Stone moths are widely distributed throughout the world and have a higher diversity of species in warm places. These insects live only in clean water bodies, and their larvae (called stone silkworms in Chinese) inhabit lakes, ponds, rivers, streams or other clean freshwater bodies. There is a species of terrestrial silkworm, Enoicyla pusilla, which also lives in the wet deciduous leaves of the forest. In the UNITED KINGDOM, this stone silkworm is mainly distributed in the forest area near Worcestershire.
The feeding behavior patterns of stone silkworms in freshwater habitats are complex and diverse. Some larvae (especially young larvae) that pick up fragments of organic matter from underwater benthic organisms for food, a type of feeding behavior called collector mode. Some species of stone silkworms will use the silk mesh they weave or the long hairs on their feet to collect organic particles by sieving and filtering, and this type of feeding behavior is called the filter pattern. The surface of some objects in the water will breed some underwater clumps of organisms, such as algae, under the sun. Some stone silkworms can feed on the surface tissues of these organisms, and this type of stone silkworm is called tongue scraper. Some species of stone silkworms are so-called crushed plant eaters, which feed directly with chewable mouthparts and chew plant-based substances. Those who eat dead biological organic residues in this way are called crushed slag eaters. The food eaten by crushed slag eaters is the organic residue that has been decomposed and utilized by microorganisms in advance, but many degradants after microbial action are their important sources of nutrition. Also, some silkworms are predatory, and they can prey on other aquatic animals, such as some insects, small crustaceans, worms, etc. They often hide in a hidden place in the way of "waiting for the rabbit", and when the unsuspecting prey approaches, they go up to hunt it. A few species of stone silkworms occasionally feed on the carcasses of animals such as fish that have died in the water. Some species of the trombone moth family also feed on sponges in fresh water. The diversity of encroachment and feeding behaviors of aquatic stones is evolutionarily interrelated with the diversity of species in this taxon.
Similar to ephemerals, stoneflies, dragonflies, etc., stone moths live in clean water bodies, and they are extremely resistant to pollution. These insects can be used as indicator organisms for environmental water quality monitoring. In freshwater ecosystems, stone silkworms are a very important node in the food network and are the food source of Xu fish. Moreover, adult insects that have just been feathered out of the pupae in the water are also an easily accessible source of food for fish before their wings dry out.
Adults of stone moths only survive for a few weeks, and many species have chewing mouthparts during the adult stage but do not eat any food at all. They die immediately after completing their reproductive tasks. However, some species of adult worms can feed on some nectar. Winged stone moths are nocturnal insects that are a delicacy prey for many nocturnal birds, bats, nocturnal mammals, and arthropods. Stone moths in the larval stage have a long growth period, and the general length is more than 1 year. The length of the larval period depends on the caste of different species, and the second is greatly affected by environmental factors, especially water temperature. Stone silkworms are found in freshwater ecosystems and provide a source of nutrition for a variety of aquatic predators such as fish and some parasites. Fish eat stone silkworms in two ways: one is to swim close to the water plant or the bottom of the water, pluck the stone silkworm from the surface of the plant body, or hunt the stone silkworm that feeds everywhere under the water. Another way is to wait for the stone silkworms to float in clusters in the water every day, swallowing them whole or in groups. Stone silkworms float in regular groups in the water every day, sometimes in large numbers, and group drifts are usually carried out at night. The time spent floating in a group is also the best time for fish and other predators.
Some of the terms in this article are compared in Chinese and English:
[Stone moth] caddisfly
【Stone silkworm】 caddis
[Leptoceridae] Leptoceridae
Collector-gatherer
Benthos
Collector-filterer
Periphyton
Scraper
Shredder-herbivore
Shredder-detritivore
Food web