Freeman, 1948
Body
Living larvae are red. Four ventral tubules on the 11th abdominal segment of equal length. Segment 10 without tubules. Procercus and anal tubules present (Wiederholm, 1983; Vallenduuk and Moller Pillot, 2002).
Head
The frontal apotome is darker than the surrounding headcapsule Clypeus dark and the gula is intermediate (Pankratova, 1983).
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 with mentum type 2 Mentum type 2 pict or 3 Mentum type 3 pict.
Labrum
SI is plumose and labral lamellae are normal.
Mandible
The mandible with a pale dorsal tooth, apical tooth dark and 3 inner teeth of type 3 Chiron mand lll9. 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. macani can be separated from all other Chironomus by:
Two pairs of coiled ventral tubules on segment 11 and no tubules on segment 10.
Frontoclypeus darker than surrounding and mentum type 2 or 3.