| Drain flies (Psychoda sp. (Latreille, 1796)) |
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Scientific name: Psychoda sp. (Latreille, 1796) Common name: Drain flies French name: Order: Diptera Family: Psychodidae Wingspan : 2 to 3 mm. Biotope: The larvae grow in water or simply in damp habitats rich in decaying organic matter. The imagos can be observed nearby. Geographic area: About 450 species listed worldwide with 40 of them observed in Europe. Observation period : All year round. |
The Psychodidae of the Psychoda genus are small greyish insects which are used to landing with their wings held roof-like over the body. The wings are pointed. The antennae bear a lot of articles which show a well marked neck. The Psychodidae of the Clogmia genus are used to landing with their wings held flat over the body, that's to say parallel to the support. The Psychodidae of the Pericoma genus often show very hairy wings with dark and contrasted colours. The tip of the wings is rounded. The articles of the antennae are barrel-shaped, that's to say without any neck. |
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I have mounted a 24 mm lens in reverse on my DSLR camera to get a high magnification. This was done to take pictures of all the tiny animals living in my compost tank. This is a favourable biotope for the Diptera of the Psychoda genus. Identification is based on the greyish colour and on the wings with a pointed tip and held roof-like over the body. |
André Bon September 2020