Meigen, 1803
Body
Medium sized to very large larvae up to 30 mm long. Living larvae are red. Almost always (except in C. salinarius Chir no tubules) ventral Chir 4 ventral tubules and sometimes also lateral tubules Chir 4 ventr 2 lat tubules Chir 2 lateral tubules. Procercus and anal tubules present (Wiederholm, 1983; Moller Pillot, 1984a).
Head
Antenna
The antenna consists of 5 segments. The blade is not longer than the flagellum. Lauterborn organs distally on the second segment.
Mentum
The mentum has three median teeth and 6 pairs of lateral teeth. The ventromental plates are wider than the mentum Chironomus mentum 8.
Labrum
SI is plumose and labral lamellae are normal. The pecten epipharyngis is single with about 15-30 teeth Chironomus pecten epiph. The premandible mostly has two apical teeth.
Mandible
The mandible with a pale dorsal tooth, apical tooth dark and 3 inner teeth, The pecten mandibularis is present and seta interna with 4 toothed and plumose branches.
Differential characteristics
Chironomus is the only genus with 2 pairs of tubules on the 11th segment Chir 4 ventral tubules. Some species lack the ventral tubules (C. salinarius Chir no tubules, C. nudiventris and C. agilis) C. salinarius occurs only in brackish and salt water. The latter two species have a pair of lateral setae on segment 10 Chir 2 lateral tubules. These two species can be separated from Einfeldia by the absence of a pit on the frontal apotome.
Diversity
European species: 53
Treated taxa:
Species-group Chironomus annularius agg.
Species-group Chironomus luridus agg.
Species-group Chironomus plumosus agg.
Species-group Chironomus riparius agg.
Chironomus aberratus
Chironomus acidophilus
Chironomus acutiventris
Chironomus agilis
Chironomus annularius
Chironomus anthracinus
Chironomus aprilinus
Chironomus balatonicus
Chironomus bernensis
Chironomus cingulatus
Chironomus commutatus
Chironomus crassimanus
Chironomus dorsalis
Chironomus entis
Chironomus longipes
Chironomus macani
Chironomus melanescens
Chironomus melanotus
Chironomus muratensis
Chironomus nuditarsis
Chironomus nudiventris
Chironomus obtusidens
Chironomus pallidivittatus
Chironomus piger
Chironomus plumosus
Chironomus riparius
Chironomus salinarius
Chironomus sororius
Chironomus striatus
Chironomus tentans