The male, female, egg, third instar larva, and puparium of Atherigona (Acritochaeta) culicivora, new species, are described from Peninsular Malaysia and northern Thailand. The saprophagous larvae of A. culicivora develop in water-filled stumps of freshly cut young bamboo shoots. They are subaquatic facultative predators of mosquito larvae, which is unique in the otherwise terrestrial genus Atherigona Rondani. Eggs are laid on the wet bamboo wall above the water surface. The larvae float upside down in the water, with their posterior spiracles attached to the water surface. When mosquito larvae approach, they quickly grab them and wrap themselves around the prey. Mature larvae crawl ashore and secrete a protective foam during pupariation. The development of A. culicivora from egg to adult takes only 13–14 days, which is an adaptation to the ephemeral nature of decaying bamboo shoots. Feeding on mosquito larvae may provide additional or complementary nutrients that could, for example, accelerate the rate of development of A. culicivora. The transition of A. culicivora from a terrestrial to an aquatic lifestyle was probably facilitated by the lack of aquatic predators in its habitat.

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