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As an adult caddis fly he is very different from the hungry larva or the quiet pupa. The two pairs of wings over his back change color as they dry. Most caddis flies are black or some shade of brown. The front pair of wings is usually darker and longer than the hindwings, and covers them when the insect is resting. If you were
to look at the wings through a lens, you would see that they are covered with hair. The new antennae are long and delicate. Some caddis fly adults have antennae which are longer than their bodies.
Now that he is ready to live in the air, a caddis fly no longer has gills. Air enters through pores along his sides and is carried through his body by many fine, branching tracheae.
Adult caddis flies do not have strong jaws and eat very little, if they eat at all. For this reason they cannot live very long.
After mating, the female caddis flies lay many eggs in the water. Some swarm over pools, dipping the tips of their abdomens into the water as they lay their eggs. Others attach their eggs to the stems of water plants. You may even see a female caddis fly swim down through the water and lay her eggs on rocks or sticks.
Each caddis fly larva develops from a single egg. Very soon it begins to build a house and search for food.
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