Great Lakes Waterlife Photo Gallery
Aquatic Insects of the Great Lakes
Diptera - Flies, Midges and Mosquitos

Pennak. 1978. Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States. Second Edition.

University of Michigan Dearborn "Identifying Aquatic Insects"

Guide to Aquatic Invertebrates of the Upper Midwest

Atlas of the Chironomid Midges(Class Insecta: Order Diptera: Family Chironomidae) Recorded at the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve& State Nature Preserve, Ohio. byNatalie J. Johnson and Kenneth A. KriegerWater Quality Laboratory, Heidelberg CollegeTiffin, Ohio, USA April 2005.

Digital Key to the Aquatic Insects of North Dakota

Note on juvenile stages - Pupae are inactive stages (e.g., hard case, translucent case or cocoon). Larvae are active stages. Larvae lack rudimentary wings and usually lack legs or are limited to prolegs or projections (usually other than 3 pairs). See also: An Introduction to Insect Life Cycles

Diptera Species List

• Suborder
  • Infraorder
    • Family
      • Subfamily
        • Tribe
          • Genus
            • Species - common name

• SO Brachycera
  • Muscomorpha
    • Dolichopodidae (longlegged flies) X
    • Empididae (dance flies) XW SHEO
    • Ephydridae (shore flies) XR E
    • Hemerodromia sp. R
    • Sciomyzidae (marsh flies) X
      • Sepedon sp. X
    • Syrphidae (syrphid flies) X
  • Stratiomorpha
    • Stratiomyidae (soldier flies) X
      • Stratiomys sp. X
  • Tabanomorpha
    • Pelecorhynchidae (pelecorhynchid flies) X
      • Glutops sp. X
    • Tabanidae (deer flies) X
• SO Nematocera
• Bibionomorpha
  • Mycetophilidae (fungus gnats) X
  • Sciaridae (dark-winged fungus gnats) X
• Culicomorpha
  • Ceratopogonidae (biting midges) XWRN SHEO
    • Atrichopogon sp. X
    • Bezzia sp. XH
    • Culicoides spp. R
    • Probezzia spp. XR
    • Sphaeromias sp. X
  • Chironomidae (midges) XWR(50spp.) LN12345 SM(27spp.)HEO
    • Chironiminae
      • Tribe Chironomini
        • Axarus spp. M N
        • Chironomus spp. XWRLN12 SMH*E*O
          • C. anthracinus U MHE
          • C. fluviatilis - gr. U WN SHMEO
          • C. halophilus HE
          • C. plumosus HE
          • C. semireductus N HE
          • C. thummi E
        • Cladopelma sp. XR H
        • Cryptochironomus spp. XWRLN1 SMHEO
          • C. cf. digitatus R H
          • C. eminentia H
          • C. fluviatilis H
          • C. cf. fulvus H
          • C. cf. rolli M H
        • Cryptotendipes spp. N E
        • Demeijerea X
        • Demicryptochironomus spp. WRN SHE
        • Dicrotendipes spp. XWRN SHEO
          • D. fumidus WN SHEO
          • D. modestus W HEO
          • D. neomodestus W HEO
          • D. nervosus W O
        • Dicroneomodestus sp. H
        • Endochironomus spp. XWRL SHEO
          • E. subtendens H
        • Glyptotendipes spp. XWRL HEO
        • Harnischia spp. N HE
        • Kiefferulus spp. XWN EO
          • K. dux W EO
        • Lenziella sp. H (aka Cladotanytarsus)
        • Microchironomus X
        • Microtendipes spp. WRN SHEO
          • M. pedellus H
        • Nilothauma spp. W SHO
        • Parachironomus spp. XWRN SMHEO
          • P. abortivus R
          • P. arcuatus H
        • Paracladopelma spp. WRN1234 SMHEO
          • P. camptolabis R MH
          • P. cf. nais H
          • P. udine MH
          • P. winnelli G N MHE
        • Paraluterborniella spp. XRN1 HEO
        • Paratanytarsus X
        • Paratendipes spp. WR SHEO
        • Phaenopsectra spp. WRN SHEO
        • Polypedilum spp. XWRN SMHEO
          • P. breviantennatum W HEO
          • P. fallax W SHEO
          • P. illinoense W SHEO
          • P. cf. halterale H
          • P. cf. laetum H
          • P. nereis H
          • P. cf. scalaenum M
          • P. scalaeum W SHEO
          • P. scalaneum W SHEO
          • P. simulans N HE
          • P. cf. tuberulum Z M
        • Robackia spp. WN SMH
          • R. demeijerei W SMH
        • Saetheria sp.
          • S. tylus WR SMHEO
        • Stichochironomus spp. XWN SHEO
        • Tribelos sp. XO2
        • Xenochironomus spp. R
      • Tribe Pseudochironomini
        • Pseudochironomus spp. WRLN SHEO
          • P. articaudus R
          • P. nr. fulviventris H
      • Tribe Tanytarsini
        • Cladotanytarsus sp. Z WRN SMHEO
          • C. mancus H
          • C. vanderwulpi H
        • Micropsectra spp. G WRN12345 SMHEO
        • Paratanytarsus spp. WRN SHO
        • Rheotanytarsus spp. W SHEO
        • Stempellina spp. WR SH
          • S. bausei R
        • Stempellinella spp. R H
        • Tanytarsus spp. WRN1 SMHEO X
        • Zavrelia spp. W1 SHO
      • Diamesinae
        • Cricotopus spp. N MHO
          • C. festivellus H
          • C. ornatus H
          • C. slyvestris H
        • Diamesa spp. WR SHEO
        • Monodiamesa (Monodiamesia) spp. WN SMHE
          • M. depictinata H
          • M. tuberculata N MHE
        • Pagastia spp. W SH
        • Potthastia (Potthasia) spp. WRLN SMHEO
          • P. longimanus (longimana) Z RLN MHE
        • Prodiamesa spp W H
        • Protanypus sp
          • P. ramosus S
      • Othocladiinae
        • Chaetocladius spp. W O
        • Corynoneura spp. XWR SHEO
          • C. lacustris R
          • C. lobata R
        • Cricotopus spp. XWR SHEO
          • C. bicinctus E
          • C. cylindraceus W HO
          • C. festivellus W SHEO
          • C. fuscus W O
          • C. sylvestris W O
          • C. tremulus W SHEO
          • C. trifascia W SHEO
          • C. vierriensis W H
        • Diplocladius spp. W O
        • Epoicocladius spp. W SHE
        • Eukiefferiella spp. W SHEO
        • Halocladius spp. W S
        • Heterotrissocladius spp. WRN12345 SMHEO
          • H. changi G N1 MHEO
          • H. oliveri G SMH
        • Hydrobaenus spp. X
          • H. pilipes RH
        • Krenosmittia spp. WS
        • Limnophyes spp. W O
        • Nanocladius spp. WR SHEO
        • Orthocladius spp. WRLN SMHEO
        • Paracladius sp.
          • P. cf.conversus W SH
        • Paracricotopus spp. W SE
        • Parakiefferiella spp. WRN SHE
        • Paraphaenocladius spp. XW SHO
        • Psectrocladius spp WRN SMHEO
          • P. psilopterus H
          • P. simulans Z M
        • Pseudosmittia spp. WR SHEO
        • Rheocricotopus spp. W O
        • Smittia spp. W O
        • Synorthocladius spp. W SH
          • S. semivirens R
        • Thienemanniella spp. WR SHO
        • Thienemannimyia sp. HO
        • Trissocladius spp. W SHEO
      • Tanypodinae
        • Ablabesmyia spp. XWR HEO
          • A. monilis H
        • Clinotanypus X
        • Coelotanypus sp X L E
        • Conchapelopia spp. RN O
        • Guttipelopia spp. W H
        • Hayesomyia sp.
          • H. senata H
        • Labrundinia spp. WR H
        • Larsia spp. XWR SH
        • Monopelopia spp. W H
        • Nilotanypus spp. W SH
        • Paramerina spp. W S
        • Procladius spp. Z XWRLN12 SMHEO
        • Tanypus spp. XWN MHO
          • T. neopunctipennis H
        • Thienemannimyia spp. WR SHEO
        • Zavrelimyia spp. R
    • Thaumaleidae (solitary midges)
      • Thaumalia sp. X
  • Culicidae (mosquitos) X
    • Anopheles sp. X
    • Mansonia sp. X
    • Uranotaenia sp. X
• Chaoboridae (phantom midges) X
  • Chaoborus sp.
    • C. punctipennis X
• Dixidae (midges) X
• Simuliidae (black flies) W SO
• Psychodomorpha
  • Psychodidae (moth flies)
    • Pericoma spp. W SHE
    • Psychoda spp.
• Tipulomorpha
  • Tipulidae (crane flies) XWR S
    • Antocha spp. WR S

Taxonomy by ITIS

* (Dominant) based on:

• Relationships among zoobenthos, sediments, and organic matter in littoral zones of western Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay. 1983. Richard A. Cole and Diana L. Weigmann. JGLR 9(4)568-581.
• Disruption of the benthic community in Lake Ontario. 2003. S.J. Lozano and T.F. Nalepa. in State of Lake Ontario (SOLO) -- Past, Present and Future. M Munawar (ed). Ecovision World Monograph Series. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society.

S (Lake Superior) based on:

• Vertical distribution of profundal benthos in Lake Superior Sediments. 1982. Ann S. Heuschele. JGLR 8(4)603-613.
• Wave-zone macrobenthos of the exposed Canadian shores of the St. Lawrence Great Lakes. 1978. D.R. Barton and B.N. Hynes. JGLR 4(1)27-45.
• Benthic Community Structure and Composition among rocky habitats in the Great Lakes and Keuka Lake, NY. 1987. Michael H. Winnell and David J. Jude. JGLR 13(1)3-17.
• Lake Superior: an invasion coldspot? 2003. Igor A. Grigorovich, Alexei V. Korniushin, Derek K. Gray, Ian C. Duggan, Robert I. Colautti& Hugh J. MacIsaac. Hydrobiologia 499: 191-210.

M (Lake Michigan) based on combination of:

• Trophic Status of Southeastern Lake Michigan Based on the Chironimidae (Diptera). 1985. Michael H. Winnell and D.S. White. JGLR 11(4)540-548.
• The Nearshore Benthic Invertebrate Community of Southern Lake Michigan and its Response to Beach Nourishment. 2004. Eric L. Garza and Richard L. Whitman. J. Great Lakes Res. 30(1):114-122.
• Abundance and biomass of the meiobenthos in nearshore Lake Michigan with comparisons to the macrobenthos. 1983. JGLR 9(4)530-547.

H (Lake Huron) based on:

• Abundance, Biomass, and Species Composition of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Populations in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, 1987-96. Thomas Nalepa, David Fanslow, Margaret Lansing, Gregory Lang, Mark Ford, Gerald Gostenik, and David Hartson. NOAA Technical Memorandum GLERL-122.
• Relationships among zoobenthos, sediments, and organic matter in littoral zones of western Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay. 1983. Richard A. Cole and Diana L. Weigmann. JGLR 9(4)568-581.
• Wave-zone macrobenthos of the exposed Canadian shores of the St. Lawrence Great Lakes. 1978. D.R. Barton and B.N. Hynes. JGLR 4(1)27-45.
• Benthic Community Structure and Composition among rocky habitats in the Great Lakes and Keuka Lake, NY. 1987. Michael H. Winnell and David J. Jude. JGLR 13(1)3-17.
• NOAA Great Lakes Nonindigenous Species List

E (Lake Erie) based on:

• Relationships among zoobenthos, sediments, and organic matter in littoral zones of western Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay. 1983. Richard A. Cole and Diana L. Weigmann. JGLR 9(4)568-581.
• Wave-zone macrobenthos of the exposed Canadian shores of the St. Lawrence Great Lakes. 1978. D.R. Barton and B.N. Hynes. JGLR 4(1)27-45.
• Distribution of some common benthic invertebrates in nearshore Lake Erie, with emphasis on depth and type of substratus. 1988. David R. Barton. JGLR 14(1)34-43.
• Benthic and pelagic secondary production in Lake Erie after the invasion of Dreissena spp. with implications for fish production. 2000. Ora E. Johannsson, Ron Dermott, Donna M Graham, Julie A. Dahl, E. Scott Millard, Debra D. Myles, and Jennifer LeBlanc. JGLR 26(1)31-54.
• Changes in the benthic macroinvertebrate community of the Cleveland Harbor area of Lake Erie from 1978 to 1989. 1993. Kenneth A. Krieger and Lloyd S. Ross. JGLR 19(2) 237-249.
• Changes to the deepwater benthos of eastern Lake Erie since the invasion of Dreissena 1979-1993. 1997. R Dermott and D Kerec. CJFAS 54: 922-930.
• NOAA Great Lakes Nonindigenous Species List

O (Lake Ontario) based on:

• Disruption of the benthic community in Lake Ontario. 2003. S.J. Lozano and T.F. Nalepa. in State of Lake Ontario (SOLO) -- Past, Present and Future. M Munawar (ed). Ecovision World Monograph Series. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society.
• Wave-zone macrobenthos of the exposed Canadian shores of the St. Lawrence Great Lakes. 1978. D.R. Barton and B.N. Hynes. JGLR 4(1)27-45.
• Factors influencing changes in the nearshore benthic community on the Canadian site of Lake Ontario. 2000. Bruce W. Kilgour, Robert C. Bailey, and E Todd Howell. JGLR 26(3)272-286.
• Benthic macroinvertebrate communities of southwestern Lake Ontario following invasion of Dreissena. 1994. Timothy W. Stewart and James M. Haynes. JGLR 20(2)479-493.
• Benthic macroinvertebrate communities in southwestern Lake Ontario following invasion of Dreissena: Continuing change. 1999. James M. Haynes, Timothy W. Stewart, and George E. Cook. JGLR 25(4)828-838.
• NOAA Great Lakes Nonindigenous Species List
• Changes to the deepwater benthos of eastern Lake Erie since the invasion of Dreissena 1979-1993. 1997. R Dermott and D Kerec. CJFAS 54: 922-930.

X (Great Lakes coastal wetlands) based on:

• The ecology of invertebrates in Great Lakes coastal wetlands: current knowledge and research needs. 1992. Kenneth A. Krieger. JGLR 18(4)634-650.
• Atlas of the Chironomid Midges (Class Insecta: Order Diptera: Family Chironomidae) Recorded at theOld Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve& State Nature Preserve, Ohio by N.J. Johnson and KA. Krieger. Water Quality Laboratory, Heidelberg College. Tiffin, Ohio, USA 44883. April 2005.

W (wave zone = 0-2m) based on:

• Wave-zone macrobenthos of the exposed Canadian shores of the St. Lawrence Great Lakes. 1978. D.R. Barton and B.N. Hynes. JGLR 4(1)27-45.

R (rocky habitats) based on: Benthic Community Structure and Composition among rocky habitats in the Great Lakes and Keuka Lake, NY. 1987. Michael H. Winnell and David J. Jude. JGLR 13(1)3-17.

L (littoral) based on: Relationships among zoobenthos, sediments, and organic matter in littoral zones of western Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay. 1983. Richard A. Cole and Diana L. Weigmann. JGLR 9(4)568-581.

N (nearshore) based on:

• The Nearshore Benthic Invertebrate Community of Southern Lake Michigan and its Response to Beach Nourishment. 2004. Eric L. Garza and Richard L. Whitman. J. Great Lakes Res. 30(1):114-122.
• Distribution of some common benthic invertebrates in nearshore Lake Erie, with emphasis on depth and type of substratus. 1988. David R. Barton. JGLR 14(1)34-43.
• Factors influencing changes in the nearshore benthic community on the Canadian site of Lake Ontario. 2000. Bruce W. Kilgour, Robert C. Bailey, and E Todd Howell. JGLR 26(3)272-286.

1 = 14-30m based on:

• Disruption of the benthic community in Lake Ontario. 2003. S.J. Lozano and T.F. Nalepa. in State of Lake Ontario (SOLO) -- Past, Present and Future. M Munawar (ed). Ecovision World Monograph Series. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society.
• Factors influencing changes in the nearshore benthic community on the Canadian site of Lake Ontario. 2000. Bruce W. Kilgour, Robert C. Bailey, and E Todd Howell. JGLR 26(3)272-286.

2 = 31-50m based on:Disruption of the benthic community in Lake Ontario. 2003. S.J. Lozano and T.F. Nalepa. in State of Lake Ontario (SOLO) -- Past, Present and Future. M Munawar (ed). Ecovision World Monograph Series. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society.

3 = 51-70m based on:Disruption of the benthic community in Lake Ontario. 2003. S.J. Lozano and T.F. Nalepa. in State of Lake Ontario (SOLO) -- Past, Present and Future. M Munawar (ed). Ecovision World Monograph Series. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society.

4 = 71-90m based on:Disruption of the benthic community in Lake Ontario. 2003. S.J. Lozano and T.F. Nalepa. in State of Lake Ontario (SOLO) -- Past, Present and Future. M Munawar (ed). Ecovision World Monograph Series. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society.

5 = >90m based on:Disruption of the benthic community in Lake Ontario. 2003. S.J. Lozano and T.F. Nalepa. in State of Lake Ontario (SOLO) -- Past, Present and Future. M Munawar (ed). Ecovision World Monograph Series. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society.

U (eutrophic indicator) based on:

• Trophic Status of Southeastern Lake Michigan Based on the Chironimidae (Diptera). 1985. Michael H. Winnell and D.S. White. JGLR 11(4)540-548.

Z (mesotrophic indicator) based on:

• Trophic Status of Southeastern Lake Michigan Based on the Chironimidae (Diptera). 1985. Michael H. Winnell and D.S. White. JGLR 11(4)540-548.

G (oligotrophic indicator) based on:

• Trophic Status of Southeastern Lake Michigan Based on the Chironimidae (Diptera). 1985. Michael H. Winnell and D.S. White. JGLR 11(4)540-548.