Probably NOT Caddisfly Pupae, we NOW suspect

bugman

October 25th, 2011 at 8:40 am

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Is this a bagworm?
Location: Fish Hoek, Cape peninsular
October 24, 2011 4:15 am
I found this group under a rock each measures about 8 mm long.
I am in Fish Hoek, Cape peninsular area.
(In Zimbabwe we used to get big bagworms that made their sleeping bags out of thorns etc)
Signature: Brian

caddisfly pupae south africa brian 300x206 Probably NOT Caddisfly Pupae, we NOW suspect

Possibly Caddisfly Pupae

Hi Brian,
We don’t know what this is, but we don’t believe they are Bagworms. Our best guess is perhaps the Pupae of Caddisflies or Caseworms. The larvae are aquatic and build “homes of sticks, shells or grains of sand. Each species has a very distinctive case. Caddisflies also spin silk. Was this rock overhang near a stream? If not, then we are most probably wrong. We hope one of our readers can provide some information. The North Carolina State University Entomology website has a nice page on Caddisflies.

Hi
Interesting – thanks for the comments!
There is no steam nearby – in fact I on a very rocky and rather dry area of sandstone hill/mountain about 2.5 km from the ocean. (Fynbos)
The drawings on the www.cals.ncsu.edu website are similar – but I think I will have to ask the local university Zoology Dept
Thanks
Brian

Then Caddisflies must be wrong. This needs more thought.