Chironomoidea
Encyclopedia
Chironomoidea is a superfamily
within the order
Diptera
, suborder Nematocera
, infraorder Culicomorpha
. It contains the families
Chironomidae
, Ceratopogonidae
, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae
. One of the more important characters used to define this superfamily is the form of the larva
l mouthparts
.
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
within the order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Diptera
Diptera
Diptera , or true flies, is the order of insects possessing only a single pair of wings on the mesothorax; the metathorax bears a pair of drumstick like structures called the halteres, the remnants of the hind wings. It is a large order, containing an estimated 240,000 species, although under half...
, suborder Nematocera
Nematocera
Nematocera , is a suborder of elongated flies with thin, segmented antennae and mostly aquatic larvae, consisting of the mosquitoes, crane flies, gnats, and midges....
, infraorder Culicomorpha
Culicomorpha
Culicomorpha is an infraorder of Nematocera. It includes mosquitoes, black flies, and several extant and extinct families of insect.-Classification:Extant families* Superfamily Culicoidea** Dixidae -meniscus midges** Corethrellidae -frog biting midges...
. It contains the families
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Chironomidae
Chironomidae
Chironomidae are a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae...
, Ceratopogonidae
Ceratopogonidae
Ceratopogonidae, or biting midges , are a family of small flies in the order Diptera...
, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae
Thaumaleidae
Thaumaleidae, the solitary midges or trickle midges, are a group of nematoceran flies related to the Ceratopogonidae, Chironomidae, and the Simuliidae. They are small, stocky, yellow to brown flies . There are very few species known for this family...
. One of the more important characters used to define this superfamily is the form of the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
l mouthparts
Insect mouthparts
Insects exhibit a range of mouthparts, adapted to particular modes of feeding. The earliest insects had chewing mouthparts...
.