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Photo#42611
Midge - Chironomus ochreatus

Midge - Chironomus ochreatus
Fort Bragg, Cumberland County, North Carolina, USA
June 19, 2005
I'm stumped. A fly with very long front legs!

Images of this individual: tag all
Midge - Chironomus ochreatus Midge - Chironomus ochreatus

Moved
Moved from Chironomus.

Moved
Moved from Chironominae.

Move to Chironomus for now
There is some question about the status of this species. It is variously (1) described as a synonym of C. atroviridis (which differs slightly in color)*, (2) placed in a separate genus Chaetolabis**, (3) considered valid***. Chironomus is a good place for this to wait resolution.

* Wiederholm, Ent. Scand. Suppl. 10, a reference which I have seen cited but not read

** Yamamoto 1987, https://qir.kyushu-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2324/2498/1/149.pdf

*** ITIS taxonmy database, following Townes

Probably Chironomus ochreatus
I think this is Chironomus ochreatus (Townes 1945).

The description matches except that the abdomen here is dark with paler markings on the back of each segment. Townes' description says "abdomen blackish brown, the basal segment mostly ochraceous." That may be an incomplete description. The European species for which this kind of midge used to be mistaken, C. viridicollis, does have pale edges on the abdominal segments. The close relative C. atroviridis is a less good match. After that would be Xenochironomus dorneri which is described as having three black-brown stripes, all of similar color, with no mention of the middle one being divided as here.

Townes' description:

Male: Wing 3.9mm long, leg ratio 1.7; antennal ratio 3.9; frontal tubercles very small, subspherical; fore tarsus without a beard.

Head ochraceous; pedicel brownish ochraceous; flagellum except base and palpus brown; thorax ochraceous; mesosternum and mesoscutal vittae brownish ochraceous; posterior part of postnotum brown; wing veins brown, the anterior ones darker; halter knob ochraceous; apex of fore femur and entire fore tibia and tarsus dark brown; middle and hind tarsi dark brown except towards the base; abdomen blackish brown, the basal segment mostly ochraceous.

Female: Median mesoscutal vitta dark brown and divided longitudinally by a pale line.

Any more pictures?
This is a decent match for Chironomus ochreatus (Townes). A closer view or a different angle would help. Can you estimate the size?

I still need to confirm that the stripe pattern on the thorax is unique.

Moved
Moved from Midges.

Chironominae
This is subfamily Chironominae based on lack of M-Cu crossvein and first segment of front tarsus longer than tibia.

Midge
Hello Lynette,
It's a midge in the family Chironomidae! They are conspicious because of these front legs they hold in a certain hooked position. But indeed, this one has remarkably long front legs!
Greetings,
Gerard Pennards

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