FAMILY PHRYGANEID^ 



This family contains the largest of the caddis flies. McLach- 

 lan calls them "the giants of the order." They are found only 

 in the northern portions of the globe and some of the most striking 

 species are boreal, or at least inhabit high mountains. They are 

 not very numerous. One of the largest and handsomest, Neuro- 

 nia semifasciata Say, is shown on the accompanying plate, and 

 has been taken by the writer at night at a light in his cottage in the 

 Catskill Mountains (elevation 2, 500 feet). The larvae live in ponds, 

 swamps, and bogs, and make cylindrical cases of bits of leaves or 

 the fibers of slender-leafed aquatic plants which they arrange in a 

 spiral manner. The cases of the full-grown larvae are nearly of 

 the same diameter at each end but with the young larvae it is 

 smaller at the tail-end and that end is cut off by the caddis worm 

 in order to add the remainder to the front end. The cases are 

 open at both ends and the larvae are probably able to reverse their 

 positions within them. The perfect insects conceal themselves 

 during the day and fly at night. Their flight is lumbering, and 

 they are readily recognized while on the wing. Only two genera 

 are represented in the United States, namely Phryganea and Neu- 

 roma, most of our species belonging to the latter genus. 



198 



