There were two other shots of this midge that I thought were interesting. The first is done in a similar manner to the second shot I posted yesterday, but of the front end. The exterior here is a bit thicker and slightly more opaque than at the tail end, but it is still possible to get a pretty good look inside. You can get a sense of the powerful muscles attached to the mandibles.
The second image was made with the 40X objective (83X on sensor). It is a 22 image stack. Again this is the ventral side, and you can just barely make out the out-of-focus mandibles at the top.
I'm wondering if the structures seen at "4 o'clock" and "8 o'clock" relative to the hypostomal teeth (thanks NU!) are the gills and breathing apparatus.
You wrote "I'm wondering if the structures seen at "4 o'clock" and "8 o'clock" relative to the hypostomal teeth (thanks NU!) are the gills and breathing apparatus."
These guys don't have gills, gas diffusion through the skin.
The 2 strucures are paralabial plates - appear to be diagnostic for the Chironomidae. I have no idea of their function but suspect involved in feeding, in some species they are fringed with setae in the overall shape of a fan, in others they are marginally toothed, or simply just striate as in your specimen.
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
