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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

Subfamily Chironominae

Classification · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Remarks · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited

small midge - Polypedilum scalaenum - female

Pennsylvania Fly for ID - Chironomus - female

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

Size

1-13mm (adult)

Identification

Wing vein M-Cu absent and first segment of front tarsus equal or longer than front tibia (1). Legs typically held above and in front of head. Orthocladiinae similar but have first segment of tarsus shorter than front tibia and spend less time with front legs raised.

See image

showing a wing vein with these features.

Larvae are almost always red, generally live in tubes or cases, and generally have two vertically arranged eyespots on each side, as in

Range

Worldwide, more diverse in warmer regions

Season

Generally, warm weather -- most or all of the year along the Gulf Coast to only July in the Arctic

Remarks

The subfamily is divided into three tribes.

Chironomini has the R-M crossvein at a distinct angle to R4+5, fore tarsus usually significantly longer than fore tibia, male eyes usually with distinct dorsal extension above antenna base

Pseudochironomini has fore tarsus generally shorter than fore tibia, or rarely at most 10% longer; male eyes with very short dorsal extension; black spur at end of fore tibia; R1 and R2+3 widely separated; M reaching wing margin much closer to wingtip than R4+5.

Tanytarsini has fore tarsus longer than fore tibia, wings hairy (at least at tip), and R-M crossvein nearly parallel with R4+5.

There are also genital differences, especially in the male.

The larger, more conspicuous midges generally belong to Chironomini.

See Also

Portable cases of some larvae can be confused with Trichoptera.

Internet References

Aquatic Insects of Michigan, Midges, Subfamily Chironominae

Works Cited

1.	The Chironomidae P. D. Armitage, P. S. Cranston, L. C. V. Pinder. 1995. Springer.

Contributed by Stephen_WV on 8 April, 2006 - 11:50am
Additional contributions by john and jane balaban, Vox Sciurorum
Last updated 9 September, 2009 - 7:50pm

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