Editing Culicomorpha (section)

==Classification==

The Culicomorpha comprises eight extant families divided into two superfamilies. It was described based on phylogenetic analyses of morphological features.<ref name=WoodBorkent1989>{{cite book |first1=D. M. |last1=Wood |first2=A. |last2=Borkent |chapter=Phylogeny and Classilication of the Nematocera |editor-first1=J.F. |editor-last1=McAlpine |editor-first2=D.M. |editor-last2=Woods |year=1989 |title=Manual of Nearctic Diptera, vol. 3. |publisher=Ottawa: Agriculture Canada Research Branch |url=https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/aac-aafc/A54-3-32-eng.pdf}}</ref><ref name=Yeates2007>{{cite journal |last1=Yeates |first1= David K. |last2=Weigmann |first2=Brian M |last3=Courtney |first3=Greg W. |last4=Meier |first4=Rudolf |last5=Lambkins |first5=Christine |last6=Pape |first6=Thomas |title=Phylogeny and systematics of Diptera: Two decades of progress and prospects |year=2007 |journal=Zootaxa |volume=1668 |pages=565–590 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.1668.1.27 }}</ref><ref name=Bertone2008>{{cite journal |last1=Bertone |first1=Matthew A. |last2=Courtney |first2=Gregory W. |last3=Wiegmann |first3=Brian M. |title=Phylogenetics and temporal diversification of the earliest true flies (Insecta: Diptera) based on multiple nuclear genes |year=2008  |journal=Systematic Entomology |volume=33 |issue=4 |pages=668–687 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-3113.2008.00437.x |s2cid=54781592 |url=http://online-keys.net/sciaroidea/add01/Bertone_et_al_Nematocera_2008.pdf }}</ref>

* Superfamily [[Culicoidea]]
** [[Dixidae]] - meniscus midges
** [[Corethrellidae]] - frog-biting midges
** [[Chaoboridae]] – phantom midges
** [[Culicidae]] – mosquitoes
* Superfamily [[Chironomoidea]]
** [[Thaumaleidae]] – solitary midges
** [[Simuliidae]] – black flies and buffalo gnats
** [[Ceratopogonidae]] – biting midges
** [[Chironomidae]] – nonbiting midges

The monophyly of Culicomorpha and Culicoidea have been confirmed in subsequent morphological and molecular studies, but several studies have found Chironomoidea to be paraphyletic.<ref name=Yeates2007/><ref name=Bertone2008/><ref name=Kutty2018>{{cite journal |last1=Narayanan Kutty |first1=Sujatha |last2=Wong |first2=Wing Hing |last3=Meusemann |first3=Karen |last4=Meier |first4=Rudolf |last5=Cranston |first5=Peter S. |title=A phylogenomic analysis of Culicomorpha (Diptera) resolves the relationships among the eight constituent families |year=2018 |journal=Systematic Entomology |volume=43 |issue=3 |pages=434–446 |doi=10.1111/syen.12285 |s2cid=90255287 |doi-access=free }}</ref> A morphological study in 2012, using characters from all life stages (egg, larva, pupae and adult), found that Chironomidae branched first and a sister relationship between Culicoidea  and a clade of Simuliidae, Ceratopogonidae and Thamaleidae. A new superfamily, [[Simulioidea]], was proposed for the latter clade and restricted Chironomoidea to Chironomidae.<ref name=Borkent-2012/> A phylogenomic analysis in 2018 also found a paraphyletic Chironomoidea and a close relationship between Simuliidae and Thamaleidae, but in this study Ceratopoginidae grouped with Chironomidae.<ref name=Kutty2018/> The phylogenetic trees below illustrate the different arrangements.

{{clade gallery
|caption1=Traditional morphological<ref name=WoodBorkent1989/>
|caption2=Revised morphological<ref name=Borkent-2012/>
|caption3=Phylogenomic<ref name=Kutty2018/>

|cladogram1=
{{clade
|label1=Culicomorpha
|1={{clade
   |label1=[[Chironomoidea]]
   |1={{clade
      |1=[[Thaumaleidae]]
      |2={{clade
         |1=[[Simuliidae]]
         |2={{clade
            |1=[[Ceratopogonidae]]
            |2=[[Chironomidae]] 
            }}
         }}
      }}
    |label2=[[Culicoidea]]
    |2={{clade
       |1=[[Dixidae]]
       |2={{clade
          |1=[[Corethrellidae]] 
          |2={{clade
             |1=[[Chaoboridae]]
             |2=[[Culicidae]]
             }}
          }}
       }}
    }}
}}

|cladogram2=
{{clade
|label1=Culicomorpha
|1={{clade
   |1={{clade
      |label1=[[Chironomoidea]]
      |1=[[Chironomidae]]
      }}
   |2={{clade
      |label1=[[Simulioidea]]
      |1={{clade
         |1=[[Ceratopogonidae]]
         |2={{clade
            |1=[[Thaumaleidae]]
            |2=[[Simuliidae]]
            }}
         }}
       |label2=[[Culicoidea]]
       |2={{clade
          |1=[[Dixidae]]
          |2={{clade
             |1=[[Corethrellidae]] 
             |2={{clade
                |1=[[Chaoboridae]]
                |2=[[Culicidae]]
                }}
             }}
          }}
       }}
    }}
}}

|cladogram3=
{{clade
|label1=Culicomorpha
|1={{clade
   |1={{clade
      |label1=[[Chironomoidea]]
      |1={{clade
         |1=[[Chironomidae]]
         |2=[[Ceratopogonidae]]
         }}
      }}
   |2={{clade
      |label1=[[Simulioidea]]
      |1={{clade
         |1=[[Thaumaleidae]]
         |2=[[Simuliidae]]
         }}
       |label2=[[Culicoidea]]
       |2={{clade
          |1=[[Dixidae]]
          |2={{clade
             |1=[[Corethrellidae]] 
             |2={{clade
                |1=[[Chaoboridae]]
                |2=[[Culicidae]]
                }}
             }}
          }}
       }}
    }}
}}

}}

===Extinct families===
* [[Asiochaoboridae]] (Upper [[Jurassic]])
* [[Architendipedidae]] (Upper Triassic)
* [[Protendipedidae]] (Middle Jurassic)
* [[Mesophantasmatidae]] (Middle Jurassic)