Chaoborus punctipennis
Chaoborus punctipennis
Their larvae are almost entirely transparent and use two pairs of internal air sacs as swim bladders to adjust their buoyancy like miniature submarines.
- Scientific name
- Chaoborus punctipennis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Diptera › Chaoboridae › Chaoborus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- aquatic
- Habitat
- Lakes, ponds, and eutrophic pools, particularly those with stratified water columns and low-oxygen benthic zones.
- Diet
- Larvae are carnivorous, preying on zooplankton like Daphnia and copepods; adults rarely feed, occasionally taking nectar.
- Range
- North America, Europe
- Size
- Larvae: 8-12 mm, Adults: 4-6 mm
- Lifespan
- Under 1 year (larval stage lasts several months; adults live only 3 to 10 days)
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Water pollution, chemical runoff, lake acidification, and over-stocking of predatory fish.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. Adults may swarm near lights at night but lack biting mouthparts and do not sting. No safety precautions are necessary. If they land on you, simply brush them away gently.
Chaoborus punctipennis is a species of phantom midges (flies in the family Chaoboridae).
Photo: Katja Schulz, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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