Author: Strenzke, 1959
Diagnosis
Exuviae 6.2-7.5mm long (n=6).
Colour: Exuviae golden-brown to brown Contrast in colour between thorax and abdomen not so strongly marked: specimens dark anteriorly also have the abdomen infuscated; outer margin of the anal lobes coloured except at base.
Cephalothorax: Cephalic tubercles LxB 73x60-113x100µm (n=6). Frontal setae 33-63µm long (n=6). Thoracic horn much branched; basal ring of horn 110x50-135x60µm; tracheal patch 83x35-175x50µm; 10-14 tracheoles across (n=7); 3.5µm in diameter. Tracheal patch of thoracic horn without an "eye". Thoracic granulation strong anteriorly, elsewhere reduced to reticulate markings or absent.
Abdomen: Hook row II entire, length of row 0.5x width tergite (n=1); hooks 51-65 (n=5). The point patches increase in extent from tergite II to V, but on VI the patch is more or less reduced. Armament of tergites II-VI in the form of an undivided, usually extensive patch of strong points, the points in each segment increasing in size posteriorly; point patches not strongly waisted and the posterior transverse band not successively increasing in extent to tergite VI; usually reduced on VI. Shagreen of sternite II with a gap posteriorly between the lateral bands and the median patch. Sternites III and IV without shagreen. Parasternites II, III and sometimes IV shagreened. Pleura of segment IV spinulate, spinules quite dense, about 17µm long. Comb of segment VIII with 1-3 stout teeth, set on the end of an elongate ventral cuticular mound which exceeds appreciably the apico-lateral corner of the segment. Lateral taeniae of segments V-VIII: 4,4,4,5.
Anal segment: Anal lobes weakly rounded. Anal lobe with 63-84 fringe taeniae (n=6).
(Linked adult male: Langton and Pinder, 2003a)
Species keys out at Page 170: Chironomini 67 Chironomus of the Text Key.
Distribution
Widespread in Europe, north Africa.
(For more information see module IdentifyIt – file: Chironominae).
Ecological notes
Ponds.