Caddisflies of Berrien County, Michigan, and Vicinity

Caddisflies are aquatic insects of the Order Tricoptera. The primary souce for this list is Leonard and Leonard’s (1949) An annotated list of Michigan Trichoptera, which lists 181 species for the State. The validity of scientific names was checked against Ethan Bright’s Trichoptera (caddisflies) of Michigan, which lists 252 species for the state.

Twelve species in 3 families and 8 genera are known from Berrien County, while 29 species in 7 families and 17 genera are known from adjoining Van Buren County. Surprisingly, of the combined 37 species, just 4 are known with certainly from both counties. The documentation of an additional 25 species (and 7 families and 11 genera) in Van Buren County suggests either that the trichopteran fauna of Berrien County has been under-sampled relative to that of Van Buren County or that Berrien County provides a reduced variety of suitable habitats. But, given their close geographic proximity, it seems reasonable to conclude that any of the 37 species (representing 10 families and 19 genera) documented from one or the other county is likely to be found in Berrien County.

The combined list is presented below. The county or counties from which each species is known are given in brackets, Berrien County species are bold-faced, and species documented only from Van Buren County but likely to be found in Berrien County are denoted with a plus sign (+). Family group names and accompanying habitat descriptions are from the Guide to aguatic invertebrates of the Upper Midwest (Chapter 10; .pdf). There are no generally recognized common names for caddisflies:

Family Glossosomatidae (saddle case-maker caddisflies) [“Glossosomatid caddisflies most commonly live in cool, clear-flowing waters, but they can also be found in large rivers and lake edges with sufficient current and substrate.”]:

Glossosoma nigrior [Van Buren]

Family Helicopsychidae (snail case-maker caddisflies) [“These caddisflies are most commonly found in streams with sand deposits. They are also found on wave-swept shores of lakes. Snail case-maker caddisflies are found attached to rocks and logs.”]:

Helicopsyche borealis [Van Buren]+

Family Hydropsychidae (common net-spinner caddisflies) [”Hydropsychid caddisflies are restricted to flowing waters, from small spring streams to large rivers. They are most commonly collected from areas with cobble or bedrock substrate where solid structures are available on which to attach their nets. They can also be common on large woody debris and submerged vegetation.”]:

Ceratopsyche (=Hydropsyche) sparna [Van Buren]+

Ceratopsyche (=Hydropsyche) slossonae [Van Buren]+

Cheumatopsyche campyla [Berrien, Van Buren]

Cheumatopsyche oxa [Van Buren]+

Cheumatopsyche pettiti (=analis) [Van Buren]+

Cheumatopsyche sordida [Van Buren]+

Hydropsyche aerata [Berrien]

Hydropsyche betteni [Van Buren]+

Hydropsyche bidens [Van Buren]+

Hydropsyche dicantha [Van Buren]+

Hydropsyche orris [Berrien, Van Buren]+

Macrostemum (=Macronenum) zebratum [Berrien, Van Buren]

Potamyia flava [Berrien, Van Buren]

Family Leptoceridae (long-horned case-maker caddisflies) [”Leptocerid caddisfly larvae are common in all types of freshwaters, but they are most common in standing waters such as marshes, ponds, and lakes.”]:

Ceraclea alagma (=Athripsodes alagmus) [Van Buren]+

Ceraclea (=Athripsodes) diluta [Berrien]

Ceraclea (=Athripsodes) resurgens [Berrien]

Ceraclea (=Athripsodes) tarsipunctatus [Van Buren]+

Leptocerus americanus [Van Buren]+

Nectopsyche (=Leptocilla) diarina [Berrien]

Nectopsyche (=Leptocilla) exquisite [Berrien]

Oecetis cinerascens [Van Buren]+

Oecetis inconspicua [Van Buren]+

Oecetis osteni [Van Buren]+

Triaenodes injustus (=injusta) [Van Buren]+

Triaenodes marginatus (=marginata) [Van Buren]+

Triaenodes tardus (=tarda) [Van Buren]+

Family Limnephilidae (northern case-maker caddisflies) [“Limnephilid larvae occur in a wide range of habitats including small springs, large rivers, lakes, and marshes. They can be found just about anywhere in these habitats such as in snags, on rocks, and in vegetation.”]:

Pycnopsyche guttifer [Van Buren]+

Pycnopsyche lepida [Van Buren]+

Family Molannidae (hood case-maker caddisflies) [“Molannid caddisfly larvae occur in lakes and slower sections of rivers and streams in areas of sand deposition.”]:

Molanna tryphena [Van Buren]+

Family Philopotamidae (finger-net caddisflies) [“Philoptamid caddisflies are found in flowing waters, from small streams to large rivers. They are found under rocks and logs.”]:

Chimarra obscura [Van Buren]+

Family Phryganeidae (giant case-maker caddisflies) [“Phryganeid caddisfly larvae are commonly collectd at the edges of ponds and lakes, in marshes, and in areas of slow current in streams. They are usually found in submerged aquatic vegetation, in overhanging grasses, and in accumulations of course detritus.”]:

Banksiola crotchi (=selina [Berrien]

Ptlilostomis ocellifera [Berrien]

Ptilostomis postica [Berrien]

Family Polycentropodidae (tube-making and trumpet-net caddisflies) [“Polycentropid caddisflies live in slow-moving streams and rivers and in lakes and ponds. These caddisflies are generally found in warmer waters than many other trichopteran families. They build silken retreats on rocks and logs.”]:

Plectrocnemia cinerea (=Polycentropus cinereus) [Van Buren]+

Family Psychomyiidae (tube-making and trumpet-net caddisflies) {“Psychomyiid caddisfly larvae generally live in cool flowing waters and are located on rocks and logs where they build silk tubes.”]:

Psychomyia flavida [Van Buren]+