Trichoptera (Caddisflies) of Michigan

Our current state of knowledge regarding the distribution of Trichoptera in Michigan is still rather poor; thorough sampling efforts continue to yield new state records and even new species. Many species still do not have their larval stages associated with adults, making species-level identifications of larvae currently difficult or simply not possible.

This list largely is based on Leonard and Leonard (1949) as well as many subsequent collection and rearing efforts by Justin Leonard principally during the early 1950s, which are now housed at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Insect Division. Additional resources include Bright and Bidlack (1998), specimens collected by Doug Bidlack and Ethan Bright (unpublished), and specimens light-trapped from the E. S. George Reserve and identified by Dave Ruiter. Based on these efforts and additional literature citations, there are currently about 75 genera and 252 species recorded from Michigan, with another 6 genera and approximately 72 species likely to occur in Michigan based on distributions from nearby localities.

Synonym and literature material information is primarily from Trichoptera Database Project under the directorship of Dr. John Morse at the University of Clemson; this is a great resource that can be accessed at: http://entweb.clemson.edu/database/trichopt/.

Page created: October 29, 2002
Page last reviewed: February 10, 2003 (EB)