As humans fill the world’s waters with microplastics, the tiny synthetic shards are making their way through food webs. But one insect is making the most of the pollution—to its own detriment. Instead of noshing on the little bits of plastic, a species of caddisfly called Lepidostoma basale is hunkering down beneath them. The larvae—which are found across Europe, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and elsewhere—live inside cone- or tube-shaped cases that they build themselves. Typically, the insect architects construct these homes out of sand. But field researchers in…
