Adult caddisflies of 136 montane and alpine lentic habitats, primarily lakes, of seven northern Colorado counties are reported for the first time. Our objective was to provide species records of adult and larval caddisflies from high altitude lentic habitats that may potentially be impacted by current and future Global Climate Change. Two seasons of adult collecting and rearing, reviewing records from an existing database, and from peer reviewed literature resulted in 541 confirmed species records. Forty-nine species, representing 24% of all known Colorado caddisflies are documented. Seven families and 24 genera are represented. The Limnephilidae comprised 76% of the 49 recorded species. The other six families were usually represented by only one to four species. Distribution maps are presented for the six families and the most common limnephilid species.
Montane and alpine lakes are vulnerable ecosystems likely to be impacted by climate change. Comprehensive faunal surveys are key to understanding long-term biodiversity changes and establishing conservation needs and priorities. Species lists of taxa are important to monitor future faunal biodiversity changes.
