About Chaoborus punctipennis (Say, 1823)
Chaoborus punctipennis is a species of phantom midge, which is a type of fly belonging to the family Chaoboridae. This species exhibits a specific survival behavior: its larvae tend to move vertically through different water layers to avoid predation by fish. Fish cannot tolerate water with an oxygen concentration below 2.0 mg per liter. A significant correlation (P < 0.05) was found between the depth where this critical oxygen concentration occurs and the mean depth where Chaoborus punctipennis larvae reside. This correlation supports the hypothesis that diel vertical migration of this species provides protection from fish predation.
