Chironomoidea is a superfamily within the order Diptera, suborder Nematocera, infraorder Culicomorpha. It contains the families Chironomidae, Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae. One of the more important characters used to define this superfamily is the form of the larval mouthparts. In biology, a superfamily is a taxonomic grade intermediate between suborder and family. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Suborders Archidiptera Eudiptera Brachycera // Overview Diptera are insects in which the hind wings are reduced to halteres. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Nematocera are generally primitive flies, all with filamentous antennae which may be plumose in some males. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Superfamilies Culicoidea Chironomoidea See text for families. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Chironomidae are a family of Nematoceran Diptera closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae. ... Ceratopogonidae, or biting midges, are a family of small (1-4mm long) Nematocera within the order Diptera of Insects. ... Genera Many, including Simulium Prosimulium A Black Fly (sometimes called a Buffalo Gnat or Turkey Gnat) is any member of the family Simuliidae of the Culicomorpha infraorder. ... Thaumaleidae, or solitary midges, are a group of Nematoceran Diptera related to the Ceratopogonidae, Chironomidae, and the Simuliidae. ... A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ...

References

• Hennig, W. 1981. Insect Phylogeny. New York: Wiley.
• Yeates, D.K. and B.M. Wiegmann. 1999. Congruence and controversy: toward a higher-level phylogeny of Diptera. Annual Review of Entomology, 44: 397-428.