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3. Lower Owens Caddis fly question?

SO I have pumped few stomachs in the last few years on the Lower Owens river and found little bits of something iridescent teal. I could not figure out what it was... Last month I did the same thing and found a live one just eaten by a trout.
It was a Caddis worm black head but the body was a iridescent teal.
Now I have no idea if this is a particular kind of Caddis of just a stage it goes through.
Any Ideas or have you seen this.....

Mark F.

Hi Tigermidge-

Sounds to me like you may be describing a caddisfly larva of genus Rhyacophila. Did it look like this?

Welcome to the forum, Tigermidge. Was the body largely unicolorous or was the back noticeably darker? How big was it?

from my knowledge if the nymph has 3 plates behind the head it is the spotted, or tan caddis, (hydropsyche), if only one plate it is more than likely Rhyacophila in the green body #14-16 hook size.

@ Entoman: it was largely unicolorous. And about 3/4 of an inch long.
I wish I had my camera that day..
One note is the body did NOT have segmentation to it.
I have tried to tie some fly's that look like it, if I can I'll post them tonight.

Thanks for your input.

Mark

Here are my first attempts at duplication. But the body was not segmented.
The top ones are closest...I have UV Teal dubbing coming, we will see how this turns out.
Mark

Hey Mark, is it possible that you were not able to see the segmentation? I'm wracking my brain trying to think of any aquatic macroinvertebrate, insect or non insect that lacks segmentation other than clams and mussels etc. Epecially with the coloration you describe. I do not even pretend to know the inverts of the western us, but what you describe really sounds like a caddis or a dipteran, did it have legs?

It's probably a Tipulidae (Crane Fly) larva. The lower Owens is the wrong habitat for rhyacophilids (Green Sedges). The specimen also sounds too big for the hydropsychids (Little Sister Sedges) that low in the system.

I was wondering if it might be some sort of dipteran. They come in some crazy colors and I suppose the segmentation may be hard to discern.

Yes, they (segs) can go unnoticed in the hand with this family. The chunky imitations and his mention of iridescence also point that direction as some have an almost opalescent quality. Of course, if it has legs... Good question, BTW.