Leaf-pack
Guides
Lirceus
Flat Waterslaters
Lirceus is a genus of freshwater isopod crustaceans in the family Asellidae, commonly known as flat waterslaters. The genus contains at least 18 described species distributed across southern Canada and the eastern United States, extending westward to the Great Plains. Many species inhabit caves and springs, particularly in the Interior Highlands region (Ozark and Ouachita Mountains), while others occupy surface streams and leaf pack habitats. Two species are listed as endangered or vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Pycnopsyche
northern caddisflies
Pycnopsyche is a genus of northern caddisflies comprising approximately 17 described species. Larvae are aquatic shredders inhabiting leaf packs in temperate streams, where they construct portable cases from leaf material. The genus exhibits temporal niche partitioning among sympatric species, with differences in case materials, habitat preferences, and adult flight periods reducing interspecific competition.