1. Remove the backing from one side of two pieces
of carpet tape and press them
down, side by side, on one side of the 3" x 5" card. Apply the narrow piece of
carpet tape to one long edge on the opposite side of the card.
Materials for each caddisfly and case
* 3" x 5" colored index cards
* Double stick carpet tape (11/2" wide), two 4 1/2" sections, plus one 4" x 1/4" strip
* Round-head clothespin
* 12" pipe cleaners (or chenille stem), cut into three 4"-long pieces
* Assortment of dried peas, beans, pasta, lentils, etc.
Tools
* Scissors
* 6"-long section of 5/8" dowel
* Fine-line marker
Construction
Caddisfly Case
1. Remove the backing from one side of two pieces
of carpet tape and press them
down, side by side, on one side of the 3" x 5" card. Apply the narrow piece of
carpet tape to one long edge on the opposite side of the card.
2. Using a dowel, roll the 3" x 5" paper lengthwise, with the wide strips of carpet tape to the outside.
3. Pull the backing sheet off the narrow strip of carpet tape and pull back the covering of the tape along one long side of the wider tape. Stick the two long edges together with the narrow tape on top, so that tape sticks to tape, overlapping by about 1/2". This will create a tube.
4. Cut a notch in one end, about 1" long, cutting out about 1/3 of the diameter of the tube.
5. Remove the protective covering from the rest of the tape (sticky side should be out).
6. Stick various objects (beans, peas, etc.) to the exterior of the case to create a caddisfly nymph home. These will represent the twigs, pieces of plants, sand, and pebbles that the caddisfly larva uses to build its case.
Caddisfly Larva
1. Obtain a clothespin, and beginning in the
groove just behind the "head,"
wrap each section of pipe cleaner around the body once and twist it tight where
they overlap. Use the three pieces of pipecleaners to create six legs. Spread
the ends out to resemble legs.
2. With the legs facing down and the head facing you, draw two eyes and short antennae on the head of the clothespin. Also draw a hook on each of the legs of the clothespin. These will be the prolegs.
3. The final step is to inset the larva into
its case, rear-end first, with the
legs nestled in the notch.
Carolyn Nixon, Center for Economic Entomology
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