Philanisus plebeius


Philanisus plebeius is a species of marine caddisfly in the family Chathamiidae found in New Zealand and Australia. These insects have winged terrestrial adults, eggs are laid in starfish and aquatic larvae live in marine rock pools.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1852 from a single adult male specimen obtained by Dr. Sinclair from New Zealand. 'Plebeius' means common. Brauer described the same species in 1866 and pointed out the unusual maxillary palpi of males where the insertion of the third joint is well before the apex. F. W. Hutton discovered the larvae live in rock-pools in 1882.

Description

Walker in his original description described this species as follows:

Biology

There are very few insects that live in the sea but this caddisfly cannot survive in freshwater. Philanisus ''plebeius females lay eggs in starfish. Eggs are found most of the year in the body cavity of cushion star Patiriella regularis and P. exigua''. Larvae live in tide pools and make a case from seaweed and bits of sand or shell. Larvae go through 7 instars feeding on algae and detritus in tide pools.

Distribution

Philanisus ''plebeius i''s found throughout New Zealand coastal areas as well as on the coast of New South Wales in Australia.