Chironomid (midge)

Japanese: ユスリカ(揺り蚊) - ユスリカ（英語表記）midge

A general term for insects of the dipteran order Chironomidae family. They are closely related to mosquitoes, blackflies, and biting midges, but do not suck blood. The larvae build cylindrical nests in the mud at the bottom of the water and live there by shaking their bodies. This is where the name comes from. There are an extremely large number of species, and each larvae lives in a variety of water bodies as its breeding environment, so they are considered to be one of the indicator organisms of water quality. For example, the species composition and number of species inhabiting the same river can differ between the upstream and downstream, or depending on the amount of organic matter mixed in. On the other hand, there are cases where a large number of adults of a certain species occur, and they fly into nearby houses in large numbers, causing discomfort to residents.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

双翅目ユスリカ科Chironomidaeの昆虫の総称。カ，ブユ，ヌカカとは近縁だが，吸血の習性はない。幼虫は，水底の泥に筒状の巣をつくり，その中で体をゆすって生活している。名もこれによる。種類数が著しく多く，おのおの幼虫がさまざまな水域を発生環境としてすみわけているため，水質の指標生物の一つとされている。たとえば同じ川でも上流と下流とで，あるいは有機物混入の多少につれて種構成や生息種数が異なる。一方で，ある特定種の成虫の大量発生が起こり，周辺家屋にたくさん飛来して住民の不快感を招くことが多い。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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