The caddisflies (Trichoptera) are an order of holometabolous insect found on every continent
except Antarctica. They are potentially useful indicators of river and stream health (Chantaramongkol,
1983; Resh, 1992). They are relatively easy to identify to species level in the adult stage and show a
diverse range of ecological, behavioral and functional feeding modes as larvae. Furthermore, they are
good indicators of environmental perturbation, and because they are distributed along the stream
continuum, they constitute one of the most interesting groups for studying the ecology of organisms in
running water (de Moor, 1999).