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Dixid midge

Guide to New Zealand's freshwater invertebrates

Dixid midge ( Dixidae : Nothodixa )

Flat, hair-fringed lobes
Oval arrangement of black hairs on abdomen

Diagnostic features

Nothodixa is a member of the dixid midge family. The dixids have small, worm-like larvae that are often bent into a U-shape when live. There are flat, hair-fringed lobes on the last abdominal segment, and the head is often tipped backwards. In Nothodixa there are distinct oval arrangements of fine black hairs on the abdomen.

Typical habitats

Nothodixa larvae are found just under the water surface along the margins of small streams.

Feeding

Dixids use brush like mouthparts to capture drifting food such as algae and other micro-organisms. Nothodixa is also known to feed on organic detritus and oligochaete worms.

Indicator value

Nothodixa are infrequently recorded but they tend to occur in good quality streams. They have moderate to high tolerance values of 4 (hard bottom sites) and 9.3 (soft bottom sites).