Distribution and Habitats of Aquatic Insects

Understanding how communities, populations, and species are organized and distributed is one of the main objectives of ecology. Aquatic insects are composed of several orders of diverse groups found in many different types of aquatic (and semiaquatic) habitats. From the highest water trickles to the largest rivers and deepest lakes, aquatic insects have successfully achieved a global distribution, with an extraordinary capacity of survival in the most distinct conditions. Considering the breadth of the subject, this chapter aims to show some of the factors related to the distribution of aquatic insects, illustrating the main habitats used by the main orders.