Diel-migration

Guides

• Chaoborus trivittatus

  phantom midge

  Chaoborus trivittatus is a species of phantom midge, a non-biting fly in the family Chaoboridae. The larvae are aquatic predators in lake ecosystems, notable for their diel vertical migration between deep daytime refuges and surface feeding zones. Unlike the congeneric C. americanus, C. trivittatus has a two-year life cycle with extended fourth-instar development. Adults are short-lived and non-feeding.

  phantom-midgevertical-migrationzooplankton-predatorlake-inhabitantChaoboridaeDipteratwo-year-life-cyclediel-migrationpredator-avoidancehypoxia-tolerance

• Molanna uniophila

  Molanna uniophila is a caddisfly species in the family Molannidae. Larvae inhabit shallow, sand-bottomed lake margins and construct portable cases from sand grains and organic debris. They exhibit distinctive diel foraging behavior, migrating from sandy substrates to hard surfaces (rocks, wood, macrophytes) during evening and night to feed on periphyton, then returning to sandy areas by day. Adults display sex-dependent antennal dimorphism associated with asymmetric pheromone communication, where only females produce volatiles.

  caddisflylakesandperiphytondiel-migrationcase-buildingantennal-sensillapheromone-communication