Chaoborus maculipes
This record describes Chaoborus maculipes (species). Recorded family: Chaoboridae. Recorded order: Diptera.
Identification and Appearance
This species resembles C. punctipennis (Say) in wing pattern and spotting of legs although the spots are few and smaller; it resembles C. albatus Johnson in lacking dark spots between the scutal stripes, but albatus also lacks the leg spots and usually the dark setal spots on the sides of the abdomen. The dark spots of the legs are much stronger in maculipes than in the western astictopus Dyar and Knab, and the wing pattern is very different from annulatus Cook from Florida and Georgia. Chaoborus albatus has been found from Minnesota to Quebec and Massachusetts south to Louisiana and Georgia, and also in Washington. C. punctipennis is found in southeastern Canada and probably throughout the United States. These two species and maculipes were collected at the same time in light traps in Baton Rouge. (Stone, 1965)
Wikipedia reference for Chaoborus maculipes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaoborus_maculipes.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Diptera (Flies)
- Superfamily
- Culicoidea
- Family
- Chaoboridae (Phantom Midges)
- Genus
- Chaoborus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Lower Mississippi basin
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Diptera, the group containing Chaoborus maculipes. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Diptera includes over 150,000 described species of flies, mosquitoes, and midges. Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on Earth (CDC). Malaria alone causes ~249 million cases and over 608,000 deaths annually, mostly children under 5 (WHO). Vector-borne diseases account for over 17% of all infectious diseases, causing 700,000+ deaths per year.
Ecological role of the group
Despite their disease impact, flies are critical decomposers and pollinators. Hoverflies alone pollinate hundreds of crop and wildflower species. Flies are also the primary food source for many birds, bats, and fish. Forensic entomology relies heavily on fly species for crime scene analysis.
Economic and practical significance of the group
In the U.S., vector-borne disease cases tripled between 2004-2016, with over 640,000 cases reported in that period (CDC). Tickborne diseases doubled from 22,000 to 48,000 annual reports. Globally, mosquito-borne diseases cost billions in healthcare and lost productivity.
Recorded sources for this group: WHO, CDC, PNAS. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Chaoborus maculipes (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by John F. Carr