Non-biting Midges
Scientific Name: Chironomidae spp
Size: TL up to 20mm
What does it look like?
Non-biting Midges are members of large family superficially similar, typified by the thin body and long thin legs. Wings are membranous.
Where is it found?
Widely distributed throughout Australia and most of the world.
What are its habitats & habits?
Non-biting Midges are found in and around water, including rivers, still lakes, dams, ponds, and temporary puddles. Adults are attracted to lights and often congregate around house lights and on windows, while larvae are aquatic, living around submerged vegetation, within benthic debris, or in open water. Some species can tolerate highly polluted water. Adults have a short lifespan, existing solely to breed, feeding off energy stored in their body for survival, although may also feed occasionally on nectar, while larvae of different species feed on algae, organic detritus, diatoms, macrophytes, oligochaetes, roundworms, and small invertebrates.
This species features in my book A Naturalist’s Guide to the Insects of Australia
