- 15 species in North America
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Chaoboridae |
Identification Tips:
• Nearly transparent
• Body behind head (thorax) swollen wider than head or abdomen
• Stout antennae with long bristles on end project down from head
• No prolegs
• 2 dark air sacs visible through skin, one behind head and one near rear of abdomen
Life History:
• Primarily in lakes, ponds and pools, but also slow moving streams
• Migrate vertically in water column; on bottom by day and rising by night
• Regulate buoyancy using 2 air sacs
• Feed on zooplankton and insect larvae in water column (including mosquitoes)
• Can tolerate very low oxygen levels on bottom of ponds and lakes by using oxygen in air sacs
| POLLUTION TOLERANCE | ||||
| Very Sensitive | Somewhat Sensitive | Facultative | Somewhat Tolerant | Very Tolerant |
| Most | ||||
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Primary Information Source:
Voshell, J. Reese. 2002. A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company. Blacksburg, Virginia.
