The genus Mesosmittia is cosmopolitan, thus occurring in all zoogeographical 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. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Subphyla and Classes Arthropods (phylum Arthropoda) (from Greek ἀρθρον, meaning joint and πούς/ποδός, meaning foot) are the largest phylum of animals and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others. ... Classes & Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrate animals of the Class Insecta, the largest and (on land) most widely-distributed taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. ... Suborders Nematocera(Eudiptera) Brachycera Green Bottle Fly Flesh Fly Fannia a Lesser House Fly (unidentified species) Dolichopodidae (unidentified species) Diptera (di - two, ptera – wings), or true flies, is the order of insects in which the hind wings are reduced to halteres. ... Chironomidae are a family of Nematoceran Diptera closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae. ... genera include Abiskomyia Acamptocladius Acricotopus Antillocladius Apometriocnemus Baeoctenus Boreosmittia Brillia Bryophaenocladius Camptocladius Cardiocladius Chaetocladius Chasmatonotus Clunio Compterosmittia Corynoneura Cricotopus Diplocladius Diplosmittia Doithrix Doncricotopus Epoicocladius Eretmoptera Eukiefferiella Eurycnemus Euryhapsis Georthocladius Gynocladius Halocladius Hanocladius Heleniella Heterotanytarsus Heterotrissocladius Hydrobaenus Ichthyocladius Irisobrillia Krenosmittia Labrundinia Limnophyes Lipurometriocnemus Litocladius Lopescladius Mesocricotopus Mesosmittia Metriocnemus Nanocladius Oliveridia Onconeura... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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

The genus comprises:

• Mesosmittia acutistylus Sæther, recorded from USA and Mexico.
• Mesosmittia annae Andersen & Mendes, recorded from Guatemala and Mexico.
• Mesosmittia flexuella (Edwards), recorded from all over Europe.
• Mesosmittia glabra Andersen & Mendes, recorded from Ecuador.
• Mesosmittia guanajensis Andersen & Mendes, recorded from Mexico.
• Mesosmittia hirta Andersen & Mendes, recorded from Ecuador,only the holotype is known.
• Mesosmittia lobiga Sæther, recorded from USA and Mexico.
• Mesosmittia patrihortae Sæther, recorded from various locations in the Neotropical region, USA, China, and South Africa.
• Mesosmittia prolixa Sæther, recorded from USA and Mexico.
• Mesosmittia tora Sæther, recorded from USA and Mexico.
• Mesosmittia truncata Sæther, recorded from Panama, only the holotype is known.

References: A holotype is one of several possible types. ... A holotype is one of several possible types. ...

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.

Dumkjempe 12:45, 6 September 2006 (UTC)