Western Bushtail Caddisfly vs Seaweed Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Western Bushtail Caddisfly Seaweed Fly
Scientific Name Gumaga nigricula Coelopa frigida
Order Trichoptera Diptera
Family Sericostomatidae Coelopidae
Size 10-14 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Forests Beaches & Coastal
Diet Detritivores Detritivores
Regions North America North Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Western Bushtail Caddisfly

A western North American caddisfly that constructs smooth cylindrical cases from fine sand. Larvae are leaf-shredders in forested streams.

💡

Did You Know?

Larvae migrate upstream as they grow, compensating for the downstream drift they experienced as young instars.

Seaweed Fly

A coastal fly whose larvae develop in rotting seaweed wrack on beaches. It forms massive swarms on strandlines that can annoy beachgoers.

💡

Did You Know?

It is a model organism for studying sexual selection because larger males win more mating contests.