urbpan | Microhabitat?

My neighbor's young children noticed that this puddle was serving as habitat.

My neighbor was clearly alarmed by these creatures wiggling about, looking like blood red mosquito larvae. I explained that these were bloodworms, the larvae of non-biting midges, and that they were nothing to worry about. If they are "non-biting" midges, he asked, what do they eat? Well, these larvae have plenty to eat in the vegetable muck in the puddle, but as adults I'm not sure, I admitted. They may not eat anything at all.

I looked into this afterward, and found that it used to be believed that Chironomid midges (that's the more proper name) did not feed as adults: the majority of their observed behavior is reproductive, and they don't live very long. But studies have shown that they have the ability and proclivity to eat foods containing sugar, and different species will make use of aphid honeydew, flower nectar, and other sources. But, importantly, they do not bite. This is a good fact to know about an insect which looks rather like a mosquito and appears in huge swarms.

The red color, by the way, comes from hemoglobin in the larva's body. Studies have shown that in water with less oxygen, the bloodworms will have more hemoglobin and therefore be redder. One can imagine that in this mucky street puddle, there isn't much oxygen. Now for the Chironomid race against time: will they reach adulthood before the puddle dries up? Probably, considering how cold and rainy our summer has been so far.