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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) » Chironominae » Chironomini » Chironomus group
Photo#326363
What's going on here?! - male
Copyright © 2009 Natalie McNear

What's going on here?! - Male
Marin County, California, USA
August 28, 2009
Size: 11 mm (fly)
It looks like the mosquito-type thing is trying to eat the moth, but the moth never seemed bothered.

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What's going on here?! - male What's going on here?! - male What's going on here?! - male What's going on here?! - male
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Contributed by Natalie McNear on 29 August, 2009 - 4:58am
Last updated 8 April, 2014 - 7:52pm

Moved
Moved from Chironomini.
… John F. Carr, 8 April, 2014 - 7:52pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… John F. Carr, 9 September, 2009 - 5:50pm login or register to post comments

Midge
The fly is a male midge, subfamily Chironominae, genus near Chironomus. A closeup of the tail or front of head and thorax between and above antennae would help ID.

They are not carnivorous as adults. At most they visit flowers. Some don't eat at all. I think it chose an akward place to land.

How accurate is the 11mm size?
… John F. Carr, 29 August, 2009 - 6:55am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for the reply!
I thought that might have been the case, or else the moth would have tried to move. I'm going to upload a couple photos of those body regions, but I don't know how much of a help they'll be.

The 11 mm might be a bit of an overestimation... The body length was probably a bit smaller and then my mind added on a couple millimeters because of the big fuzzy antennae... The actual body could have probably been anywhere from 7-10 mm, definitely bigger than 5 mm.
… Natalie McNear, 29 August, 2009 - 11:59am login or register to post comments

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