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Thaumaleidae, the solitary midges or trickle midges, are a group of
nematocera The Nematocera (the name means "thread-horns") are a suborder of elongated flies with thin, segmented antennae and mostly aquatic larvae. This group is paraphyletic and contains all flies but species from suborder Brachycera (the name means "sh ...
n
flies Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
related to the
Ceratopogonidae Ceratopogonidae is a family of flies commonly known as no-see-ums, or biting midges, generally in length. The family includes more than 5,000 species, distributed worldwide, apart from the Antarctic and the Arctic. Ceratopogonidae are holomet ...
,
Chironomidae The Chironomidae (informally known as chironomids, nonbiting midges, or lake flies) comprise a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae. Many specie ...
, and the Simuliidae. They are small, stocky, yellow to brown flies (3–4 mm). Very few species are known for this
family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
(about 120 species in five genera).
Larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...
e are found in films on rocks and the nonfeeding adults are usually found on foliage along the same streams in which the larvae are found. A few solitary midges are found in the Southern Hemisphere, but Thaumaleidae are generally an
Holarctic The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical reg ...
family.


Description

Adults are recognised by the seven veins reaching the margin, the costa running around the entire margin, the absence of ocelli, and particularly by the short antennae which are no longer than the head. Larvae resemble larval ''Lutzomyia'' (
Psychodidae Psychodidae, called drain flies, sink flies, filter flies, sewer flies, or sewer gnats, is a family of Fly, true flies. Some genera have short, hairy bodies and wings giving them a "furry" moth-like appearance, hence one of their common names, m ...
), ''Forcipomyia'' (
Ceratopogonidae Ceratopogonidae is a family of flies commonly known as no-see-ums, or biting midges, generally in length. The family includes more than 5,000 species, distributed worldwide, apart from the Antarctic and the Arctic. Ceratopogonidae are holomet ...
), and some
Chironomidae The Chironomidae (informally known as chironomids, nonbiting midges, or lake flies) comprise a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae. Many specie ...
. However, unpaired prolegs, a ventrally directed truncate head, and prothoracic spiracles on a short respiratory tube differentiate them. For further information see
Family keys and image


Biology

Adult Thaumaleidae are encountered infrequently, usually close to the hygropetric aquatic larval habitat. The undersides of bridges over smaller running waters are common adult gathering sites. Thaumaleid larvae are usually hygropetric in vertical, thin water films alongside waterfalls and torrents. They prefer low temperatures and are most frequent in fully shaded localities. They feed by grazing on
diatom A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group comprising sev ...
s. Little or no life history information is available.


Name

The dipteran family name Orphnephilidae Rondani, 1847, based on ''Orphnephila'' Haliday, 1832, was used until Bezzi (1913) synonymized ''Orphnephila'' with ''Thaumalea'' Ruthe, 1831 and adopted Thaumaleidae, based on the senior synonym ''Thaumalea''. This family name has been almost universally used since that time and it is to be maintained. Had Thaumaleidae not come into prevailing usage, Orphnephilidae would continue in use despite the fact that ''Orphnephila'' is a junior synonym. Thaumaleidae is cited with its own author and date, followed by the date of the replaced name in parentheses: Thaumaleidae Bezzi, 1913 (1847). It takes precedence over Orphnephilidae Rondani, 1847, and any subsequently published synonyms.


References

*Arnaud, P.H. 1977. Thaumaleidae. pp. 283–85. In: Hurlbert, S.H., ed. ''Biota Acuatica de Sudamérica Austral Siendo una Recopilacion de Bibliografias Taxonomicas Referentes a la Fauna y Flora de Aguas Continentales de Sur de Sudamérica''. San Diego State University, San Diego. *Arnaud, P.H. and I.A. Boussy. 1994. The adult Thaumaleidae (Diptera: Culicomorpha) of western America. Myia 5: 41-152. *Bezzi, M. 1913. Taumaleidi (Orfnefilidi) italiani con descrizione di nuove specie. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria del Reale Istituto Superiore Agrario di Portici 7: 227-266. *Boussy, I.A., J.M. Gillespie, and P.H. Arnaud, Jr. 1994. External structure of larval ''Thaumalea buckae'' Arnaud and Boussy (Diptera: Thaumaleidae). Myia 5: 195-201. *Gillespie, J.M., W.F. Barr, and S.T. Elliott. 1994. The taxonomy and biology of the immature stages of species of ''Thaumalea'' occurring in Idaho and California (Diptera: Thaumaleidae). Myia 5: 153-193. *McLellan, I.D. 1983. New diagnosis for genus ''Austrothaumalea'', and redescription of ''A. neozealandica'' (Diptera: Thaumaleidae). New Zealand Journal of Zoology 10: 267-270. *McLellan, I.D. 1988. A revision of New Zealand Thaumaleidae (Diptera: Nematocera) with descriptions of new species and a new genus. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 15: 563-575. *Sinclair, B.J. 1996. A review of the Thaumaleidae (Diptera: Culicomorpha) of eastern North America, including a redefinition of genus ''Androprosopa'' Mik. Entomologica Scandinavica 27: 361-376. *Sinclair, B.J. 2000. Immature stages of Australian ''Austrothaumalea'' Tonnoir and ''Niphta'' Theischinger (Diptera: Thaumaleidae). Australian Journal of Entomology 39: 171-176. *Stone, A. and B.V. Peterson. 1981. Thaumaleidae. pp. 351–353. In: McAlpine, J.F., B.V. Peterson, G.E. Shewell, H.J. Teskey, J.R. Vockeroth, and D.M. Wood, eds. ''Manual of Nearctic Diptera''. Volume 1. Agriculture Canada Monograph 27. Ottawa. * Stuckenberg, B. 1960. A new genus and species of Thaumaleidae from South Africa (Diptera). Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society, London 29: 107-109. *Stuckenberg, B. 1961. Diptera (Nematocera): Thaumaleidae. South African Animal Life 8: 409-412. *Theischinger, G. 1986. Australian Thaumaleidae (Insecta: Diptera). Records of the Australian Museum 38: 291-317. *Theischinger, G. 1988. ''Austrothaumalea bickeli'' spec. nov., a new thaumaleid from Australia (Insecta: Diptera: Thaumaleidae). Stapfia 17: 211-213.


External links


Thaumeleidae page at the Bishop Museum's Australasian/Oceanian Diptera Catalog
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1265944 Nematocera families