
PaulRoberts on Oct 4, 2010October 4th, 2010, 8:51 am EDT
Those are Neophylax caddis cases. They are either pupal cases, and about to emerge as they are autumn emergers. If you had found them earlier -midsummer- they could have been in summer aestivation. Not all caddis do this.
They were a really common caddis in Central NY where I used to fish. Trout glean the larvae, case and all, from the bottom too. Gravel in trout stoamchs was often due to this.
Creno on Oct 4, 2010October 4th, 2010, 1:59 pm EDT
The fourth one is a mud bug. Unlike the others, if you get enough the mud bugs can be real good eatin. I had fried Stenopsyche, a large Asian caddis, one time, and they really don't come close to matching mud bugs.
Konchu on Oct 5, 2010October 5th, 2010, 1:31 am EDT
Hey, Creno-
What's the overall geographic distribution of Stenopsyche? Your comments reminded me of some collections I made about twelve years ago that I have not gone through for awhile.
Creno on Oct 7, 2010October 7th, 2010, 2:29 pm EDT
Konchu - I really don't know their distribution and am traveling so cannot readily look it up. I know they are eastern Eurasian from India to Japan and Eastern Russia. I haven't heard of any making it to NA and I don't know how far south and west in eurasia they go. Was looking at a Eubasilissa today (a phryganeid)and that would be a real meal - three/4 times the size of Stenopsyche.
Roger - wonder how I did that? Hit reply and end up in a different tread. Oh-well.
creno
Taxon on Oct 7, 2010October 7th, 2010, 6:40 pm EDT
Roger - wonder how I did that? Hit reply and end up in a different tread. Oh-well.
creno
Hi Dave,
Yes, I can certainly relate given some of the things my mouse has accidentally succeeded in accomplishing, not the least of which was to lose all of my saved-sent-email before (also accidentally) discovering where it had gone.