Author: (Meigen, 1818)
Diagnosis (in part after Hirvenoja, 1973a - in italics)
Exuviae 4.8-5.5mm long (n=3).
Cephalothorax: Frontal setae on frontal apotome, 115-220µm long (n=4). Thoracic horn 93-135µm long, smooth, colourless, without a narrow basal stalk; ThR 4.0-8.1 (n=5). Thorax less strongly granulate, fading ventrally, not obviously reaching precorneal setae; precorneal setae not on conspicuous mounds (085i.jpg).
Abdomen: Length hook row II 0.43, 0.62x width tergite II (n=2); hooks 79-144 (n=5) in 2-3 rows. Pedes spurii B II absent (085j.jpg). Strong uniform shagreen on tergites II-VI, points slightly stronger postero-median and antero-lateral. Point patches absent on tergites VII and VIII. Dorsal setae I-VIII: 3-4,4,4,5,5,5,5,2; Lateral setae I-VIII: 1,3,3,3,3,3,3,4; Ventral setae I-VIII: 1,3,3,3-4,4-5,5,5,2; lateral seta 4 on VIII weaker than the other lateral setae.
Anal segment: Anal lobe ratio 1.5-1.9 (n=5). Anal lobes without fringe. Length of anal macrosetae 0.38-0.48x length of the anal lobe (n=5) (085k.jpg).
(Linked adult male: Langton and Pinder, 2003a)
Species keys out at Page 907: Orthocladiinae 318 Cricotopus of the Text Key.
Note: The pupa of Cricotopus suspiciosus according to the description of Hirvenoja (1973) would run here. The only distinction given is that the pupal exuviae of suspiciosus is larger: up to 6.5mm long.
Distribution
Holarctic species: widespread in Europe.
(For more information see module IdentifyIt – file: Orthocladiinae).
Ecological notes
Stagnant and slow flowing water.
Larvae feed on (mine) the leaves of Potamogeton natansand possibly other waterplants.