No, It's Not 'Alien' (IMAGE)
Caption
Despite its resemblance to Hollywood's fictional "Alien," the critter shown here is a caddisfly larva known to western US fly fishermen as a "rock roller." The larva builds and carries its own underwater shelter case, using ribbons of natural sticky silk to stitch together grains of sand and rock (right rear of this photo.) But when placed in a lab aquarium with glass beads instead of sand grains, the larva uses its wet silk to add beads to its shelter case (center). Russell Stewart, a University of Utah bioengineer, hopes to make a synthetic version of the caddisfly silk for use as a surgical adhesive.
Credit
Fred Hayes
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Photo must be credited to Fred Hayes.
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