10.21973/N3666HMaya PastreichHefan ZhangAndrea GonzalezSean Jarrell-HurtadoUniversity of California Natural Reserve System2018Textcaddisflyecologystream flowsbehaviorKathleen WongKathleenWongSpring 2018enpdfAquatic invertebrates in rivers experience a high level of variability throughout their lifespan and serve as important foundations for watershed food webs in addition to being bioindicators. One such invertebrate, the Limnephilidae caddisfly, expresses a unique behavior in which the larvae construct body cases as a means of protection from predators and the surrounding environment. We investigate whether larval caddisfly possess a behavioral plasticity regarding changes in river flow when building their cases. We surveyed case composition of larvae in the natural environment. We also conducted reciprocal transplant experiments to test material preference in fast, slow, and still sites. Our findings indicate that the larvae express plasticity to an extent when in the treatment environments, however the original environment of the larvae seemed to be a strong predictor of material preference. Thus, while aquatic invertebrates may be able to adapt to sudden changes within their environment, that ability is very limited.CEC Research Volume 2, Issue 1Angelo Coast Range Reserve123.6319444439.74055556