{{Short description|Genus of flies}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Pontomyia natans, male (dorsal view).png | image_caption = Male ''Pontomyia natans'' | taxon = Pontomyia | authority = Edwards, 1926 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = * ''Pontomyia natans'' {{small|Edwards, 1926}} ** (= ''Pontomyia cottoni'' {{small|Womersley, 1937}}) * ''Pontomyia oceana'' {{small|Tokunaga, 1964}} * ''Pontomyia pacifica'' {{small|Tokunaga, 1932}} | display_parents = 2 }}
'''''Pontomyia''''' is a genus of flightless marine midges belonging to the subfamily Chironominae in the Chironomidae family. They are known from the island shorelines of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Insects in marine environments are extremely rare, and this genus possesses a combination of flightlessness, extreme sexual dimorphism, and an extremely short adult life span (of less than 3 hours).
The genus was described by Edwards in 1926 from Samoa. They were originally described as being submarine midges.<ref>Edwards FW (1926) On marine Chironomidae (Diptera); with descriptions of a new genus and four new species from Samoa. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 96:779–806.</ref> Four species were described in the genus ''P. natans'' (Edward 1924), ''P. cottoni'' (Wormersley 1937), ''P. pacifica'' (Tokunaga 1964), and ''P. oceana'' (Tokunaga 1964) but DNA analysis determined that ''P. cottoni'' was not distinguishable from ''P. natans''. Larvae from Puerto Rico were found to be close enough to ''P. natans'' based on DNA sequences. This suggests that species in the genus are capable of being dispersed widely across oceans. Algae attached to sea turtles have been found carrying ''Pontomyia'' larvae and this form of hitch-hiking can potentially serve as means of dispersal.<ref>{{cite journal| title=Long-range dispersal possibilities via sea turtle - a case for Clunio and Pontomyia (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Puerto Rico| author1=Schärer, Michelle T.| author2=Epler, J.H.| volume=118| issue=3| year=2007| pages=273-277| url=http://www.seaturtle.org/PDF/ScharerMT_2007_EntomolNews.pdf | journal=Entomological News| doi=10.3157/0013-872X(2007)118[273:LDPVST]2.0.CO;2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|author1=Huang, D.| author2= Cranston, P. S.| author3= Cheng, L. |year=2014| title= A complete species phylogeny of the marine midge Pontomyia (Diptera:Chironomidae) reveals a cosmopolitan species and a new synonym| journal= Invertebrate Systematics| volume= 28| issue=3|page= 277|doi=10.1071/is13059 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1590/S1676-06032009000100029 |title=First recorded of Pontomyia Edwards, 1926 (Diptera: Chironomidae: Tanytarsini) in Brazil |journal=Biota Neotropica |volume=9 |pages=271–273 |year=2009 |last1=Henriques-Oliveira |first1=Ana Lucia |last2=Silva |first2=Rodrigo Adelson |last3=Nessimian |first3=Jorge Luiz |doi-access=free }}</ref>
''P. natans'' is widely distributed around the Indian and Pacific Oceans and its life history is slightly better known than other species. The adults live less than three hours long with males dying shortly after mating and females after laying eggs (semelparity). Males have long antennae with the mid legs short and tipped in claws. The stubby wings are used like oars to swim at the surface of sea-water. The females are larviform, without wings or functional legs. The eggs are laid in coils in rockpools where they sink to the bottom. The larvae feed on algae and marine vegetation. Adult emergence is linked to lunar cycles, mainly at low tide, and midges are attracted to lights.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://coralreef.nus.edu.sg/publications/Cheng2014Raffles_Bull._Zool.pdf| title=Discovery of the flightless marine midge Pontomyia (Diptera: Chironomidae) at Christmas Island, Australia| author1=Cheng, Lanna Cheng| author2=Huang, Danwei |journal=Raffles Bulletin of Zoology|issue=30|pages=93–96 | year=2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Huang, D.|author2=Cheng, L. |year=2011| title= The flightless marine midge Pontomyia (Diptera: Chironomidae): ecology, distribution, and molecular phylogeny.| journal= Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society| volume= 162|issue=2 | pages= 443–456| doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.2010.00680.x | doi-access=free}}</ref>
''Pontomyia'' is notable for their unique adaptation to oceanic environments, where adults live only a few hours and complete their life cycle on the sea surface. The genus, including ''P. oceana'' described by Tokunaga, has been the focus of extensive study by marine entomologist Lanna Cheng, who clarified the morphology, behavior, and ecological adaptations of these rare marine insects.{{Clarify|reason=I believe information on this taxon is more important than mentioning Lanna Cheng, who had help anyways|date=May 2026}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cheng |first1=Lanna |last2=Hashimoto |first2=H. |title=The marine midge Pontomyia (Chironomidae) with a description of females of P.oceana Tokunaga |journal=Systematic Entomology |date=1978 |volume=3 |issue=3 |pages=189–196 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-3113.1978.tb00115.x |url=https://resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-3113.1978.tb00115.x |language=en |issn=1365-3113|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}} ==External links == * [http://chirokey.skullisland.info/genus/Pontomyia/ Taxonomic notes] {{Taxonbar|from=Q2103873}}
Category:Chironomidae Category:Marine insects Category:Wingless flies