Subject: Need Help to Identify this Insect
Geographic location of the bug: Lanark County, Ontario, Canada
Date: 01/13/2019
Time: 01:58 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hello,
I have been unable to find any insect anywhere on the internet that looks like the one that I photographed in Lanark County, Ontario, Canada, in June of 2018. It is on the leaf of a Sumac tree, if that helps to determine approximate size.
Appreciate any assistance you can provide in identifying this insect.
Thank you.
How you want your letter signed: Stu
Dear Stu,
This is a Caddisfly in the order Trichoptera, a group of mostly drab, mothlike insects with aquatic larvae, meaning they are generally found near a source of water where the nymphs are able to develop. Your individual is very brightly colored, and we quickly identified it on BugGuide as a Zebra Caddisfly, Macrostemum zebratum. According to BugGuide: “adults Jun-Jul”, so your sighting was right on schedule.
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for the quick identification. It is amazing that, once you have the identity, how many images you can now find on the internet, but beforehand, I couldn’t find any!
Your note that they are generally found close to a source of water was spot on… the Sumac trees were within twenty-five yards of the Mississippi River.
Thanks again,
Stu