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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera) » Mosquitoes and Midges (Culicomorpha) » Non-biting Midges (Chironomidae) » Orthocladiinae » Cricotopus » subgenus Nostococladius (Cricotopus subgenus Nostococladius)
Photo#1853278
Cricotopus nostococladius - Cricotopus
Copyright © 2020 Mromero

Cricotopus nostococladius - Cricotopus
Ochoco National Forest, Crook County, Oregon, USA
July 11, 2020
Size: 1/4"
Found thousands of these little ear shaped structures on submerged river rocks, which at first seemed to be some sort of algae, but upon closer inspection, I noticed that inside each one is a single worm with a dark head. The worm is able to move around within the structure. Never in my life have I seen anything like this.any ideas on what they are? Found in a creek at about 3500' elevation.
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Contributed by Mromero on 12 July, 2020 - 10:48am
Last updated 18 August, 2020 - 4:42pm

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Very cool! Thanks for the update.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 18 August, 2020 - 4:42pm login or register to post comments

Update 8/18/2020.Identified
Update 8/18/2020.
Identified by Oregon dept of Agriculture entomologist Joshua Vlach as Cricotopus nostococladius in a symbiotic relationship with Nostoc cyanobacteria.
… Mromero, 18 August, 2020 - 4:28pm login or register to post comments

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… Mromero, 14 July, 2020 - 5:04pm login or register to post comments

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