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Genus Coelotanypus

Representative Images

Fat Midge? - Coelotanypus tricolor - female Colorful midge - Coelotanypus tricolor - female Midge - Coelotanypus - female Coelotanypus midge - Coelotanypus tricolor - male Chironomidae - Coelotanypus concinnus - female Coelotanypus concinnus? - Coelotanypus concinnus - female Florida Fly for ID - Coelotanypus tricolor - male Coelotanypus tricolor? - Coelotanypus tricolor - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon ("Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera))
Infraorder Culicomorpha (Mosquitoes and Midges)
Family Chironomidae (Non-biting Midges)
Subfamily Tanypodinae
Tribe Clinotanypodini
Genus Coelotanypus

Numbers

Three widespread species (within given range), a few more in South

Identification

Most easily distinguished from its closest relative Clinotanypus by the location of the fork in vein Cu being close to the M-Cu crossvein. Roback(1) lists other characters.

Range

Southern Ontario and Quebec, Eastern United States, south into South America.

Habitat

"Coelotanypus larvae are found in or on bottom sediments in marshes, ponds, lakes and the slower portions of streams and rivers. At least one species, C. concinnus, can be found in, but is not necessarily limited to, extremely eutrophic water bodies."(2)

Food

Larvae eat oligochaete worms and other chironomids(1).

Remarks

Includes some of the most strikingly colored midges, bright reds of some species contrasting with the dull brown and green typical of the family.
Males of the three common species can be distinguished by
C. concinnus -- pale with thin dark bands on abdomen

C. tricolor -- yellow on top of thorax, broad light and dark bands on abdomen

C. scapularis -- thorax dark except for white patch on sides, broad light and dark bands on abdomen

Works Cited

1.Adults of the Subfamily Tanypodinae in North America
Selwyn S. Roback. 1971. Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
2.Identification Manual for the Larval Chironomidae (Diptera) of North and South Carolina
Contributed by John F. Carr on 19 January, 2009 - 11:30am
Last updated 20 August, 2010 - 9:31pm

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