Chironomidae
Chironomus plumosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Suborder: Nematocera Infraorder: Culicomorpha Superfamily: Chironomoidea Family: Chironomidae
Genera
See text Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 573 pixelsFull resolution (1575 × 1129 pixel, file size: 72 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Chironomus plumosus source: http://home. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... For other uses, see Fly (disambiguation) and Flies (disambiguation). ... Infraorders Axymyiomorpha Culicomorpha Blephariceromorpha Bibionomorpha Psychodomorpha Ptychopteromorpha Tipulomorpha Nematocera are generally primitive flies, typically recognized by filamentous, multi-segmented antennae which may be plumose in some males. ... Superfamilies Culicoidea Chironomoidea See text for families. ... Chironomoidea is a superfamily within the order Diptera, suborder Nematocera, infraorder Culicomorpha. ...

Chironomidae larva, about 1 cm long, the head is right. The magnified tail details are from other images of the same animal.

Chironomidae (informally known as chironomids or non-biting midges) are a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae. Many species superficially resemble mosquitoes but they lack the wing scales and elongate mouthparts of the Culicidae. This is a large group of insects with over 5000 described species and 700 species in North America alone. Males are easily recognized by their plumose antennae. Adults are sometimes known as "lake flies" in parts of Canada, as "sand flies" in the USA Great Lakes area, and as "blind mosquitoes" in Florida, USA. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Midge (disambiguation). ... Infraorders Axymyiomorpha Culicomorpha Blephariceromorpha Bibionomorpha Psychodomorpha Ptychopteromorpha Tipulomorpha Nematocera are generally primitive flies, typically recognized by filamentous, multi-segmented antennae which may be plumose in some males. ... For other uses, see Fly (disambiguation) and Flies (disambiguation). ... Subfamilies Forcipomyiinae Dasyheleinae Ceratopogoninae Leptoconopinae Ceratopogonidae, or biting midges (or, in the United States, no-see-ums, sand flies, punkies, and others), are a family of small flies (1-4 mm long) in the order Diptera. ... Genera Many, including Simulium Prosimulium A Black Fly (sometimes called a Buffalo Gnat or Turkey Gnat) is any member of the family Simuliidae of the Culicomorpha infraorder. ... Genera Afrothaumalea Androprosopa Austrothaumalea Thaumalea Trichothaumalea Thaumaleidae, or solitary midges, are a group of nematoceran flies related to the Ceratopogonidae, Chironomidae, and the Simuliidae. ... This article is about the insect; for the WWII aircraft see De Havilland Mosquito. ... The mouthparts of arthropods have evolved into a number of forms, each adapted to a different style of feeding. ... This article is about the insect; for the WWII aircraft see De Havilland Mosquito. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Insects display a wide variety of antennal shapes. ... The Great Lakes from space The Laurentian Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami metropolitan area Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ...

Behavior and description

Adults can be pests when they emerge in large numbers. They can damage paint, brick, and other surfaces with their droppings. When large numbers of adults die they can build up into malodorous piles. They can provoke allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.^[1] Larvae are important as food items for fish and other aquatic organisms. They are also important as indicator organisms, i.e., the presence or absence of various species in a given body of water can give a good idea of what kinds of pollutants may be present and in what quantities. Their fossils are also widely used as indicators of past environmental changes, including past climatic changes.^[2] For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ... Animal environments are classified as either aquatic (water), terrestrial (land), or amphibious (water and land). ... Pollutants are substances which directly or indirectly damage us or the environment. ...

Larvae can be found in almost any aquatic or semiaquatic habitat, including treeholes, bromeliads, rotting vegetation, soil, and in sewage and artificial containers. Larvae of some species are bright red in color due to hemoglobin; these are often known as "bloodworms".^[3] Genera See text Bromeliads include epiphytes, such as Spanish moss, and ground plants, such as the Pineapple. ... Larvae are the plural of larva, juvenile form of animals with indirect development. ... Structure of hemoglobin. ... Blood worm or bloodworm is an ambiguous term and can refer to: A midge larva The polychaete Glycera This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Subfamilies and genera

The family is divided into eleven subfamilies: Aphroteniinae, Buchonomyiinae, Chilenomyinae, Chironominae, Diamesinae, Orthocladiinae, Podonominae, Prodiamesinae, Tanypodinae, Telmatogetoninae, Usambaromyiinae.^[4][5] genera include Abiskomyia Acamptocladius Acricotopus Antillocladius Apometriocnemus Baeoctenus Boreosmittia Brillia Bryophaenocladius Camptocladius Cardiocladius Chaetocladius Chasmatonotus Clunio Compterosmittia Corynoneura Cricotopus Diplocladius Diplosmittia Doithrix Doncricotopus Epoicocladius Eretmoptera Eukiefferiella Eurycnemus Euryhapsis Georthocladius Gynocladius Halocladius Hanocladius Heleniella Heterotanytarsus Heterotrissocladius Hydrobaenus Ichthyocladius Irisobrillia Krenosmittia Labrundinia Limnophyes Lipurometriocnemus Litocladius Lopescladius Mesocricotopus Mesosmittia Metriocnemus Nanocladius Oliveridia Onconeura...

Antillocladius is a genus of flies belonging to the family Chironomidae, subfamily Orthocladiinae. ... Polytene chromosomes of a Connecticut River Axarus midge. ... Species See text. ... Gynocladius is a parthenogenetic genus in the subfamily Orthocladiinae (Chironomidae). ... Ichthyocladius is a genus of chironomid flies that belongs to the subfamily Orthocladiinae described by Fittkau based on one species, Ichthyocladius neotropicus, from Peru, though some other species were recognised, the lack of knowledge did not allow their description. ... Limnophyes is a genus of flies belonging to the family Chironomidae (the non-biting midges). ... Litocladius is a genus of chironomid flies that belongs to the subfamily Orthocladiinae and is composed of a single species, Litocladius mateusi Mendes, Andersen & Sæther (2004) described from Brazil. ... The genus Mesosmittia is cosmopolitan, thus occurring in all zoogeographical regions except for Antarctica. ... Oliveridia hugginsi Ferrington and Saether is known from the Big Caney River in Kansas. ...

External links

Wikispecies has information related to:

Chironomidae

• The Chironomid Home Page
• Chironomidae Research Group, University of Minnesota
• Family Chironomidae at Soil and Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax
• Checklist of UK Recorded Chironomidae
• Chironomidae at Nomina Insecta Nearctica
• Chironomid Palaeoecology @ UBC Okanagan
• Chironomidae at Australian Faunal Directory

Image File history File links Wikispecies-logo. ... Wikispecies is a wiki-based online project supported by the Wikimedia Foundation that aims to create a comprehensive free content catalogue of all species (including animalia, plantae, fungi, bacteria, archaea, and protista). ...

References

1. ^ Ali, A. 1991. Perspectives on management of pestiferous Chironomidae (Diptera), an emerging global problem. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 7: 260-281.
2. ^ Walker, I. R. 2001. Midges: Chironomidae and related Diptera. pp. 43-66, In: J. P. Smol, H. J. B. Birks, and W. M. Last (eds). Tracking Environmental Change Using Lake Sediments. Volume 4. Zoological Indicators. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.
3. ^ Coffman, W.P. and L.C. Ferrington, Jr. 1996. Chironomidae. Pp. 635-754. In: R.W. Merritt and K.W. Cummins, eds. An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
4. ^ Epler, J.H. 2001. Identification manual for the larval Chironomidae (Diptera) of North and South Carolina. North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
5. ^ Armitage, P., Cranston, P.S., and Pinder, L.C.V. (eds.) (1994) The Chironomidae: Biology and Ecology of Non-biting Midges. Chapman and Hall, London, 572 pp.