Distinguishing characters

Oligophlebodes minutus is recognized by the following composite of characters:

Wings: Forewings darkly patterned (lightly or sometimes difficult to discern in some preserved specimen).

Male genitalia: Lateral lobe of inferior appendage distally twisted ventrad and appearing somewhat toothed. X external branch quadrate or triangular in shape, but may appear rounded distally.

Similar species: Oligophlebodes minutus appears similar to O. sierra in respect to the shape of the lateral lobe of the inferior appendage, but can be distinguished by (1) the shape of X external branch which is large and ear-like in O. sierra, and (2) the presence of the distinctive forewing patterning, appearing dusty in O. sierra.

Distribution

Oligophlebodes minutus has the widest distribution of the Oligophlebodes caddisflies ranging from as far south as Arizona and New Mexico to as far north as Alaska. This species is generally confined to the eastern range of this genus, distributed throughout the range of the Rocky Mountains and as far east as the Black Hills of South Dakota. In its northern ranges, records indicate its distribution as far north as Southern Canada.