Kieffer in Thienemann, 1915
Body
Medium sized to large larvae. Living larvae are red. No tubules on the 10th and 11th abdominal segment. Procercus and anal tubules present (Wiederholm, 1983; Vallenduuk and Moller Pillot, 2002).
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 Mentum type 1 pict.
Labrum
SI is plumose and labral lamellae are normal. The pecten epipharyngis is single with about 15-30 teeth Chironomus pecten epiph.
Mandible
The mandible with a pale dorsal tooth, apical tooth dark and 3 inner teeth Chiron mand ll . 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 pagana by the absence of a pit on the frontal apotome.
C. salinarius can be separated from all other Chironomus by the lack of tubules on 10th as well as 11th segment.