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Tribe Chironomini

Found him in the woods - Chironomus - male

Chironomidae - Polypedilum ontario - male

midge with brown and white wings - Stenochironomus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon ("Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera))

Infraorder Culicomorpha (Mosquitoes and Midges)

Family Chironomidae (Non-biting Midges)

Subfamily Chironominae

Tribe Chironomini

Identification

Wings usually not hairy, R-M crossvein at a distinct angle to R5, veins M and R5 usually equidistant from wingtip, front leg ratio usually greater than 1.1.

Remarks

This tribe includes the largest and most commonly observed midges, as well as smaller or more obscure species.

It is divided here into five genus groups:

The Chironomus group has males generally with 11 flagellomeres and normally developed superior and inferior volsellae.

The Harnischia complex has males generally with 11 flagellomeres and reduced and/or hairless inferior and superior volsellae.

Polypedilum, Endochironomus, and related genera

Stenochironomus and related genera

Lauterborniella and related genera

Molecular evidence supports the phylogeny ((Lauterborniella,Tanytarsini),((Harnischia,Chironomus),(Stenochironomus,Polypedilum))). Morphological evidence places Stenochironomus closer to Tanytarsini. The basal genera are likely to be removed from Chironomini in the future because they are more closely related to Tanytarsini.

Print References

Revised by Townes (1945)(1)

Works Cited

1.	The Nearctic Species of Tendipedini Henry K. Townes. 1945. University of Notre Dame.

Contributed by John F. Carr on 9 September, 2009 - 5:44pm
Last updated 28 October, 2012 - 6:13pm

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