Chathamiidae | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Trichoptera |
Superfamily: | Sericostomatoidea |
Family: | Chathamiidae Tillyard, 1925 |
Genera | |
Synonyms | |
Philanisidae Mosely & Kimmins, 1953 |
Chathamiidae is a family of case-making caddisflies more commonly known as the marine caddisflies.[1] Chathamiids are unusual among insects in their invasion of the tide pool environment. Larvae construct their cases of coralline algae. The eggs of one marine caddisfy species (Philanisus plebeius) are found inside starfish (Patiriella regularis in New Zealand and Patiriella exigua in Australia).[2] The five described species[3] are distributed along the coasts of New Zealand, New South Wales, and the Chatham Islands.[4]