Genus Cricotopus Wulp, 1874

Syn.: Paratrichocladius Santos Abreu, 1918 (see Cranston & Krosch 2015).

A genus of ~270 named species that occur in all zoogeographical regions except Antarctica. Seven subgenera are recognized, namely Cricotopus s. str.; Isocladius Kieffer, 1909; Maurius Lehmann, 1981; Nostocladius Ashe et Murray, 1980; Oliveiriella Wiedenbrug et Fittkau, 1997; Paratrichocladius Santos Abreu, 1918; and Pseudocricotopus Nishida, 1987 (see Ashe & O’Connor 2012; Andersen et al. 2013; Cranston & Krosch 2015). The larvae inhabit all types of freshwaters including saline coastal waters. They are frequently associated with aquatic plants, including algae, and some mine living parts of aquatic macrophytes (Andersen et al. 2013).