Try observing
General biology · aquatic insects, without a local species inventory
Tiny shelters beneath the water
Caddisfly larvae live in water; many build shelters from sand or plant fragments. They form part of river and stream food webs, providing food for fish, birds and amphibians. The Tagis guide highlights their usefulness as ecological indicators. Finding one individual, however, does not certify water quality on its own. The submerged shelter is only part of the story. The adult has hairy wings and slender antennae, and holds its wings like a small roof over its body when resting. It may resemble a butterfly or moth, but those have scales on their wings. Adult caddisflies usually fly around dusk and live near freshwater bodies. There is no single menu for all larvae either: depending on the group, they may eat algae, plants, organic remains or other invertebrates. They are consumers and, at the same time, food for other animals. A food web describes these relationships better than a line assigning just one food to each species.
Vamos experimentar?
- Observe the water from an accessible and stable margin.
- Look for differences between sand, vegetable remains and small shelters without collecting them.
- If you do not distinguish any, save the question for an accompanying activity.
An activity to try at your own pace, without collecting specimens.
Open a história e os seus recursos →Sources of this proposal
- Tagis — Insects in Order, Odonata, dragonflies, dragonflies and friganiums (pp. 39–43 and 74)Consultation/revision: 2026-11-07
My findings
An idea, a drawing or a question to go on.