Trichoptera: Limnephilidae of Gunnison County, ColoradoHesperophylax consimilis(Banks, 1900)Updated 21 February 2026
TSN 116011 Good LinksOn this website:Limnephilidae Introduction Other Websites: Photos, Map, Taxon Identifier Numbers - from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility Hesperophylax consimilis at GBIF Photos, Map, Museum specimens, DNA - Barcodinglife.org Description - University of Alberta Entomology Collection Species page Has description, habitat information, range and more. ReferencesAl Mousa,MDA; Nachappa,P; Ruiter,DE; Givens,DR and Fairchild,MP 2022 Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) of montane and alpine lakes of northern Colorado (USA). Western North American Naturalist, 82(3), pp.563-576. PDFQuote from page 571: "Limnephilus castor Ross and Merkley, 1952, was less common but found as recently as 2020, whereas the remaining endemic species were less common, patchily distributed, and not recently encountered. Hesperophylax consimilis (Banks, 1900) was recorded from only 3 lakes in Grand, Larimer, and Routt counties, of which the most recent was 28 years ago." Banks,N 1900 New genera and species of Nearctic Neuropteroid Insects. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 26:239-259. PDF 
Gray,LJ and Ward,JV 1979 Food habits of stream benthos at sites of differing food availability. American Midland Naturalist 102 1, 157-167. PDF Herrmann,SJ; Ruiter,DE and Unzicker,JD 1986 Distribution and records of Colorado Trichoptera. Southwestern Naturalist 31 4, 421-457. Abstract and first page Martinson,RF 1980 Macroinvertebrate community structure of springbrook habitats in the Piceance Basin, Colorado. MS Thesis, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. 95 pages PDF Parker, CR and Wiggins,GB 1985 The nearctic caddisfly genus Hesperophylax (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology 61(10)2443-2472. Abstract: "Seven species of Hesperophylax are recognized: alaskensis (Banks), consimilis (Banks), designatus (Walker), magnus Banks, minutus Ling, occidentalis (Banks), and mexico n.sp. Hesperophylax alaskensis is reestablished as a valid species distinct from occidentalis. Hesperophylax incisus Banks is placed as a junior subjective synonym of designatus. Hesperophylax oreades Saether is placed as a junior subjective synonym of Psychoronia costalis (Banks). Keys are provided for identification of males, females, and larvae. A hypothesis of phylogeny is proposed in which consimilis is the sister group of all other Hesperophylax; magnus and mexico are sister species and together are the closest relatives of occidentalis, designatus, and alaskensis; designatus and alaskensis are sister species. An interpretation of biogeography is offered, suggesting how geological events affected the origin and distribution of Hesperophylax species. Data on food, life cycle, habitat, and distribution are given. All species appear to be univoltine with extended flight periods. Larvae are opportunistic omnivores, but magnus is more predaceous than the other species. Differences in mandibular morphology between consimilis and the other species are not reflected in the food habits of the larvae. Among Trichoptera the species of Hesperophylax are little differentiated morphologically and most species vary within unusually broad limits; most species occur in a wider range of habitat types than do other Trichoptera. Perhaps those factors represent a genetic plasticity selected for generalized adaptability rather than the habitat specialization of other Trichoptera." Zuellig,RE; Heinold,BD; Kondratieff,BC and Ruiter,DE 2012 Diversity and Distribution of Mayflies (Ephemeroptera), Stoneflies (Plecoptera), and Caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the South Platte River Basin, Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, 1873-2010. U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 606, 257 p. PDF - caution 46MB Quote from page 85: "The type locality of this species is South Park, Colorado (Banks, 1900). Hesperophylax consimilis appears to be restricted to streams and large rivers in the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains (Parker and Wiggins, 1985)." The elevation range is 8,800-8,900 feet and the adults emerge in September. |