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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Acalyptratae" » Ephydroidea » Shore Flies (Ephydridae) » Ephydrinae » Ephydrini » Cirrula » Alkali Fly (Cirrula hians)
Photo#195264
Mono Lake alkali fly larva (Ephydra hians) - Cirrula hians
Copyright © 2008 Debbi Brusco

Mono Lake alkali fly larva (Ephydra hians) - Cirrula hians
Mono Lake, Mono County, California, USA
June 21, 2008
Size: 15-20mm
This larva was in the water at the edge of the lake at Navy Beach. It mostly wafted along, but swam similarly to mosquito larva.
I determined this ID from these two places (the first of which says there are only two species of invertebrates, and this certainly is not brine shrimp):
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12717245.300-forum-spare-a-thought-for-the-invertebrates--variety-isthe-spice-of-life-.html
http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/fall01%20projects/alkalifly.htm
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Contributed by Debbi Brusco on 28 June, 2008 - 9:09pm
Last updated 4 February, 2014 - 12:14am

Moved
Moved from subgenus Hydropyrus.
… Aaron Schusteff, 4 February, 2014 - 12:14am login or register to post comments

Reference by Aldrich (1912) states of the larvae:
"The most prominent characteristic of this species is the highly pigmented stripe down the back, almost as wide as the larva, with irregular edges, narrowed toward the front of each segment and then gradually widened to the posterior border."   (Full scoop here.)

That description fits your image quite well...and together with the location and other circumstantial evidence strongly corroborates your ID. See info page for more links to detailed info on the fascinating fly.
… Aaron Schusteff, 4 February, 2014 - 12:14am login or register to post comments

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