ABSTRACT
Many aquatic insects develop as larvae in freshwater bodies and the adult stages of some of these live only to reproduce as quickly as possible before dying. Species in certain families of Diptera are noted for having adults of both sexes which reproduce quickly and then die without having consumed any food. Ephemeroptera species are noted for rapid reproduction, no consumption of food, and brief life spans as adults. The largest insect family known to include a considerable number of species that do not feed as imagoes is Chironomidae, which belongs to the suborder Nematocera. Richness of the food supply in the water provides an advantage for insects with very short reproductive periods. The survival strategy of the species of Culicidae, the mosquitoes, is much more specialized for getting the maximum benefit from the available food supplies than that of the other insect taxa.
