FEATURES:

 

COMMON NAME:

  • biting midges or no-see-ums

MORPHOLOGY:

  • Size Range: Adults @ 5mm (Merritt and Cummins pg.245)
  • Very small and thin
  • Small head; spheroidal and rounded
  • Ocelli are absent
  • Slender antenna, complete mouthparts, thorax is oval, pronotum is never prominent
  • Metanotum is rounded, never with longitudinal groove
  • Scutellum is small, distinct bristles
  • Wings are moderate in width, 2nd vein is absent, alula is narrow
  • Legs are long and abdomen is elongated
  • Genitelia are exposed and ovipositor is small
  • Prolegs are absent
  • (Curran,1965 pg.74 and Thorp, 1991 pg.626)

FUNCTIONAL FEEDING GROUP:

  • Collectors; sediment or deposit
  • Surface feeders; detritivores, fine particulates
  • Larvae are scavengers or predators
  • (Merritt and Cummins pg.245)