Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Suborder: Nematocera
Infraorder: Culicomorpha
Super Family:Chironomoidea
Family: Sumliidae
The Black Fly common name often makes people associate this species with the common fruit fly but it is not. Black Fly actually refers to gnats, the small flies that swarm and bite other organisms. They belong to the order Diptera and specifically to the genus Simulium. Over 1,800 species of the black fly can be found around the world, the adult males are usually black in color with short legs and antennae with a size range from 1-5 mm. The males are the ones that feed mainly on nectar while the females require a blood meal from other organisms in order to reproduce. Male black flies do not even have mouth parts that can penetrate the skin of humans or animals. Black flies can produce one generation of offspring a year or many generations a year, known as univoltine or multivoltine, which can lead to a large problem for people because it can increase the black fly population quickly. The type of reproduction the black flies have seems to vary depending on the amount and types of management people use to keep the flies away.
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Suborder: Nematocera
Infraorder: Culicomorpha
Super Family:Chironomoidea
Family: Sumliidae
The Black Fly common name often makes people associate this species with the common fruit fly but it is not. Black Fly actually refers to gnats, the small flies that swarm and bite other organisms. They belong to the order Diptera and specifically to the genus Simulium. Over 1,800 species of the black fly can be found around the world, the adult males are usually black in color with short legs and antennae with a size range from 1-5 mm. The males are the ones that feed mainly on nectar while the females require a blood meal from other organisms in order to reproduce. Male black flies do not even have mouth parts that can penetrate the skin of humans or animals. Black flies can produce one generation of offspring a year or many generations a year, known as univoltine or multivoltine, which can lead to a large problem for people because it can increase the black fly population quickly. The type of reproduction the black flies have seems to vary depending on the amount and types of management people use to keep the flies away.
To the right is a magnified picture of a black fly larvae. The females lay up to 500 white eggs in running water in a place that the larvae can use hook like structures to attach on to a surface. The eggs can be laid in a single mass or on an object conveniently close to the waters edge. They need water in order to complete the reproduction process because it provides the larvae with their oxygen and food, which is why these gnats are pests in areas near rivers. Eggs can take from 3-30 days to hatch depending on the conditions in which the eggs were laid. It can take 10 days to 10 weeks for the larvae to fully develop. Some can even remain in larvae form over the winter if the environment is not ideal.
The black fly larvae remain under water close to the surface the whole time unlike mosquito larvae, which have to come to the surface. Most black flies prefer faster paced running water but you can also find some in marsh like areas or smaller streams. The picture below shows the larvae in their cocoon stage attached on to a rock surface to prevent them from flowing down the river. Trout are common enemies of the black fly larvae, they are the most common fish that help to fight against black fly populations. Once the pupae are fully developed, the cocoon will split and the black fly will float to the surface where it can take its first flight. Reproduction already starts happening soon after the first flight of a black fly because their life cycle from egg to adult usually ranges from 6 to 10 weeks. They have a range of up to 40 miles from their original water birth spot, but usually you will not see them unless it is a nice calm day for them to fly.
The black fly larvae remain under water close to the surface the whole time unlike mosquito larvae, which have to come to the surface. Most black flies prefer faster paced running water but you can also find some in marsh like areas or smaller streams. The picture below shows the larvae in their cocoon stage attached on to a rock surface to prevent them from flowing down the river. Trout are common enemies of the black fly larvae, they are the most common fish that help to fight against black fly populations. Once the pupae are fully developed, the cocoon will split and the black fly will float to the surface where it can take its first flight. Reproduction already starts happening soon after the first flight of a black fly because their life cycle from egg to adult usually ranges from 6 to 10 weeks. They have a range of up to 40 miles from their original water birth spot, but usually you will not see them unless it is a nice calm day for them to fly.