We tested the hypotheses that benthic macroinvertebrates, especially chironomid larvae in the Tribe Chironomini, from small oligotrophic arctic lakes are only weakly linked to pelagic food sources, and that they are trophically linked to biogenic methane. All offshore benthic macroinvertebrates sampled from 20 lakes were depleted in 13C compared with nearshore benthic macroinvertebrates. Nearshore macroinvertebrates had δ13C consistent with feeding on periphyton and/or terrestrial detritus. However, δ13C of offshore Chironomini, the dominant macroinvertebrate group, and oligochaetes, was more depleted than that of other offshore macroinvertebrates to a degree that could only be explained by a diet that included carbon derived from biogenic methane...