Kieffer, 1913
Body
Medium sized to large larvae 8-18 mm long. Living larvae red to dark red. No lateral tubules. In some species 1 pair of ventral tubules is present on the 11th segment Glyp 2 ventr tubules (Wiederholm, 1983; Vallenduuk, 1999).
Head
The head capsule is dull due to the intensive fine granulation or shining. Anterior margin of fronto-clypeal apotome concave anteriorly, rarely straight or convex (s.g. Trichotendipes) and rarely with a subapical pit (sg. Trichotendipes Glyp signatus frontoclypeus). Both labral sclerites 1 and 2 are present (sg. Glyptotendipes Glyp frontoclypeus) and (sg. Caulochironomus Caulochir frontoclypeus) or only sclerite 2 in Trichotanypus which also has a separate clypeus.
Antenna
The antenna consists of 5 segments. The blade is shorter than the flagellum. Lauterborn organs distally on the second segment.
Mentum
The mentum has one median tooth and 6 pairs of lateral teeth. Fourth lateral tooth may be smaller than neighbouring teeth Glyp mentum. The ventromental plates 1-1.5x as wide as the mentum.
Labrum
SI is plumose to toothed on both sides (sg. Glyptotendipes and Caulochironomus) or palmate (sg. Trichotendipes) and labral lamellae a toothed plate. The pecten epipharyngis with many unequal distal teeth and small points on the surface (sg. Glyptotendipes and Caulochironomus), or 8-9 subequal strong teeth and no points on the surface (sg. Trichotendipes). The premandible has two apical teeth.
Mandible
The mandible mostly with a pale dorsal tooth (absent in sg. Trichotendipes), apical tooth and 3 inner teeth. The pecten mandibularis is present and seta interna with 4 toothed and plumose branches.
Differential characteristics
The combination of dull headcapsule, simpel mid-mental tooth and 6 pairs of lateral teeth Glyp mentum are distinctive for sg. Glyptotendipes. Subgenus Caulochironomus can be identified by shining headcapsule, frontoclypeal apotome with concave anterior margin, labral sclerites 1 and 2 present Caulochir frontoclypeus and three inner mandibular teeth. In subgenus Trichotendipes the combination of a subapical pit on the frontal apotome and clypeus separate from frontal apotome Glyp signatus frontoclypeus is distinctive.
Diversity
European species: 15
Treated taxa:
Species-group Glyptotendipes pallens agg.
Glyptotendipes aequalis
Glyptotendipes barbipes
Glyptotendipes caulicola
Glyptotendipes glaucus
Glyptotendipes gripekoveni
Glyptotendipes imbecillis
Glyptotendipes mancunianus
Glyptotendipes ospeli
Glyptotendipes pallens
Glyptotendipes paripes
Glyptotendipes signatus
Glyptotendipes viridis