Caddisflies as an Underwater Architectures and Indicator for Water Quality and Classification of Water Habits

Abstract

Trichoptera (Caddisflies) insects has long, silky hairs that cover most of the body and wings. This order of insect is included: 21 families, 145 Genera and 1200 species. This order is closely related to Lepidoptera. The Immature stage is aquatic and respiration at the larval stage by respiratory gills. Adults are active and winged insects and they have broad diversity of habitats. Larvae are worm-like, soft bodies, head contains a hard covering, color vary from yellow or brown, but usually green, larvae are known for their construction of hollow cases that they either carry with them or attach to rock, cases are built from sand, twigs, small stones, crushed shells, rolled leaves, and bark pieces, cases used for protection and pupation, length up to 1 inch. Larvae are Eruciform (caterpillar-like) body, abdomen usually enclosed in a case made of stones, leaves, twigs, or other natural materials.Head capsule well-developed with chewing mouthparts . Thread-like abdominal gills usually present in case-makers . They have one pair of hooked prolegs often present at tip of abdomen (Figure 1). larvae feed on algae,small bits of plant material . Some species build nets where they catch drifting food, fed upon by several species of fish. They are sensitive to water pollution and are used as important indicators in studies of water quality. The larval habitats are; lotic, lentic, erosional,warm rivers, headwater stream, cool streams, rock face streams, seeps, large rivers, small spring, marshland, small rapid stream, pond, pool, lake, temporary streams, depositional