Chironomus Meigen, 1803

Cranston, Peter S., 2007, The Chironomidae Larvae Associated With The Tsunami-Impacted Waterbodies Of The Coastal Plain Of Southwestern Thailand, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 55 (2), pp. 231-244 : 237

Chironomus Meigen

( Figs. 32, 34–36 )

Chironomus is one of the largest, and most difficult genera of chironomids. Adult morphology is rather homogeneous, and progress in separation of larvae is modest. Larvae are collector-gatherers, often found in organically enriched aquatic environments, both lotic and lentic. Two larval types are distinguished:

Chironomus javanus (Kieffer) is somewhat atypical in resembling that of Kiefferulus in having numerous premandibular teeth, specifically 6–7 teeth ( Fig. 35 , pmd). However, this larva displays the characteristic striations at the base of the mandible ( Fig. 32 , arrow) possessed by virtually all species of Chironomus and molecular data show it is a Chironomus ( Martin et al., 2007) . The remaining larvae belonging to Chironomus , all with a two-toothed premandible ( Fig. 36 , pmd), belong to what is undoubtedly a heterogeneous assemblage of species which, lacking rearings to adult males, cannot be discriminated or named with certainty. Amongst them undoubtedly is C. kiiensis Tokunaga , identified as such from a pharate male although without being able to confirm the distinctive wing pattern in the teneral pharate wing.

Figures

Figs. 26–36. Thai post-tsunami Chironomidae. Zavreliella sp.: 26, posterior body. Conochironomus sp.: 27, mentum; 28, antenna. Parachironomus ‘K3’: 29, labrum; 30; mentum. Kiefferulus sp.: 31, antenna. Chironomus sp.: 32, mandible. Parachironomus sp.: 33, ventromental plate. Chironomus javanus: 34, epipharynx; 35, premandible. Chironomus sp.: 36, premandible. Abbreviations: ll, labral lamella; LO, Lauterborn organ; pmd, premandible; SI, SII, labral setae I, II; vmp, ventromental plate.