The genus Mesosmittia is cosmopolitan, thus occurring in all biogeographical regions except for Antarctica. Almost nothing or very little is known about its ecology, the larva of one species was described by Strenze (1950) as terrestrial, but adults can be collected using emergence traps set over rivulets.

Mesosmittia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Chironomidae
Subfamily: Orthocladiinae
Genus: Mesosmittia
Brundin, 1956

The genus was recently revised for the Neotropics with descriptions of new species.

The genus comprises:

References

edit
  • Andersen, T.A. & Mendes, H.F. 2002. Neotropical and Mexican Mesosmittia Brundin, with description of four new species (Insecta, Diptera, Chironomidae). Spixiana 25: 141-155.
  • Brundin, L. 1956. Zur Systematik der Orthocladiinae (Dipt., Chironomidae). Rep. Inst. Freshwat. Res. Drottningholm 37: 5-185.
  • Donato, M. 2011. A new species of the genus Mesismittia Brundin, 1956 (Diptera: Chironomidae) from the Neotropics with a cladistic analysis of the genus using quantitative characters. Zootaxa 2836: 51-61.