Chaoboridae
Chaoboridae, commonly known as phantom midges or glassworms, is a family of fairly common midges with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are closely related to the Corethrellidae and Chironomidae, and adults can be distinguished by specific features of their wing venation. The family includes approximately 55 aquatic species distributed across about six genera.
Adult phantom midges, if they feed at all, primarily consume nectar. The larvae are aquatic and notable for their unique feeding strategy: the antennae are modified into grasping organs, somewhat resembling the raptorial arms of a mantis, which they use to capture prey. They primarily feed on small insects, such as mosquito larvae, and crustaceans, including Daphnia. The antennae impale or crush the prey before bringing it to the larval mouth, or stylet.
Larvae swim actively and sometimes form large swarms in their lacustrine habitats.
Description
The larvae are nearly transparent, sometimes with a slightly yellow cast; their most opaque features are two air bags, one in the thorax, one in the abdomen about in the second last segment. The adults are delicate flies that closely resemble Chironomidae. Their antennae are 15-segmented and the females' antennae are somewhat bristly; the males' antennae, in contrast, are very plumose. In this respect, too, they resemble many of the Nematocera, and in particular the Chironomidae. The species vary in size from about 2 mm to 10 mm long in their adult stages.Genera
There are about 90 species in the family Chaoboridae in about 17 extant and 11 extinct genera.Astrocorethra Kalugina, 1986Australomochlonyx Freeman, 1962Chaoborites Kalugina 1985Chaoborus Lichtenstein, 1800Chironomaptera Ping, 1928Cryophila Edwards, 1930CulicitesEucorethra Underwood, 1903Eucorethrina Kalugina, 1985Helokrenia Kalugina, 1985Hypsocorethra Kalugina, 1985Mesochaoborus Zhang, Zhang, Liu & Shangguan, 1986Mochlonyx Loew, 1844Palaeomochlonyx Seredszus & Wichard, 2009Peusomyia Sæther, 1970Praechaoborus Kalugina, 1985Promochlonyx Edwards, 1930- † Baleiomyia Kalugina, 1993
- † Chachotosha Lukashevich, 1996
- † Chaoburmus Lukashevich, 2000
- † Dixamima Rohdendorf, 1951
- † Gedanoborus Szadziewski & Gilłka, 2007
- † Jordanobotomus Kaddumi, 2005
- † Libanoculex Azar, Nel, Huang & Engel, 2023
- † Mesocorethra Kalugina, 1993
- † Rhaetomyia Rohdendorf, 1962
- † Taimyborus Lukashevich, 1999
- † Triassomyia Lukashevich, 2022