Sand Fly Caddis vs New Zealand Peripatus

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sand Fly Caddis New Zealand Peripatus
Scientific Name Glossosoma intermedium Peripatoides novaezealandiae
Order Trichoptera Onychophora
Family Glossosomatidae Peripatopsidae
Size 6-9 mm 30-80 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Wood Feeders
Regions North America Oceania (New Zealand)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sand Fly Caddis

A small caddisfly whose larvae build distinctive tortoise-shell-shaped stone cases. They are important grazers on algae-covered stream rocks.

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Did You Know?

Glossosoma larvae abandon and rebuild their dome-shaped cases each time they need to move to a new grazing site.

New Zealand Peripatus

A velvet worm native to New Zealand, representing one of the most ancient terrestrial animal lineages. Although not an insect, it is closely related and is a fascinating part of New Zealand's invertebrate fauna. It captures prey by shooting streams of sticky slime.

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Did You Know?

Velvet worms shoot jets of quick-hardening slime up to 30 centimetres to entangle prey, a hunting technique virtually unchanged for hundreds of millions of years.