Non-biting Midges (Chironomidae) - 116 Species, Identification & Facts

Ablabesmyia annulata

Identification: Recognized by the uneven spacing of the tibial bands and the tendency of the wing spots to run together.

Ablabesmyia cinctipes

Identification: The only Ablabesmyia with more than three dark bands on front tibia. Type Locality: Miami, Florida, XII:19, 1912. F. Knab, collector.

Ablabesmyia mallochi

Identification: In the Southeast, the 5-segmented maxillary palpus of the mature larva distinguishes this species from other Ablabesmyia .

Apsectrotanypus johnsoni

Identification: Male -- about 4.0 mm, head light. AR 2.0-2.1; eyes iridescent; eye ratio 0.7. Pronotum light. Thorax light yellow-brown, vittae not distinct; scutellum, pleura, mesosternum, and postnotum light; Postnotum with dorsal hairs. Legs light

Brillia retifinis

Identification: A western species with subapical lobe of gonostylus slightly shorter than or equal in length to apical lobe. The eastern Brillia parva is nearly identical. The other western species have shorter subapical lobe.

Chasmatonotus bicolor

Identification: Basal 2/5 of wing and base of abdomen pale.

Chasmatonotus maculipennis

Identification: Wing with white spot (in addition to white base) extending from R1 nearly to, but not reaching Cu2; narrow unpigmented strip at wing tip.

Chasmatonotus unimaculatus

Identification: In the eastern United States, nearly all Chasmatonotus midges with a single white spot near the middle of the wing are C. unimaculatus . There is an uncommon, undescribed species from the southern Appalachian Mountains with a nearly

Chironomus dilutus

Identification: Male genitalia of the subgenus Chironomus (Camptochironomus) are distinctive. Dark abdomen, strongly contrastly dark stripes on light brown or greenish thorax. "Usually the coloration and rather strongly produced middle portion of th

Chironomus melanescens

A species described based on cytology. Adults may not be morphologically distinguishable from related species.

Chironomus ochreatus

Identification: Shining. Thorax bright yellow to dark green with reddish stripes, the middle stripe of the female divided longitudinally. Abdomen dark, often with pale rings. Femora yellowish, fore tibiae dark. Superior volsella blunt ended with

Chironomus plumosus

Type species of Chironomus . These flies received wide publicity in 2007 when the Lake Erie population swarmed an important baseball game in Cleveland (see reference below).

Chironomus staegeri

Identification: "The short beard, all on the outer side of the tarsus, is distinctive." -- H. K. Townes, "The Nearctic Species of Tendipedini" Probably a complex of morphologically indisginguishable species

Coelotanypus concinnus

Identification: "Adults of this species are particularly striking, with the body largely pale yellow to cream, with rich brown thoracic vittae margined with black, and abdominal segments narrowly margined with brown. In life the eyes are brilliant gr

Coelotanypus scapularis

Identification: Colors are variable and sexually dimorphic. This is the most common species of Coelotanypus . Males are distinguished from close relatives by light genitalia, black thorax (except for white patches on sides), and second tarsomere of

Coelotanypus tricolor

Identification: Distinguished from other members of genus by

Cricotopus bicinctus

More pollution tolerant than other Cricotopus and more common in inhabited areas. (Boesel, 1983)

Demeijerea brachialis

Differs from D. atrimanus primarily in the pale band on the fore basitarsus. They may not be distinct species. If identical, the name brachialis has priority.

Diamesa nivoriunda

Identification: One of a few species with a very long anal point. The triangular gonostylus is distinctive. One other species may, rarely, have a gonostylus that is a right triangle rather than isosceles. " D. nivoriunda is the most common northeast

Diplocladius cultriger

Diplocladius cultriger (Diplocladius cultriger) is a species in the family Chironomidae, commonly known as non-biting midges, belonging to the order Diptera (Flies). It is classified within the subfamily Orthocladiinae, superfamily Chironomoidea. Thi

Einfeldia pagana

Identification: An ordinary-looking green midge with distinctive male genitalia: "The inflated style abruptly constricted near the apex and the broad anal point are distinctive." (Townes 1945)

Endochironomus nigricans

Identification: Thorax brown to shining black. Male abdomen pale green usually with darker green between segments. Female abdomen darker than male. Legs and wing veins pale. Male antenna 13-segmented (as for all members of genus). Male genital f

Glyptotendipes barbipes

Identification: Second segment of fore tarsus shorter than third (male) or equal (female). Fore tarsus of male with long, dense beard.

Glyptotendipes testaceus

Identification: Fore legs much darker than other legs; scar on tergite 6 about 0.7 as long as tergite.

Goeldichironomus amazonicus

Identification: Males have their genitalia twisted about 180° to the right or left and have very short middle and hind tarsomeres.

Goeldichironomus carus

Identification: The three black marks on the side of the thorax are distinctive. Has been described as a nuisance species in Florida due to mass emergence.

Kiefferulus dux

There is at least one similar, uncommon, undescribed species in Florida.

Paratendipes albimanus

Identification: Male: Glossy black thorax with blackish brown abdomen. Fore legs blackish brown except: basal 0.35 of femora lighter brown; basitarsus white with darkened apex. Mid and hind legs lighter brown except apical 0.65 of femora, apex of tib

Phaenopsectra flavipes

Identification: Distinguished from other Chironomini by combination of haired wings, base of tergite 8 broad in male (triangular in Pentapedilum ), fore tarsus of male without beard (bearded in Sergentia ), abdomen uniformly dark (white spots in some

Phaenopsectra profusa

Identification: This is the western counterpart to the eastern Phaenopsectra obediens . It is slightly darker and the fork of Cu slightly nearer wing base.

Phaenopsectra punctipes

Identification: Within genus: Thorax shining black with single row of dorsocentrals. Male abdomen pale green; female abdomen usually darker. Halteres and legs whitish.

Polypedilum braseniae

Identification: The notch between male abdominal segments 7 and 8 is unique to this genus and part of tribe Tanytarsini. The combination of a distinct, angled R-M crossvein and a notch indicate Polypedilum . (taken from a comment by John F. Carr)

Polypedilum fallax

Polypedilum fallax is distinguished from close relatives by color pattern, but it it possible that there are more or fewer species than color patterns suggest.

Polypedilum trigonus

Identification: Generally brown with white legs and halteres. Male has white patches on the side of some abdominal segments, approximately triangular with point forward. Genital features may be necessary to confirm ID. Most of the males here have

Polypedilum tritum

Identification: Within genus, identified by hairy wings and single row of dorsocentral setae.

Psectrotanypus dyari

Identification: The details of the wing markings are fairly distinctive, though there are many other Tanypodinae with banded and spotted wings. The yellow color of normal adults may be greenish in freshly emerged individuals. Probably the most commo

Pseudochironomus richardsoni

Pseudochironomus richardsoni is the most widespread species of the genus, but not common. It may turn out to be a species complex. Placement of photos here should be considered tentative, pending revision of the genus. The review by Sæther (1977)

Pseudorthocladius macrostomus

Identification: Note long proboscis. Male / Female I cannot find any biographical information on the author of this species, Annelle R. Soponis. She has a publication record mostly in the late 1970's through the 80's, with one as late as 1992: Soponi

Stenochironomus hilaris

Identification: For the genus Stenochironomus page, quoting from AMN description: Pronotum very narrow medially, far surpassed by the strongly projecting anterior part of the mesoscutum. Fork of Cu slightly beyond R-M. Ends of R1 and R2+3 very near t

Xylotopus par

Identification: Within the Brillia group the bold yellow and black pattern and large size identify the species.

Zavreliella marmorata

Identification: The combination of wing markings, leg markings, color, and expanded front femur is sufficient to identify this midge. Wing markings may be very faint. Some European populations are parthenogenic.