Biology and Possible Control of Nuisance Caddisflies of the Upper Mississippi River Calvin R
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Volume 33 Number 483 Biology and possible control of Nuisance Article 1 Caddisflies of the upper Mississippi river September 1960 Biology and possible control of Nuisance Caddisflies of the upper Mississippi river Calvin R. Fremling Winona State College Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/researchbulletin Part of the Agriculture Commons, Entomology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Fremling, Calvin R. (1960) "Biology and possible control of Nuisance Caddisflies of the upper Mississippi river," Research Bulletin (Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station): Vol. 33 : No. 483 , Article 1. Available at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/researchbulletin/vol33/iss483/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa Agricultural and Home Economics Experiment Station Publications at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Research Bulletin (Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station) by an authorized editor of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Biology and Possible Control Of Nuisance Caddisflies Of the Upper Mississippi River by Calvin R. Fremling Department of Zoology and Entomology AGRICULTURAL AND HOME ECONOMICS EXPERIMENT STATION IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY of Science and Technology RESEARCH BULLETIN 483 SEPTEMBER 1960 AMES, IOWA CONTENTS Summary ...................................................................................................................... 856 Introduction ............................................................................................................. __ . 857 CaddisHy abundance in Keokuk .............................................................................. 858 Description of the adults .......................................................................................... 859 Behavior of the adults ................................................................................................ 860 Oviposition .................................................................................................................. 861 Larvae .......................................................................................................................... 864 Hatching and early distribution ...................................................................... 864 Case and net construction .................................................................................. 865 Ecological distribution of larvae ...................................................................... 867 Larval feeding behavior and growth ...................................................... """" 870 Pupae ............................................................................................................................ 870 Generations per year ................................................................................................. 871 CaddisHy control ........................................................................................................ 873 Adulticides .......................................................................................................... 873 Light traps .......................................................................................................... 874 Changes in street and store lighting .......... __ ......... _.. _.... _..... _.. _______ .. _...... __ .. __ . __ 876 Larvicides ....... _........ _._ ....... ____ .... _....... _......... _._._ ....................................... _...... _.. _. 876 Literature cited ..... _.......... _..... _..... _................... _............ _................................... _. __ ..... 878 SUMMARY The principal nuisance species of caddisHies at males than males. Experiments with a vertically Keokuk, Iowa, are Hydropsyche orris Ross, Cheumato floating pole indicated that oviposition was most con psyche campyla Ross and Potamyia flava (Hagen), centrated at a depth of 3 to 4 feet. C. campyla and all members of the family Hydropsychidae (Order P. flava oviposition was observed in the laboratory, Trichoptera). The larvae of these species require con where adult females were seen to remain submerged siderable water current so that food may be carried for several hours. into the nets which they construct upon submerged An analysis of the numbers of caddisflies which rocks and other silt-free structures. Keokuk lies along were captured nightly at a downtown cafe window the tailwaters of the largest dam on the Upper Mis indicated that H. orris, C. campyla and P. flava are sissippi River, and the current and subsequent lack bivoltine species, reaching peaks of abundance in of silting create a large area which is favorable for early and late summer. Size-frequency distributions hydropsychid larval habitation. Consequently, Keo of H. orris larvae collected from navigation buoys also kuk is host to more caddisHies than the other river indicated that H. orris completes two generations per cities. year. C. campyla adults were ·reared from eggs in 51 H. orris larvae build rigid catching nets and are days in the laboratory. most abundant in the fastest currents. C. campyla A blacklight trap was developed and may serve larvae construct loose, voluminous nets and are most as a caddisHy abatement device at Keokuk. Insecticide abundant in the tailwaters and other areas where the space sprays applied to H. orris swarming areas hold current is moderated. P. flava larvae also build loose promise, as do residual sprays applied to riverside nets, but they are found most frequently in the rock foliage where the caddisHies rest during the day. H. and sand areas of the main channel of the river. orris caddisflies were shown to be vulnerable to four Hydropsychid larvae are capable of populating areas organic phosphorus insecticides. Of these, malathion by drifting with water currents. is the most lethal. Granular larvicides applied to the Ovipositing females of the three species were col tailwaters may control local larval populations tem lected beneath the surface of the water with an under porarily. Low solubility of the granular formulation water light trap. P. flava females were collected as may prevent injury to fish. A loss of caddisfly larvae deep as 20 feet and H. orris and C. campyla as deel> in the tailvvaters should affect the fish verv little since as 12 feet. Females may re-enter the water several fish scarcely utilize the hydropsychid caddisfly larvae times, and emergence traps captured many more fe- in this area. 856 Biology and Possible Control of Nuisance Caddisflies of the Upper Mississippi Riverl BY CALVIN R. FREMLING2 Caddisflies are present in all cities which lie along at Keokuk, Iowa, where they create serious nuisance the Mississippi River. They are extremely abundant and health problems. They swarm around the city lights during most of the summer and often blanket lighted store windows. When the doors of restaurants lProject 1373, Iowa Agricultural and Home Economics Experiment Sta tion. Iowa Cooperative Fisheries liesearch Unit, sponsored by the Iowa . and stores are opened, large numbers of the insects State Conservation Commission and Iowa State University of Science and enter, to the discomfort of the patrons. Masses of the Technology, with the cooperation of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This project was 'also supported by the National Science Foundation ~rant insects dart into the faces of passersby, flutter under G-3831. This paper reports a portion of the author's Ph.D. thesis. "Biol ogy and possible control of economically important Trichoptera and their eye glasses and fly down their open-necked cloth Ephemeroptera of the Upper Mississippi River." ing. The minute setae which are dislodged from the 2Formerly graduate assistant, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Iowa State University of Science and Technology. Now assistant pro fessor of biology, Winona State College, Winona, Minnesota. One of the most interesting and gratifying aspects of this study has been the unan (footnote 2 continued) imous cooperation and the sincere interest expressed by many people eral collecting trips on the Mississippi River. Ray Buchan, power plant from many diversified walks of life. My major professor, Dr. Kenneth D. superintendent, allowed the use of the facilities and data of the Union Carlander, initiated this investigation and provided guidance throughout Electric Company at Keokuk. My wife, Arlayne. served as laboratory the study and the preparation of this paper. David T. Hoopes assisted assistant and typed the first drafts of this manuscript. Dr. Herbert H. during two summers of field work. Mayor James O'Brien encouraged the Ross of the Illinois Natural History Survey identified caddisHies and research program at Keokuk and arranged for lod~ing, a boat and a offered many valuable research suggestions. Technical advice was received motor which were provided by the City of Keokuk. The Jones Construc at Iowa State University from Drs. Jean Laffoon. Martin Ulmer, Edwin tion Company provided laboratory space for one summer. Lockmaster Hibbs and John Lilly. Mr. H. E. Thompson, past president of the Fort Donald Pullen and the personnel of Lock 18 provided laboratory space, Erie, Ontario, Lions Club, offered information concerning the caddisHy allowed the uSe of their facilities and made daily observations of insect control program at Fort Erie. My fellow ~raduate students James Schmul activities.