Larva
Also called Insect larva, Midge larva, Caddis larva
An aquatic insect’s immature stage for insects with complete metamorphosis, like midges and caddisflies.
- Group
- Life stages
- Category
- Entomology & forage
- Level
- Beginner
- Water
- Freshwater
Last updated
What Larva means
In freshwater entomology, larva is the early, non-winged life stage of insects with complete metamorphosis. It lives underwater, feeds, and grows through multiple molts before changing into the next stage.
Midge larvae look like tiny worms in the mud or vegetation. Caddis larvae live on the bottom, many build cases from sand, sticks, or leaves, and they move on the substrate.
Many larva imitations are small flies drifted near the bottom. They are commonly paired with a strike indicator or used in a tandem rig with a heavier fly to help get depth.
Why it matters on the water
Larvae are available in the river almost all the time, even when there is no obvious hatch. If trout are feeding but nothing is happening up top, larva patterns are a reliable place to start.
Knowing whether you are dealing with midge larva or caddis larva helps with where to place the drift. Caddis larva shows up more around rocks and structure, where a tighter, near-bottom drift pays off.
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Read next
- CaddisflyA caddisfly is a common freshwater insect that trout and other fish eat in its larva, pupa, and adult stages. Many species live in streams and rivers, and their hatches can drive steady feeding.
- MidgeA midge is a small two-winged fly; in fly fishing it often means a chironomid. Most of their larvae and pupae live in water. Midges hatch in every month on many rivers and lakes, and trout eat them year-round.
- NymphA nymph is a subsurface fly meant to imitate an aquatic insect in its immature stage, or a small food item drifting in the current. Nymphs are fished with or without weight, an indicator, or tight-line methods.
- PupaA pupa is the in-between life stage where some aquatic insects transform from larva to adult. In trout fishing, “pupa” usually points to caddisflies and midges as they rise toward the surface to emerge.