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Chironomid midge

Guide to New Zealand's freshwater invertebrates

Chironomid midge ( Chironomidae : Lobodiamesa )

Black collar behind pale yellow head

Diagnostic features

Lobodiamesa is a member of the Diamesinae, a subfamily of the Chironomidae. Like other chironomids the general body form is worm-like, but with a distinct head, and with paired prolegs under the head and at the end of the abdomen. Lobodiamesa larvae have a light yellow head, with eyes consisting of two joining spots, the larger spot behind the smaller one, and the head has a distinct black collar.

Typical habitats

Lobodiamesa larvae are found mainly in mountain or hill country streams.

Feeding

They are presumably collector-gatherers; gut content analysis has found fragments of invertebrates and streambed algae.

Indicator value

Lobodiamesa are infrequently recorded but they tend to occur in good quality mountain streams. They have moderate to high tolerance values of 5 (hard bottom sites) and 7.7 (soft bottom sites).