| Common Name |
No-see-um Larvae |
| Phylum |
Arthropoda |
| Class |
Insecta |
| Order |
Diptera |
| Family |
Ceratopogonidae |
| Description |
2-15mm. They have narrow, snake-like bodies that are smooth and creamy white. The most common Ceratopogonidae larvae lack prolegs and all surface features except for a few hairs that may be noticeable on the last segment of the abdomen. They tend to preserve rigidly straight in isopropyl. |
| Habitat |
Lentic-littoral and lotic-depositional. They can be found in the bottom of ponds, still streams, swamps, salt marshes, and even the interior cavities of trees that collect pools of water. |
| Feeding Information |
Primarily predaceous and feeds on a variety of benthic macroinvertebrates. Others feed on algae, fungi and decomposing organic material. |
| Water Quality Tolerance |
Mostly facultative, some species somewhat tolerant. |
| References |
Voshell & Wright. 2002. |
