Phantom-midge
Guides
Chaoborus astictopus
Clear Lake gnat
Chaoborus astictopus is a phantom midge (family Chaoboridae) commonly known as the Clear Lake gnat. The species has a univoltine life cycle with adults emerging in spring. Older larvae exhibit diel vertical migration, occupying deep profundal zones during daylight hours and moving to open waters at night, indicating negative phototaxis. The species has been studied as a target for insecticide control and is known to host microsporidian and fungal pathogens.
Chaoborus flavicans
phantom midge
Chaoborus flavicans is a phantom midge (Diptera: Chaoboridae) whose larval stages are important aquatic predators in lake ecosystems. Recent taxonomic revision indicates it represents a complex of at least four species, with C. flavicans sensu stricto primarily inhabiting lakes across the Holarctic region. Larvae are notable for their diel vertical migration behavior, which changes ontogenetically and serves as a predator avoidance mechanism against fish predation.
Chaoborus maculipes
phantom midge
Chaoborus maculipes is a species of phantom midge in the family Chaoboridae, described by Stone in 1965. Phantom midges are small, delicate flies whose larvae are aquatic predators known for their transparent bodies. The species name "maculipes" refers to spotted legs. Like other Chaoborus species, adults are typically non-feeding and short-lived, with most of the life cycle spent in larval form in freshwater habitats.
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.
Eucorethra
phantom midges
Eucorethra is a monotypic genus of phantom midges in the family Chaoboridae, containing the single species Eucorethra underwoodi. This genus belongs to a family of non-biting midges known for their distinctive aquatic larvae. The genus was established by Underwood in 1903.
Eucorethra underwoodi
Eucorethra underwoodi is a species of phantom midge in the family Chaoboridae, described by Underwood in 1903. As a member of this family, it belongs to a group of non-biting midges known for their aquatic larvae and transparent, reduced mouthparts in adults. The genus Eucorethra is a distinctive lineage within Chaoboridae. Specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented in published literature.