Descriptions and phylogeny of four limnephiloid caddisflies (Trichoptera) based on first instars

First instars from a representative species of each of the limnephiloid families Goeridae, Brachycentridae, Lepidostomatidae, and Uenoidae and the sericostomatoid family Sericostomatidae were reared, described, and illustrated. Morphological comparisons of these species revealed 14 unique homologues which support a close evolutionary link between the families Goeridae and Uenoidae. This hypothesis concurs with a current phylogenetic interpretation and is corroborated by ecological characteristics of the 2 families. The study is an instructive example of the potential value of 1st-instar characters for phylogenetic interpretation in Trichoptera.