Any Chironomid experts out there? Been seeing these guys on the window of the house - miles from stillwater (other than the odd water butt or ditch) and about a mile from running water, but also at work - miles from either substantial stillwater or running water - middle of open farmland, in fact.

Your eyes deceive you - looking at them through the window against the sky they all look black, but take a photo and blow it up and, hey presto, they are green (or olive with turquoise thighs, if you will )! Green is about the most useless colour for adult buzzer imitations around these parts too!

Anyways, he looks a lot like a buzzer. About a size 14...



Col

Yep sure looks like it to me

Looking at Goddard's book it could be the Golden Dun Midge, except it isn't supposed to hatch 'till mid summer .

__________________
Don't worry, be happy.
Sandy
Carried it in full, then carry it out empty.

Nice shot Col. Looks like a buzzer to me... no proboscis... but do both the male and female mozzy have a snout?

__________________
Too much Saturn, not enough Moon.

Buzzers 2012


Fly Clips & Stands

That is so weird. I just noticed the exact same thing today on my window. i would have swore it was black as well. Nice pic

__________________
The best way to a fisherman's heart is through his fly.

http://www.gardeningleave.org

Col the light coloured roof on the gazebo in my back garden was covered this afternoon with them. and i had thought about having a muck about at the vice see if i could tie up something semi life like lol.

__________________
there is a difference between Living and Surviving in this world and a very thin line between success and failure.

You won't find this one in Goddard. It's a bottle green midge, can't remember the exact latin name I'm afraid. They usually start hatching out towards the end of the true black midge first cycle and are interspersed with grey boy midges. The females can be as large as a size 10 but more often a 12. They can fairly localised. Eyebrook has, or certainly used to have, a massive hatch of these running in to May whilst I've not seen them on Pitsford. They seem to be a shallow water species judging by the areas they hatch out from in Eyebrook. The bays round the island and the Stoke Dry end. Have you got any farm or garden ponds around Col? Even something small would be of use. As far a nymphs go they're pretty much the same as a standard black midge although the wing buds are often a medium brown rather than orange. The body has a fairly prominent rib, very much like a stripped quill, which is rather handy.

The golden dun is really obviously ginger and blood red and starts around mid June to July but is a very sparse hatcher in my experience.

__________________
I admit it, I have sharpness issues.

Thanks for the in-depth Alex. That's the thing that had me wondering if there were any terrestrial Dipterans that could be confused with Chironomids - I can't think where there is a decent enough bit of water for them either here or at work, unless they have blown for many miles. The only place local I can think is the (fairly) permanently flooded bits of the ditch that runs along what used to be railway track and is now a cycle path. As for at work, I had a look at the OS sheet and the nearest ponds I can see are about 6 Km east - 2 scrotty wee ones!

I'll be looking for a turquoise pheasant tail for hopper legs

Col