wingless whatzit

Moved

Moved from Dark-winged Fungus Gnats.

… Jim McClarin, 8 February, 2013 - 7:18pm

Moved

Moved from larvae and wingless adults.

… Jim McClarin, 8 February, 2013 - 7:17pm

Moved

Moved from Gall Midges.

… Charley Eiseman, 21 May, 2010 - 4:17pm

Not sure cecidomyiid....

I think it is a wingless, female sciarid, maybe Pnyxia (which don't have an eye bridge like most sciarids). Also paedogenesis is actual larvae producing offspring (clones; somes cecids and sciarids, along with micromalthid beetles do this). The term for adults that retain larval characters, but are reproductively viable, is neoteny.

… Matt Bertone, 20 May, 2010 - 10:41pm

Cecidomyiidae

Looks like a wingless gall midge to me - the eyes are visible if you look closely.

… Donald S. Chandler, 2 January, 2007 - 9:06pm

Thanks, Don. It did have that dipteran look.

I see we've already got a bunch in this family but they all have wings.

… Jim McClarin, 2 January, 2007 - 9:22pm

Paedogenesis?

It must be one of those species that reproduces by paedogenesis (reproduction by larvae). There several genera of Cecidomyiidae that do this.

… Beatriz Moisset, 16 July, 2009 - 10:50am

Are you suggesting this one is a larva?

I see several adult features, not the least of which are legs and antennae.

… Jim McClarin, 16 July, 2009 - 6:50pm

No.

In paedogenesis, adults keep certain larval features and are able to reproduce. I guess that I didn't express myself correctly, but I was quoting Borror literally. Now I am going to have to figure this out.
Aphids do this sort of things for a number of generations, then produce a generation of winged adults that look different.

… Beatriz Moisset, 16 July, 2009 - 7:40pm

Paedogenesis vs paedomorphy

I think you're confusing terms. In paedogenesis, "immatures" can reproduce (e.g. micromalthids and some cecidomyiids). Paedomorphosis means the adults retain characteristics of the juveniles. This individual isn't paedogenic... just a wingless adult. If you consider aptery to be a characteristic of larvae, then maybe you could call it paedomorphic... but I'm not sure if that's conventional.

… Ray Fisher, 20 July, 2010 - 12:08pm