---

Hi, is this a Ceratopoginid larva? I collected some pieces of Platanus bark with tree exudates, and reared some things from it. One was a greenish ceratopogonid male, and also a Medetera-like Doli was reared. I also found interesting Histiostomatid mites.

---

ASk it to demonstrate head or edn of body. Most likely Mycetobiidae but only from the habitat - tree exudate

---

Hello!
It is a ceratopogonid larva, probably Dasyhelea flavifrons.
Patrycja

---

Thanks for both of You! This is a specimen reared: could this be the Dasyhelea?

---

yes, it is.

---

This is great, to have the larva and an adult also Thank You!

---

Please be very careful with this larva identification. Natalia Brodskaya (Zool. Inst. St.-Petersburg) has not recognized Dasyhelea in it - she is a specialist in Dasyhelea. Sometimes you see larvae of one species and imago may be from another family even if they are at the same time and in same location.

---

Ok, I am not a specialist in Dasyhelea that is why I wrote “probably Dasyhelea flavifrons” . I know that larvae of Ceratopogonidae, Anisopodidae, Mycetobiidae, Dolichopodidae, Muscidae, Aulacigastridae, Syrphidae etc. live in a sap running down from trees. If I remember correctly, the larvae of Anisopodidae and Mycetobiidae have a number of supplementary segments, don’t they? This larva looks like ceratopogonid. Among the biting midges some species of the genus Culicoides and Dasyhelea are known from this kind of habitat. I have reared thousands of biting midges from larvae collected with sap and I have had specimens belonging to the booth genera. Because of the larvae of Culicoides usually have a short neck segment and a characteristic pattern on the thoracic segments, I suppose that this one is a Dasyhelea larva. There is known only one species of Dasyhelea midges from sap - D. flavifrons. Of course, there is a probability that this is the larva of Culicoides which does not possess pigmented spots It will be necessary to kill the larva in hot water and to find the posterior hooks in order to be absolutely sure.
Regards,
Patrycja

---

Thank You for raising attention on that. I sent the pictures to gallery but with 'cf' to indicate it's not absolutely sure. In spring I'll collect larvae, and keep them separated in Eppendorfs. I'm thinking in giving them a little sugar+water or even honey to see if it's a good growing substrate for them.

---

Why in spring? Try now to find some sap. I collected materials one month ago (we have a real winter in Poland) - a lot of larvae (the second and the third stage???), not only these of ceratopogonids.

---

Really? Didn't think of that. We also have a harsh winter. But the tree-saps I knew run out Hope they'll produce saps again.