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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera) » Mosquitoes and Midges (Culicomorpha) » Non-biting Midges (Chironomidae) » Chironominae » Chironomini » Chironomus group » Chironomus » subgenus Chironomus (Chironomus subgenus Chironomus)
Photo#437617
Midge - Chironomus - male
Copyright © 2010 Jim Moore

Midge - Chironomus - Male
In Westwood; elevation 5100ft, Lassen County, California, USA
April 26, 2010
Size: body length 8mm
Thanks in advance for any further ID Guide placement!


ID Update:

ID for this specimen to genus Chironomus was confirmed by BOLD Systems via DNA. DNA for this specimen is a solid 100% match with many specimens within the group Chironomus cf. decorus, at BOLD.

See here for Chironomus cf. decorus species page at BOLD Systems:
And here for BOLD's Public Data Portal - BIN Page.
And here for this specimen's DNA Record Page at BOLD Systems.

Images of this individual: tag all
Midge - Chironomus - male Midge - Chironomus - male
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Jim Moore on 5 August, 2010 - 12:42pm
Last updated 13 December, 2015 - 8:49pm

Moved
Moved from Chironomus.
… John F. Carr, 2 September, 2014 - 3:45pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Chironomus group.
… Jim Moore, 2 September, 2014 - 3:01pm login or register to post comments

Probably Chironomus
This is probably Chironomus (Chironomus) but I won't rule out Glyptotendipes.

Glyptotendipes can be distinguished by "scar-like" longitudinal marks on tergites 2-6 or 3-6, as in this picture:


Also, Chironomus usually has much larger lumps between the antennae;


A view from a little more ahead would help by showing the shape of the pronotum.
… John F. Carr, 7 August, 2010 - 8:13pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks John!
Your photos and comments are helpful and informative.
… Jim Moore, 8 August, 2010 - 1:27am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Midges.

How did you measure size?
… John F. Carr, 5 August, 2010 - 4:04pm login or register to post comments

 
Size measuring:
I photograph all my specimens with a small white metric ruler right next to the specimen. If needed I use Adobe PhotoShop Elements to move and rotate either the ruler or specimen so that they are in alignment. I can then highlight the specimen with a small rectangle from head/nose to tail or wing tips - and then drag just the highlighted rectangle over the metric ruler image for real precise measurement. I usually round off to the nearest mm or 1/2mm.
… Jim Moore, 6 August, 2010 - 1:26am login or register to post comments

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