[1] Glassworms are almost entirely transparent, except for pairs of black kidney-shaped structures in the front and the back of the body.

[3] Their main predator is fish, which can cause a behavioral response due to light factors influenced by their presence.

[4] In the African Great Lakes of Malawi and Victoria (but not Tanganyika where this genus is absent, perhaps because of chemical factors[5]), huge swarms of Chaoborus midges occur and are collected by local people to make kungu cakes, biscuits or burgers, a local delicacy rich in protein.

Most Chaoborus species are univoltine, or live for only one year, though some populations have been recorded as having a two-year generation time.

Timing of pupation depends on local environmental conditions, though generally occurs after any ice has thawed and temperatures in the water begin to rise again.

[11] These 44 species belong to the genus Chaoborus: Data sources: i = ITIS,[12] c = Catalogue of Life,[13] g = GBIF,[14] b = Bugguide.net[15]