Australasian/Oceanian Diptera Catalog -- Web Version

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21. Family CHAOBORIDAE

[Originally] by Art Borkent

Adults of this family are relatively large (similar in size to mosquitoes), nonbiting midges. The family has a worldwide distribution and includes 6 extant genera with a total of 50 species. As treated here, the family excludes Corethrella, which is relegated to the Corethrellidae.

Immatures are most commonly found in lentic habitats, ranging from small pools to lakes. Some species of Chaoborus are known elsewhere to occur in huge numbers as planktonic larvae or as adults in swarms. Larvae of all species are predaceous with the exception of Australomochlonyx nitidus, which has been shown to be a filter feeder.

Our understanding of this family has been markedly improved by the recent publication of an analysis of the Australian fauna by Colless (1986). Vlaardingerbroek (1984) has recorded but not described Chaoborus larvae from Papua New Guinea.
Refs.: Colless (1977, biol.; 1986, rev., key), Edwards (1930a), Freeman (1962), Borkent (1993, world cat.).

Genus AUSTRALOMOCHLONYX Freeman

AUSTRALOMOCHLONYX Freeman, 1962: 41. Type species: Australomochlonyx nitidus Freeman, 1962, orig. des.
nitidus Freeman, 1962: 41. Australia (Vic); Australia (NSW).

Genus CHAOBORUS Lichtenstein

CHAOBORUS Lichtenstein, 1800: 174. Type species: Chaoborus antisepticus Lichtenstein, 1800 [= Tipula crystallina De Geer, 1776], mon.
CORETHRA Meigen, 1803: 260. Type species: Tipula culiciformis De Geer, 1776 [misid., = Tipula crystallina De Geer, 1776], mon.
SAYOMYIA Coquillett, 1903b: 190. Type species: Corethra punctipennis Say, 1823, orig. des.
longicercus Colless, 1986: 22. Australia (NT); Australia (Qld, WA).
ornatipennis Colless, 1986: 15. Australia (NSW); Australia (ACT, Qld, Vic).
punctilliger Colless, 1986: 20. Australia (NT); Australia (Qld, WA).
queenslandensis Theobald, 1905f: 43 (Sayomyia). Australia (Qld); Australia (NSW, NT); Malaysia.
sampsera Ogawa & Judd, 2008: 293. Indonesia (Papua).
vagus Colless, 1986: 11. Australia (SA); Australia (ACT, NSW, Qld, Tas).

Genus PROMOCHLONYX Edwards

PROMOCHLONYX Edwards, 1930a: 540. Type species: Corethra australiensis Ferguson, 1921, orig. des.
australiensis Ferguson, 1921c: 30 (Corethra). Australia (Vic); Australia (NSW, Qld, WA).



This page last revised 16 December 2011