Posted by
valter on 04-06-2010 07:55
#1
This larva was found swimming on a stream: always up and down
Location: Algarve, Portugal
Date: May 2010
Thanks,
Valter
Edited by
valter on 04-06-2010 23:43
#4
No, not a chironomid, but a culicidae larva. You can see the thick brown siphon at the end, present in Culex, Culiseta and Aedes, and lacking in Anopheles and modified into piercing siphon in Coquillettidia. The shape of the sipon is hard to see, but definitely not Anopheles. In Culex the siphon is long and slender as well in some species of Culiseta. In Aedes and some other species of Culiseta the siphon is short and wide. But as I can't see the siphon in lateral view it can be Culiseta, Aedes or Coquillettidia. Aedes however lives mainly in forest pools and other temporary habitats, so that may be out of the question too.
#6
could you show me a more detailed photo of the siphon in lateral view? If you don't know, the siphon is the brown chitinized tube at the dorsal side of the last abdominal segment.
I'll show you the habitus/siphon of C. richardii and Aedes rusticus. The siphon of Coquilettidia is typical, the one from Aedes not. This siphon-shape is also present in other genera and species(especially Culiseta)
