Trichoptera: Limnephilidae of Gunnison County, ColoradoEcclisomyia maculosa - Early Western Mottled SedgeBanks 1907Updated 27 March 2026
TSN 116027 
The Ecclisomyia sp. on the right was found in a small tributary to the upper East River on the 1st of June in 2007. Good LinksOn this website:Introduction to Limnephilidae Other Websites: Photos, Map, Taxon Identifier Numbers - from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility Ecclisomyia maculosa at Gbif Photos, Map, Museum specimens, DNA - Barcodinglife.org Illustration - University of Alberta Entomology Collection Species page Has description, habitat information, range and more. ReferencesAnderson,NH 1976 The distribution and biology of Oregon Trichoptera. Agricultural Experiment Station, Oregon State University. Technical Bulletin, 134. PDF
 Balik,JA; Leitz,C; Washko,SE; Cleveland,B; Krejsa,DM; Perchik,ME; Stogsdill,A; Vlah,M; Demi,LM; Greig,HS and Shepard,ID 2022 Species-specific traits predict whole-assemblage detritus processing by pond invertebrates. Oecologia, 199(4), pp.951-963. PDF Banks,N 1907. Descriptions of new Trichoptera. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 8:117-133. 
Cummins,KW; Wilzbach,MA; Gates,DM; Perry,JB and Taliaferro,WB 1989 Shredders and riparian vegetation. BioScience, 39(1), pp.24-30. PDF Demi,LM; Hughes,D and Taylor,BW 2022 Characterizing the role of phosphorus availability and periphytic algae in the food choice and performance of detritivorous caddisflies (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). Freshwater Science, 41(1), pp.000-000. PDF Abstract: "Organisms that rely on detritus as their primary food source may face particularly strong nutritional constraints on growth and development, given the characteristically poor quality of detrital resources. In freshwater ecosystems, the low content of P in detritus often limits detritivore growth. Additionally, a growing body of evidence suggests the biochemical composition of algae, such as essential fatty acids, can limit aquatic detritivore growth. We investigated feeding preference and growth responses of common aquatic detritivores by performing paired feeding-preference and growth experiments on 4 species of larval caddisflies (Trichoptera) from the family Limnephilidae: Asynarchus nigriculus, Anabolia bimaculata, Limnephilus externus, and Ecclisomyia sp. We manipulated both the P content and epiphytic algal biomass of a common detrital food resource (decomposing sedge [Carex sp.]) by conditioning the detritus under 2 different light (ambient, shaded) and P (ambient [low], +P) regimes. We tested 3 hypotheses that describe feeding preferences and performance under different scenarios of P limitation, algal limitation, and co-limitation by P and algae. We observed evidence of preferential feeding behavior for each of the 4 taxa, with 2 species exhibiting preferences for conditioned detritus with high algal biomass and 2 for detritus from the +P treatments. We observed agreement between feeding preferences and performance (growth, growth efficiency, mortality) for only 2 taxa, with A. nigriculus exhibiting higher growth rates and growth efficiency on their preferred high- P detritus, and L. externus experiencing lower mortality when reared on their preferred high algal biomass detritus. These findings provide an initial step toward characterizing the feeding preferences and performance responses of aquatic detritivores to 2 potentially common nutritional constraints: detrital P and algal supply." Givens,DR 2018 The Nearctic Ecclisomyia species (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). Zootaxa, 4413(2), pp.201-259. Abstract: "The Nearctic species of Ecclisomyia are reviewed with new descriptions of the pupae of the four recognized species. The larvae of E. bilera Denning 1951, E. maculosa Banks 1907, and E. simulata Banks 1920 are described. A supplementary description is provided for the larva of E. conspersa Banks 1907. Genetic and morphological information is provided to support the recent restoration of E. simulata as a valid species. Keys to the males, females, pupae, and larvae are provided. Biological and distributional data are also included." Herrmann,SJ 1990 New record and range extension for Rhyacophila wallowa (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae) from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Entomological news (USA). While studying R. wallowa, the author found E. maculosa adults near the cold streams Fall River and Chiquita Creek at 2640m or 8660ft amsl in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Herrmann,SJ; Ruiter,DE and Unzicker,JD 1986 Distribution and records of Colorado Trichoptera. Southwestern Naturalist 31 4, 421-457. Notes that Ecclisomyia maculosa lives in Gunnison County. Mecom,JO 1972a Feeding habits of Trichoptera in a mountain stream. Oikos 23: 401-407. Mecom,JO 1972b Productivity and distribution of Trichoptera larvae in a Colorado mountain stream. Hydrobiologia 40(2): 151-176. Abstract: "From June 1968 to late May, 1969 collections of more than 20,600 immature Trichoptera were made from the St. Vrain River of Colorado. Agapetus sp., Arctopsyche grandis, Brachycentrus americanus, Ecclisomyia maculosa, Hydropsyche sp., Hydropsyche occidentalis, Helicopsyche borealis, Leptocella [now named Nectopsyche] sp., Neothremma alicia, Rhyacophila acropedes, and Sortosa [now named Dolophilodes] sp. were taken at eight sites ranging from 1565 to 3200 m in altitude. The Trichoptera of the St. Vrain exhibited a distinct altitudinal zonation with Zone I (1565 m) dominated by Leptocella, Hydropsyche sp., and Helicopsyche borealis; Zone II (1750 to 2350 m) was dominated by Brachycentrus americanus and Hydropsyche occidentalis; Zone III (2350 m) was considered a transitional area. In Zone IV (2650 m) and Zone V (2950 to 3250 m ) Neothremma alicia and Arctopsyche grandis were the most successful genera, respectively. Temperature is proposed as the major variable controlling attitudinal zonation. Standing crop productivity of Trichoptera was determined from timed collections and expressed as population density (number of organisms collected per 30 minutes) and organic biomass (dry organic matter represented by organisms collected per 30 minutes). Intermediate altitudes (2300 m) exhibited the lowest productivity but greatest species diversity. Highest productivity occurred below 1600 m but organic biomass was surprisingly high above 2900 m. Changes in productivity in relation to altitude are discussed in relation to temperature, food availability, severe flooding, and other variables. Productivity on a yearly basis was found to be greatest in spring and at minimum levels during autumn and early winter. The holometabolous life cycle of Trichoptera, temperature, and current seem to be the major governing factors of seasonal productivity." Ross,HH 1950 Synoptic notes on some nearctic Limnephilid caddisflies (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). American Midland Naturalist 43 (2) 410-429. Has diagnostic characters for Ecclisomyia males. Wisseman,RW 1987 Biology and distribution of the Dicosmoecinae (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) in western North America. MS thesis Oregon State University PDF Zuellig,RE; Heinold,BD; Kondratieff,BC and Ruiter,DE 2012 Diversity and Distribution of Mayflies (Ephemeroptera), Stoneflies (Plecoptera), and Caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the South Platte River Basin, Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, 1873-2010. U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 606, 257 p. PDF - caution 46MB Quote from page 84: "The type locality for this species is Boulder, Colorado (Banks, 1907a) but no known collections of this species have been made from there since the original description. This species often inhabits the lower surfaces of boulders in fast currents of streams and is considered a lower elevation species (Mecom, 1972). However, except the records from Banks (1907a), all SPRB records are from higher elevations." The elevation range is 5,400-11,350 feet and the adults emerge from June-September |