Tag Archives: Diptera

Fall 2014 Interesting Finds: True flies (Order: Diptera)

 True flies (Order: Diptera)

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Non-biting Midges (Chironomidae)

Chironomidae, commonly known as nonbiting midges, are a family of flies which can be found all over the world. A genus from this family, Limnophyes, was the most common insect during the Fall 2014 School Malaise Trap Program with 1,623 specimens being found in all 59 traps! These midges come from a very large family of insects; experts estimate that there are well over 10,000 different species of Chironomidae world-wide!

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Non-biting Midges (Chironomidae)

Many of these species superficially resemble mosquitoes, but they lack the wing scales and elongated mouthparts which a mosquito uses to feed on blood. The larvae and pupae of nonbiting midges are important food items for fish and other aquatic organisms. Furthermore, chironomids are important indicator organisms, meaning their presence or absence in a body of water can indicate whether pollutants are present or if environmental changes have taken place. This sensitivity to environmental changes also makes chironomids a potential source of information when reconstructing past climate. Lake sediments dating as far back as 10,000 years contain the head capsules shed by chironomid larvae during development. These head capsules allow for species identification and, because chironomid species differ in their tolerances to various environmental factors such as temperature and drought, the identity and abundance of chironomid species present in the sediment indicate the climate at that point in time.

Fall 2014 SMTP Interesting Finds: True flies (Order: Diptera)

True flies (Order: Diptera)

Robber flies, also called assassin flies, belong to the family Asilidae. They are powerfully built and have notoriously aggressive predatory habits. They feed mainly or exclusively on other insects and as a rule they wait in ambush and catch their prey in flight.

Robber Fly on Leaf
Robber Fly on Leaf

These predators can be recognized by their usually bearded face and a concave top of the head between the eyes. Robber flies range in length from 1-5 cm, with the females being larger than males.

The fly attacks its prey by stabbing it with its short, strong proboscis (straw-like mouth part) injecting the victim with saliva containing toxic enzymes which rapidly paralyze it and soon digest the insides; the robber fly then sucks the liquefied material through the proboscis.

Stichopogon trifasciatus
Stichopogon trifasciatus

You might hear this species before you see it, as it departs its perch with a loud, buzzing flight, quickly landing again nearby, usually on a vertical branch or twig.

 

Only one species of robber fly was collected during the program at St. Augustine Catholic Elementary School. Congratulations on this interesting find!