Limnephiloid Snail Caddis vs Hemiandrus Earwig

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Limnephiloid Snail Caddis Hemiandrus Earwig
Scientific Name Helicopsyche limnella Hemimerus talpoides
Order Trichoptera Dermaptera
Family Helicopsychidae Hemimeridae
Size 4-6 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Farmland
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Asia Sub-Saharan Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Limnephiloid Snail Caddis

A tiny caddisfly that builds a perfectly spiraled case from fine sand grains cemented with silk. Larvae scrape algae from rock surfaces in clear streams.

💡

Did You Know?

The coiled case provides structural strength far exceeding that of a simple tube of the same material.

Hemiandrus Earwig

A blind, wingless earwig that lives exclusively as a commensal on giant pouched rats. Its cerci are modified into short, unsegmented claspers rather than the typical forceps.

💡

Did You Know?

Unlike all other earwigs, Hemimerus gives birth to live young that develop inside the mother via a placenta-like structure.