Banksiola crotchi

Banks, 1944

traveler sedge giant casemaker

Banksiola crotchi is a caddisfly in the Phryganeidae, commonly known as the traveler sedge giant casemaker. An ecological study in Marion Lake, British Columbia, documented its in a lacustrine environment. are laid on submerged vegetation in fall, with larval growth occurring rapidly in fall and spring. are present from July to September. The species is distributed across North America.

Banksiola crotchi 04 by Libby Avis, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. Used under a CC0 license.Banksiola crotchi 01 by Libby Avis, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. Used under a CC0 license.Banksiola crotchi 02 by Libby Avis, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Banksiola crotchi: //bæŋkˈsiːoʊlə ˈkrɒtʃaɪ//

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Habitat

Lacustrine (lake) environments. Documented from Marion Lake, British Columbia, where larvae inhabit submerged vegetation.

Distribution

North America. Specific records from Marion Lake, British Columbia, and Vermont, USA.

Seasonality

active July to September. laid in fall. Larval growth rapid in fall and spring.

Diet

Larvae in instars two to four feed primarily on filamentous . Fourth and fifth instar larvae are , with increasing in the final instar.

Life Cycle

laid on submerged vegetation in fall. Larval growth rapid in fall and spring. Five larval instars; diet shifts from primarily herbivorous (instars 2-4) to increasingly (instars 4-5). emerge July to September.

Ecological Role

Larval energy budget indicates role in lake energy transfer. Dietary shift from algivory to in later instars suggests complex trophic position.

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Sources and further reading