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**Little Brown Sedge Genus Lepidostoma (Little Brown Sedges)**

Mayflies

Caddisflies

Stoneflies

Taxonomic Navigation -?-

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

» Class Insecta (Insects)

» Order Trichoptera (Caddisflies)

» Family Lepidostomatidae (Little Brown Sedges)

» Genus Lepidostoma (Little Brown Sedges)

Species in Lepidostoma
Lepidostoma bryantiLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma cascadenseLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma cinereumLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma costalisLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma griseumLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma pluvialeLittle Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma podagrumLittle Brown Sedge	4	9
Lepidostoma quercinaLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma rayneriLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma roafiLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma stigmaLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma togatumLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma unicolorLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0
Lepidostoma vernalisLittle Plain Brown Sedge	0	0

48 species aren't included.

Common Names

Match	Common Name
	Little Brown Sedges
	Little Plain Brown Sedges
	Little Black Sedges
	Little Gray Sedges
	Little Brown-Green Sedges

Pictures Below ↓

This genus is important for trout anglers. Many species of Lepidostoma produce excellent hatches, especially in the West. Lepidostoma can be very prolific in spring creek environments or smaller runoff streams with springs. Lepidostoma togatum is the most important species of this genus in the East and Midwest. The West has several species that are important.

Where & When

This genus is widely distributed with important species nationwide in all types of water. Some are especially prolific in small streams, and Gary LaFontaine had interesting comments on that in Caddisflies:

I know many fly fishermen, some in the East and some in the Midwest, who have fallen in love with a certain type of trout stream. The big brawling rivers are not for them; no, they stalk the overgrown tributaries of these heavily fished waters instead. ... For these fly-fishing cronies I once had a picture postcard custom made showing an adult of Lepidostoma.

Hatching Behavior

Time Of Day (?): Evenings

The pupae swim up to the surface in slow to medium water and presumably emerge there on the surface. They ride the water for a long time before taking flight. Trout may feed heavily on the drifting pupae, emerging adults, or the emerged wing-drying adults.

Egg-Laying Behavior

Lepidostoma adults lay their eggs on or near the surface, but I haven't found the specifics and they probably vary by species.

Larva & Pupa Biology

Diet: Leaves or pine needles

Shelter Type: Four-sided case of bark or leaf pieces, sand case in a round tube shape, or case of tiny twigs "log cabin" style

Lepidostoma larvae are especially likely to undergo behavioral drift (Behavioral drift: The nymphs and larvae of many aquatic insects sometimes release their grip on the bottom and drift downstream for a while with synchronized timing. This phenomenon increases their vulnerability to trout just like emergence, but it is invisible to the angler above the surface. In many species it occurs daily, most often just after dusk or just before dawn.) in June.

Lepidostoma Fly Fishing Tips

In spite of the common names for this genus, the two most important species (Lepidostoma togatum and Lepidostoma pluviale) have green bodies.

Pictures of 9 Little Brown Sedge Specimens:

Specimen Page:12

Lepidostoma (Little Brown Sedges) Little Brown Sedge Larva

View 6 PicturesThis one got a little bit damaged in the abdomen when I extracted it from its case. That's a delicate job.

Collected May 6, 2007 from Mongaup Creek in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on May 18, 2007

Lepidostoma (Little Brown Sedges) Little Brown Sedge Larva

View 6 Pictures

Collected May 13, 2007 from the Delaware River in New York
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on May 18, 2007

Female Lepidostoma podagrum (Little Brown Sedge) Little Brown Sedge Adult

View 3 PicturesThese specimens are still alive, just very cold, so the colors are accurate. I put them in the freezer for a bit to settle them down and overdid it a little:)

Collected May 12, 2011 from the Fall River in California
Added to Troutnut.com by Entoman on December 14, 2011

Specimen Page:12

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Jargon Defined:

Abdomen: The rear and usually the longest (ten-segmented in mayflies) portion of an insect's body, to which the tails are attached.

Behavioral drift: The nymphs and larvae of many aquatic insects sometimes release their grip on the bottom and drift downstream for a while with synchronized timing. This phenomenon increases their vulnerability to trout just like emergence, but it is invisible to the angler above the surface. In many species it occurs daily, most often just after dusk or just before dawn.

Larvae: Many classes of aquatic insects, such as caddisflies, midges, craneflies, dobsonflies, alderflies, and many more, are known as "larvae" rather than "nymphs" in their juvenile stages. They have mostly soft bodies rather than hard exoskeletons. These insects also advance through a "pupa" stage before reaching adulthood.

Pupae: Any insect which spends most of its juvenile lifetime as a larva first becomes a pupa for a time before emerging as a fully grown adult. Depending on the species, the pupal form can be very important for fly fishermen to imitate.

Useful References:

LaFontaine, Gary. 1981. Caddisflies. The Lyons Press.

Swisher, Doug and Carl Richards. 2000. Selective Trout. The Lyons Press.