Culicomorpha

Most adult, females lay their eggs on bodies of water. Some are restricted to very clean waters, but others can tolerate highly polluted environments.

Many adults transmit parasites or diseases that can be debilitating or fatal to humans, such as malaria and West Nile virus. Biting midges can transmit an extensive range of pathogens of veterinary importance, including Akabane virus, bovine ephemeral fever virus, Schmallenberg virus, African horse sickness virus, epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus, and bluetongue virus.

Classification

The Culicomorpha comprises extant eight families divided into two superfamilies. It was described based on phylogenetic analyses of morphological features.

• Superfamily Culicoidea
  • Dixidae -meniscus midges
  • Corethrellidae -frog-biting midges
  • Chaoboridae -phantom midges
  • Culicidae -mosquitoes
• Superfamily Chironomoidea
  • Thaumaleidae -solitary midges
  • Simuliidae -black flies and buffalo gnats
  • Ceratopogonidae -biting midges
  • Chironomidae -nonbiting midges

The monophyly of Culicomorpha and Culicoidea have been confirmed in subsequent morphological and molecular studies, but several studies have found Chironomoidea to be paraphyletic. A morphological study in 2012, using characters from all life stages (egg, larva, pupae and adult), found that Chironomidae branched first and a sister relationship between Culicoidea and a clade of Simuliidae, Ceratopogonidae and Thamaleidae. A new superfamily, Simulioidea, was proposed for the latter clade and restricted Chironomoidea to Chironomidae. A phylogenomic analysis in 2018 also found a paraphyletic Chironomoidea and a close relationship between Simuliidae and Thamaleidae, but in this study Ceratopoginidae grouped with Chironomidae. The phylogenetic trees below illustrate the different arrangements.

Extinct families

• Asiochaoboridae (Upper Jurassic)
• Architendipedidae (Upper Triassic)
• Protendipedidae (Middle Jurassic)
• Mesophantasmatidae (Middle Jurassic)