Trichoptera: Limnephilidae of Gunnison County, ColoradoHesperophylax designatus
Silver Striped Sedge, Silver Striped Caddis Fly(Walker, 1852)
Updated 23 February 2026
TSN 116008
Good Links
On this website:
Introduction to the Limnephilidae
Other Websites:
Photos, Map, Taxon Identifier Numbers - from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility Hesperophylax designatus at GBIF
Photos, Map, Museum specimens, DNA - Barcodinglife.org
Photos, information - Bugguide.net
References
Al Mousa,MDA 2020 Studies on the Odonata and Trichoptera of high-elevation lakes of northern Colorado and southern Wyoming. MS Thesis, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. 187 pages. PDF
Quote from page 85: "Hesperophylax designatus (Walker, 1852) was recorded from eight locations between 1954 and 1997 (Fig. 3.7, Appendix 4), in Clear Creek (1), Gilpin (1), Grand (2), and Larimer (4) Counties, from an elevation range of 2,550-3,635m."
Al 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. PDF
Quote from page 571: "Four species of the Nearctic genus Hesperophylax Banks, 1916, were recorded in this study (Table 2, Supplementary Material 1). Species of this genus usually inhabit lotic habitats but can occur in cold springs and lakes where they inhabit shallow water (Parker and Wiggins 1985, Wissinger et al. 2003, Wiggins 2014). The transcontinental H. occidentalis (Banks, 1908) and H. designatus were common and frequently encountered. Hesperophylax magnus Banks, 1918, is known from western North America and was recorded only from a few locations between 1989 and 1996. Hesperophylax consimilis, an endemic from the Rocky Mountain region of western North America, was recorded only from a few locations in Grand, Larimer, and Routt counties between 1979 and 1994."
Dodds,GS and Hisaw,FL 1925 Ecological studies on aquatic insects. III. Adaptations of caddisfly larvae to swift streams. Ecology 6(2)123-137. Abstract and first page
Erman,NA 1989 Species composition, emergence, and habitat preferences of Trichoptera of the Sagehen Creek Basin, California, USA. The Great Basin Naturalist, 186-197. PDF
The author noted H. designatus adults emerged shortly before an intermittent stream dried.
Flint,OS, Jr. 1960 Taxonomy and biology of Nearctic limnephilid larvae (Trichoptera), with special reference to species in eastern United States. Entomologica American 40:1-117.
Gee,WP 1911 The oenocytes of Platyphylax designatus Walker. The Biological Bulletin 21: 222-234. 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
Holzenthal,RW; Blahnik,RJ; Prather,AL and Kjer,KM 2007 Order Trichoptera Kirby, 1813 (Insecta), Caddisflies. Zootaxa, 1668: 639-698. PDF
Illustration of H. designatus adult on page 641, Figure 3.
Myers,MJ and Resh,VH 2002 Trichoptera and other macroinvertebrates in springs of the Great Basin: species composition, richness, and distribution. Western North American Naturalist 62(1) 1-13. PDF
Quote from page 6: "We collected a total of 58 different species in 14 different families of caddisflies (Table 5). Four to 18 species were found in a spring. Several springs had very similar physicochemical characteristics; however, none had identical trichopteran composition. Although Lepidostoma cascadense and Rhyacophila brunnea were restricted to cold springs, they were collected from the most springs (12 each). Lepidostoma rayneri, L. roafi, and L. unicolor were also frequently collected (10, 8, and 7 springs, respectively). Across the region (including all 170 springs surveyed), Hesperophylax designatus was the most commonly encountered caddisfly. It was found in temporary springs, springs impacted by grazing, very cold springs at high elevations, and a few of the warmer (14°C), low-elevation springs. Of the 28 springs intensively studied, it was present in 11."
Myers,MJ; Sperling,FAH and Resh,VH 2001 Dispersal of two species of Trichoptera from desert springs: conservation implications for isolated vs connected populations. Journal of Insect Conservation, 5(3), pp.207-215. PDF
Abstract: "During the Pleistocene, when the climate was wetter and cooler, aquatic habitats in the Great Basin of western North America were much more extensive and connected. As the climate warmed over the last 10,000 years, many of these habitats dried but others remained as isolated springs and inland lakes. The isolation of desert springs and lack of dispersal between populations of non-vagile species (e.g. fish, spring snails) has led to genetic differentiation and speciation. However, the extent to which vagile species of aquatic insects disperse from spring to spring is unknown. We examined the population genetics of two caddisflies, Hesperophylax designatus (Limnephilidae) and Lepidostoma ojanum (Lepidostomatidae) that occur in isolated springs in Nevada and eastern California to determine the extent of their dispersal from spring to spring. Mitochondrial DNA sequences indicate that the populations of L. ojanum are isolated and that the populations represent management units. In contrast, H. designatus individuals are flying from spring to spring and their populations are connected by dispersal. Disturbance impacts (e.g. grazing by ungulates, water extraction) that eliminate poor dispersers (e.g. L. ojanum) locally may result in permanent losses of genetic diversity; this is less likely with broader dispersers such as H. designatus."
Newman,RM; Hanscom,Z and Kerfoot,WC 1992 The watercress glucosinolate-myrosinase system: a feeding deterrent to caddisflies, snails and amphipods. Oecologia, 92(1), pp.1-7.
Abstract: "Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) possesses the glucosinolate-myrosinase system. This system is regarded as a classic example of chemical defense for terrestrial crucifers. Damage of watercress initiates myrosinase-mediated hydrolysis of phenylethyl glucosinolate to a toxic endproduct, phenylethyl isothiocyanate. In multiple choice tests, the amphipod Gammarus pseudolimnaeus, the limnephilid caddisflies Hesperophylax designatus and Limnephilus sp., and the physid snail Physella sp. all strongly preferred (10X) yellowed senescent watercress (FY) over fresh green watercress (FG), despite the 2X higher nitrogen content of green watercress (6.9% for FG vs 3.8% for FY). Green watercress contained 10—40 X more glucosinolate than FY watercress (6.4—8.5 mg/g wet for FG vs 0.2—0.7 mg/g wet for FY). However, when the watercress was heated (ca 70°C), to deactivate the myrosinase enzyme, multiple choice tests showed that these species shift their preferences to heated green watercress (HG). Heating deactivated the deterrent effect and overall preference (consumption) was HG ≥ HY > FY ≫ FG for Gammarus. HG > HY ≥ FY ≫ FG for Hesperophylax, HG > FY ≥ HY ≥ FG for Limnephilus, and HG ≥ FY > HY ≥ FG for Physella. Thus heating resulted in a shift in preference from the low glucosinolate, but low nitrogen, unheated yellowed tissue to the high nitrogen green tissue. These results suggest that deactivation of the myrosinase enzyme, and hence isothiocyanate production, results in a shift in preference. Preliminary results with Hesperophylax indicate that addition of myrosinase to the test water, which resulted in the formation of isothiocyanate, results in a significant decrease in HG consumption from control levels (p < 0.001) and no change in preference for HY watercress. With Gammarus, myrosinase resulted in reduced consumption of both green and yellowed watercress, but no significant differential effect. These results provide evidence that the glucosinolate-myrosinase system, recognized as the principle deterrent system of terrestrial crucifers, is the feeding deterrent in watercress and also suggest that in the absence of a functioning deterrent system, nitrogen content may influence consumption."
Oláh,J; Andersen,T; Beshkov,S; Bilalli,A; Coppa,G and Kovács,T 2019 Lineage sorting by parameres in Limnephilinae subfamily (Trichoptera): with description of a new tribe, new genera and new species. Opuscula Zoologica (Budapest), 50, pp.3-98. PDF
On page 92, Figure 261, there is an illustration of a Hesperophylax designatus paramere.
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."
Rader,RB and Ward,JV 1988 Influence of regulation on environmental conditions and the macroinvertebrate community in the upper Colorado River. Regulated Rivers: Research and Management 2:597-618.
Quote from page 611: "The reference site was represented by twelve species of caddisflies, including relatively abundant populations of Arctopsyche grandis and Rhyacophila acropedes. Trichopterans at the regulated site, however, were represented by nine rare and three slightly more abundant caddisflies (Hydroptila sp., Brachycentrus americanus, and Hesperophylax designatus). The abundance of net-spinning caddisflies was significantly reduced in the regulated site compared to both reference and recovery locations (p=0.05), as has been reported by several workers (Armitage and Capper, 1976; Müller, 1962; Ward, 1987). "
Vorhies,CT 1908 Studies on the Trichoptera of Wisconsin. PhD Thesis. 1909 Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences Arts and Letters 16: 647-738. PDF
Discussed as Platyphylax designatus.
Plate LII was a poor scan, couldn't see the characters described
Vorhies,CT 1905 Habits and anatomy of the larva of the caddis-fly, Platyphylax designatus, Walker. Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Arts and Sciences 15:108-123. Google books
Walker,F 1852 Cataloque of the Specimens of Neuropterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, Part I: Phryganides-Perlides. London, British Museum.
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: "This species was collected in the SPRB from timberline to locations just east of the plains mountain interface." The elevation range is 5,050-11,950 feet and the adults emerge from March-November.
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