New research demonstrates that the larvae not just contribute in global warming but also in disturbing the sedimentary layers at the bottom of lakes.
Chaoborus spp is a small fly species that is found all over the world (except in Antarctica). The insect spends one to two years of its life cycle under water in a larval state, in lakes no deeper than 70 metres.
Larvae spend the day in lakebed sediment and rise to the surface at night time to feed. They are equipped with air sacs that they can adjust to alter their depth in the water so as to migrate upwards and downwards.
Scientists have discovered that Chaoborus spp also uses the methane it finds in lakebeds to help it move around. The species releases methane into the surface water, increasing the likelihood that the gas will enter the atmosphere.
The research demonstrates the negative role played by the larvae not just in global warming but also in disturbing the sedimentary layers at the bottom of lakes.The life cycle of the small fly Chaoborus spp has been well-known for almost a century.