Deuterophlebia

The mountain midges ( Deuterophlebia, Deuterophlebiidae ) are a genus and family (Diptera ) and belong to the gnats ( Nematocera ). The few members of this group living in Eastern and Central Asia, and in North America.

Noteworthy are the aquatic larvae of the mountain mosquitoes, which are very well adapted in their physique and in their lifestyles to fast flowing waters. They are found only on smooth, submerged stones in less than 30 centimeters of water depth. The larvae are dorsally flattened and built extremely wide. The head bears long antennae and structured, the subsequent thorax is tripartite and has no limbs. The abdomen consists of eight segments, wherein the first seven greatly widened and provided with leg-like pseudopodia. These "legs" carry on their end of the first larval stage one, later up to 13 hook rings with which the animals can keep the substrate. The last abdominal segment is equipped with five anal papillae. The respiration of the animals via the body surface.

The doll of the mountain mosquitoes appear dorsally, is oval and is slightly concave. It is to be found there, where the larvae have lived, and is pressed with its ventral side firmly against the stones. On prothorax carries respiratory organs. In the female dolls are already found 40 to 100 fertilisable eggs.