Sedge/Sedge pupae.

minktrapper

Can anyone tell me what young sedges before they hatch look like.

Bogwoppit

minktrapper wrote: »

Can anyone tell me what young sedges before they hatch look like.

Easier just to google images of caddis larvae than to try describe them with words.

minktrapper

Bogwoppit wrote: »

Easier just to google images of caddis larvae than to try describe them with words.

Actually I would much prefer if someone here that really does know to explain what they look like in Irish river's.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It really is easier to look up a googled picture. Head, jaws, six legs near the head and a long segmented soft body like a caterpillar.

minktrapper

I can't find any where I fish. So I am wondering am I looking for the right thing. There used always be plenty of sedges with their cases and tiny stones stuck to them. Or bits of vegetation. Only when I look under stones I can not find any.

minktrapper

If I am correct in identifying sedge pupa then why can't I find any.

Bogwoppit

If you can't find any then there's only 2 possibilities really; they're not there where you're looking or you don't know actually know what you're looking for.

minktrapper

Can anyone tell me if fresh water crayfish eat them.

Bogwoppit

I'd be fairly sure they do but they would have minimal impact on numbers.

minktrapper

What would be considered a lot of crayfish in a river.1 per sq ft,1 per sq yd,1 every yd as you walk the river, so forth.

Bogwoppit

It depends on the habitat, why?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

You'll often get decent numbers of crayfish on a stretch of water.

Sedges/Caddisfly larvae at this time of year would be tiny.

I have surveyed them and they are not always easy to simply pick up from a stream bed.

Zzippy

minktrapper wrote: »

If I am correct in identifying sedge pupa then why can't I find any.

They may be cased caddis, so if you see a small collection of grit/tiny stones stuck to a ruck, there will probably be a caddis larva inside. They can be very small at this time of year. Uncased caddis won't be stuck to rocks if you pick them up - a sweep net with a fine mesh will catch a few if you kick up the bottom. Rocks with weed on them may have some in the weed as well. They look like tiny caterpillars with the legs concentrated near the head end, various dull colours but some species are green and very obvious.

minktrapper

Before there used to be cased sedge pupae under every rock. So many that you would not bother counting them. Same with weeds in the river. Plenty sedges stuck to them. I thought maybe they might not be as visible this time of year for some reason. Virtually no sedges to be seen during the summer evening. Any idea as to the length of their life cycle. I see approximately 1 to 2 Cray fish per sq yard all over the river.Before now I have only ever one live Cray fish now they are everywhere. I would say sedges used to make up a large proportion of the trouts diet.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

They have a more, or less, one year life cycle.

minktrapper

So in theory they should All be hatched and a new batch growing for next year.So no sedges would be found with little pebbles stuck to there homes.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

minktrapper wrote: »

So in theory they should All be hatched and a new batch growing for next year.So no sedges would be found with little pebbles stuck to there homes.

Not right now, no.

minktrapper

Gracie Mango Hook wrote: »

Not right now, no.

I did not realise that sedges only live for 1year.I am surprised.