Kieffer, 1912
Body
Small to large larvae 5-14 mm long. Living larvae reddish. No lateral and ventral tubules (Wiederholm, 1983; Moller Pillot, 1984a).
Head
The head capsule is shining. Anterior margin of frontal apotome is straight without a subapical pit, but with anterio-lateral lobes on which the S3 is inserted Labral sclerite 1 absent, sclerite 2 present.
Head
Antenna
The antenna consists of 5 segments Pol laetum agg antenna9 (4 + a blade with an organ resembling a Lauterborn organ in P. group bicrenatum and 6 in P. nubifer). Basal segment longer than the flagellum. The blade is mostly shorter than the flagellum. Lauterborn organs distally on the second segment, alternate on segment 2 and 3 (P. nubifer).
Mentum
The mentum has 2 median teeth and 7 pairs of lateral teeth. Mostly the median teeth are larger than or as large as the first lateral teeth Pol g nub mentum 8. Often the first lateral teeth are smaller than the 2nd laterals. In abbarant larvae the median teeth are smaller than the first laterals (P. spec. Loenert Pol sp Loenert mentum and P. spec. Mijntjes Pol sp Mijntjes mentum in Moller Pillot, 1984a). The ventromental plates are 0.6-1.3x as wide as the mentum.
Labrum
SI is plumose on both sides and labral lamellae a single plate with numerous distal teeth. The pecten epipharyngis with 3 small plates with distal teeth Pol pecten epiph. The premandible has three teeth.
Mandible
The mandible with a dorsal tooth Pol g nub mandible (absent in P. pedestre Pol pedestre mandible and P. sordens), apical tooth dark and 2 rarely 3 inner teeth (P. pedestre and P. sordens Pol sordens mandible) . The pecten mandibularis is present and seta interna with plumose branches.
Differential characteristics
Two median and 7 pairs of lateral teeth on the mentum Pol g nub mentum 8, with Lauterborn organs on the second segment and shining dorsal headcapsule will separate Polypedilum from all other genera except from Parachironomus which however has a completely different mentum Parach arc mentum.
Diversity
European species: 30
Treated species:
Polypedilum cf. tritum
Polypedilum albicorne
Polypedilum bicrenatum
Polypedilum convictum
Polypedilum cultellatum
Polypedilum laetum
Polypedilum nubeculosum
Polypedilum pedestre
Polypedilum scalaenum
Polypedilum sordens
Polypedilum uncinatum