The fly genus Deuterophlebia is the sole member of the small monogeneric family Deuterophlebiidae or mountain midges. Adults have broad, fan-shaped wings, and males have extremely long antennae which they employ when contesting territories over running water, waiting for females to hatch.[2] Larvae occur in swiftly flowing streams and are easily recognized by their forked antennae and the prolegs on the abdomen.
Deuterophlebia | |
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Deuterophlebia mirabilis | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Diptera |
Suborder: | Nematocera |
Infraorder: | Deuterophlebiomorpha |
Family: | Deuterophlebiidae Edwards, 1922 |
Genus: | Deuterophlebia Edwards, 1922[1] |
Species | |
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One classification places this family in its own infraorder Deuterophlebiomorpha, but this has not gained wide acceptance.[3] A recent phylogeny of the entire order Diptera places them as the sister group to all other flies.[4]
Catalogue of Life accepts the following species within Deuterophlebia:[5]