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Chironomidae - subfamilies (in development)

Authors: Even Dankowicz

Last updated: Apr 2024

Help identify observations on iNaturalist:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?taxon_id=53275&lrank=family

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Chironomidae - subfamilies

  • Aphroteniinae
  • Buchonomyiinae
  • Chilenomyiinae
  • Chironominae
  • Diamesinae
  • Orthocladiinae
  • Podonominae
  • Prodiamesinae
  • Tanypodinae
  • Telmatogetoninae
  • Usambaromyiinae

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Aphroteniinae

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Found in the Southern Hemisphere

Buchonomyiinae

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A single genus Buchonomyia in Palearctic, Oriental, and Central America

Chilenomyiinae

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A single species, Chilenomyia paradoxa from south Chile

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Chironominae

  • Without crossvein m-cu
  • Front basotarsomere at least as long as tibia (this may be unique among all Chironomidae, not sure)

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widespread

IL, USA, © Even Dankowicz / CC BY-NC

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Diamesinae

  • With crossvein m-cu
  • Wings often much wider relative to body size than in other chironomids, as shown to the right

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widespread

MI, © Martha O'Kennon, iNaturalist / CC BY-NC

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Orthocladiinae

  • Without crossvein m-cu
  • Front basotarsomere shorter than front tibia

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widespread

IL, USA, © Even Dankowicz / CC BY-NC

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Podomoninae

  • With crossvein m-cu

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widespread

Prodiamesinae

  • With crossvein m-cu

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Not recorded from Afrotropics or Australasia

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Tanypodinae

  • With crossvein m-cu
  • R2 vein branches off of R1 vein, whereas in other Chironomidae R2 is not independent vein

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widespread

Coelotanypus concinnus, NY, USA, © Even Dankowicz / CC BY-NC

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Telmatogetoninae

  • Without crossvein m-cu

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Widespread; mostly associated with coastal wrack environments

Thalassomya bureni, FL, USA, © Even Dankowicz / CC BY-NC

Usambaromyiinae

  • both sexes have almost completely black wings

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One species, Usambaromyia nigrala, from Tanzania

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References

Sources for this entire project include:

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References

Other sources consulted for this specific document include:

  • Ekrem, Ashe, Anderson, & Stur, 2017. Chironomidae, in Manual of Afrotropical Diptera.
  • Andersen, Sæther, 1994. Usambaromyia nigrala gen. n., sp. n., and Usambaromyiinae, a new subfamily among the Chironomidae (Diptera). Aquatic Insects 16(1):21-29.

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