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Lots of these tiny larvae in shallow water in the bottom of a white plastic tray where electric toothbrushes are stored. Presumably feeding on the bacterial film on the surface of the plastic, which in turn is feeding on the spit and toothpaste that's run down the toothbrush handles... (I know, we should clean it out more frequently, but what would be the fun in that?).

It's apparently Psychoda sp. The long tail suggests albipennis, but I've got only Smith's Handbook and obviously there are many more species than the few he illustrates. Does anybody have a PDF of Satchell's 1947 paper: The larvae of the British species of Psychoda (Diptera: Psychodidae) (it's still behind a paywall - have these guys no shame...)

Many thanks
Malcolm

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I think I have that paper but I can check this Friday when I'm back at the lab. However, it doesn't look Like Psychoda for the larvae has too many sclerotized plates. What about Clogmia albipunctata?

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It doesn't look like http://bugguide.n...71/bgimage but maybe they are different instars.

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I think John is right. Your larvae doesn't look like the one on bugguide. I will send you the Satchell paper but I think you don't have Psychoda or Tinaeria. On request I can also send you the Vaillant series on Pychodids as PDF (Fliegen der Pal. Region).

edit: on second thought, I have had a look in Satchells paper and it does look like his group of species within section A (surcoufi, severini, cinerea, gemina) for it has 26 dorsal plates. So definitely no section B or C which includes his albipennis and alternata for instance.

edit 2: Through mediation of RG I was able to upload the paper to Satchells's profile: https://www.resea...v=srch_pub

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Thanks for all the help.

In Satchell it keys to Ps. surcoufi, which I've found before as an adult breeding in plastic compost bins when we lived in Berkshire.
http://www.bioima...rcoufi.htm

I think we have them in ours here in Dorset too. Must have another go at photographing the adult.