order
                        
                      
                                    Coleoptera
                                       “Adult Beetles”
                                  
                                    Coleoptera
                                       “Larval Beetles”
                                  
                                    Diptera
                                       “True Flies”
                                  
                                    Ephemeroptera
                                       “Mayflies”
                                  
                                    Hemiptera
                                       “True Bugs”
                                  
                                    Lepidoptera
                                       “Aquatic Caterpillars, Snout Moths”
                                  
                                    Megaloptera
                                       “Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies”
                                  
                                    Odonata
                                       “Dragonflies and Damselflies”
                                  
                                    Plecoptera
                                       “Stoneflies”
                                  
                                    Trichoptera
                                       “Caddisflies”
                                 family
                        
                     Helicopsychidae
            
               “Snail Casemaker Caddisflies”
            
      Family Overview
                  
               
                           Helicopsychidae
                               
                              
                        
                            
                              
                        Snail Casemaker Caddisflies
                     
                        The larva lives in a case made of fine sand and coiled in the shape of a snail shell; the tops of the first two thoracic segments are covered by sclerites; the top of the third thoracic segment has only a few small sclerites; the anal claws are comb-like, with many ventral teeth.
                  
               Characteristics
                  
               POLLUTION TOLERANCE
                        Upper Midwest: up to 3
                                 Midwest: up to 1.8
                                 Southeast: up to 0
                              0 = least tolerant, 10 = most tolerant
                        FEEDING HABITS
                        
                                 Scraper / Grazer
                        
                     MOVEMENT
                        
                                 Clinger
                        
                     Diagnostic Characters
               order
                      
                                       
                                    Prolegs With Single Hook
                                 family
                         
                                       
                                    Snail shell-like case
                                 
                  + Expanded Character List
                  
                     
               
            
                        Order:
                           Larvae: Wings/wing pads absent. Eye spots present, but compound eyes absent. Antennae usually small, inconspicuous. Three pairs of segmented legs present on thorax. Pair of anal prolegs, each with single hook, located on last abdominal segment. Larvae can be free-living, in silken retreats attached to substrate, or in usually-portable tubes or cases made of sand, rocks, or plant material.
                     
                     
                        Family:
                           The larva lives in a case made of fine sand and coiled in the shape of a snail shell; the tops of the first two thoracic segments are covered by sclerites; the top of the third thoracic segment has only a few small sclerites; the anal claws are comb-like, with many ventral teeth.
                     
                  Dorsal
               Ventral
               


 
                                                
                                             
 
                                    