Chironomidae
Chironomus plumosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Suborder: Nematocera Infraorder: Culicomorpha Superfamily: Chironomoidea Family: Chironomidae
Genera
See text

Chironomidae larva, about 1 cm long, the head is right. Arthropods are Animals belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda (from Greek ἄρθρον arthron, " Joint " Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described True flies are Insects of the Order Diptera ( Greek: di = two and pteron = wing possessing a single pair of Nematocera are generally primitive flies, typically recognized by filamentous multi-segmented antennae which may be plumose in some males Culicomorpha is a infraorder of Nematocera. It includes Mosquitoes black flies, and several extant and extinct families of insect Chironomoidea is a Superfamily within the order Diptera, Suborder Nematocera, Infraorder Culicomorpha. The magnified tail details are from other images of the same animal.

Chironomidae larva showing the characteristic red color. ~40x magnification. The head is towards th upper left, just out of view

Chironomidae (informally known as chironomids or non-biting midges) are a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. Midges comprise many kinds of very small two-winged flies The term does not encapsulate a well-defined taxonomic group but includes animals in several families of Nematoceran Nematocera are generally primitive flies, typically recognized by filamentous multi-segmented antennae which may be plumose in some males True flies are Insects of the Order Diptera ( Greek: di = two and pteron = wing possessing a single pair of They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae. Ceratopogonidae, or biting Midges (including what are called in the United States, no-see-ums, midgies, Sand flies A black fly (sometimes called a buffalo Gnat, turkey gnat or white socks) is any member of the family Simuliidae of the Thaumaleidae, the solitary midges or trickle midges, are a group of Nematoceran flies related to the Ceratopogonidae, Chironomidae Many species superficially resemble mosquitoes but they lack the wing scales and elongate mouthparts of the Culicidae. Mosquitoes are insects in the family Culicidae. They have a pair of scaled wings a pair of Halteres, a slender body and long legs The mouthparts of Arthropods have evolved into a number of forms each adapted to a different style or mode of feeding Mosquitoes are insects in the family Culicidae. They have a pair of scaled wings a pair of Halteres, a slender body and long legs 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. Antennae (singular antenna) are paired Appendages connected to the front-most segments of Arthropods In Crustaceans they are Adults are sometimes known as "lake flies" in parts of Canada, as "sand flies", "muckleheads"^[1], or "muffleheads"^[2] in various regions of the USA Great Lakes area, and as "blind mosquitoes" in Florida, USA. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the

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. ^[3] Larvae are important as food items for fish and other aquatic organisms. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two An aquatic animal is an Animal which lives in water for most or all of the time They are also important as indicator organisms, i. e. , the presence, absence, or quantities of various species in a given body of water can indicate whether pollutants may be present. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Their fossils are also widely used by palaeolimnologists as indicators of past environmental changes, including past climatic changes. Paleolimnology ( Greek: paleon =old limne =lake logos =study is a scientific subdiscipline closely related to both Limnology and ^[4]

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". In Roman mythology, the larvae or lemures (singular lemur) were the spectres or spirits of the dead they were the malignant version of the Hemoglobin ( also spelled haemoglobin and abbreviated Hb or Hgb) is the Iron -containing Oxygen -transport Metalloprotein ^[5]

Subfamilies and genera

The family is divided into eleven subfamilies: Aphroteniinae, Buchonomyiinae, Chilenomyinae, Chironominae, Diamesinae, Orthocladiinae, Podonominae, Prodiamesinae, Tanypodinae, Telmatogetoninae, Usambaromyiinae. Orthocladiinae is a Subfamily of Midges in the non-biting midge family ( Chironomidae) ^[6][7]

External links

• The Chironomid Home Page
• Chironomidae and Water Beetles of Florida
• 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

References

1. ^ "Muckleheads" from Andre's Weather World (Andre Bernier, staff at WJW-TV), June 2, 2007. Antillocladius is a genus of Midges belonging to the family Chironomidae, subfamily Orthocladiinae. The genus Axarus is widely distributed with records from the Holarctic, the Neotropics and Australasia   Conchapelopia is a genus of flies belonging to the family Chironomidae (the non-biting midges Gynocladius is a Parthenogenetic genus in the subfamily Orthocladiinae ( Chironomidae) Ichthyocladius is a genus of chironomid Midges that belongs to the subfamily Orthocladiinae described by Fittkau based on one species Ichthyocladius Limnophyes is a genus of non-biting Midges belonging to the family Chironomidae. Litocladius is a genus of chironomid Midges that belongs to the subfamily Orthocladiinae and is composed of a single species Litocladius The genus Mesosmittia is cosmopolitan, thus occurring in all Biogeographical regions except for Antarctica. Oliveridia is a genus of Midges and consists of two species hugginsi and tricornis.
2. ^ "You don't love muffleheads, but Lake Erie does", Sandusky Register, May 29, 2007. Sandusky is a city in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Erie County.
3. ^ Ali, A. 1991. Perspectives on management of pestiferous Chironomidae (Diptera), an emerging global problem. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 7: 260-281.
4. ^ 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.
5. ^ 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.
6. ^ Epler, J. H. 2001. Identification manual for the larval Chironomidae (Diptera) of North and South Carolina. North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
7. ^ 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.