Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association (2002) 18, 222-227

Jan Frouz, Arshad Ali and Richard J. Lobinske (2002)
Suitability of morphological parameters for instar determination of pestiferous midges Chironomus crassicaudatus and Glyptotendipes paripes (Diptera: Chironomidae) under laboratory conditions
Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 18 (3), 222-227
Abstract: The midges Chironomus crassicaudatus and Glyptotendipes paripes were reared in the laboratory on artificial food under constant temperature (30°C) and a 14:10 h light:dark photoperiod for 31 days, from eggs laid by field-collected females. Sequential samples of developing immature stages were taken and measured. Eggs were on average 254 m long and 102 m wide at the widest point for C. crassicaudatus and 286 m long and 113 m wide at the widest point for G. paripes. Mean larval lengths ranged from 0.9 mm after hatching to 16.3 mm before pupation in C. crassicaudatus and from 0.8 mm after hatching to 9.7 mm before pupation in G. paripes. Mean length of pupae was 8.7 mm and 8.3 mm in C. crassicaudatus and G. paripes, respectively. Four morphometric head parameters (length, width, mentum width, and cephalolabial length) were tested for differentiation of larval instars. All parameters revealed 4 larval instars in both species, with head capsule width apparently the most sensitive indicator for instar differentiation. The cephalolabial length was the most sensitive indicator of sex differentiation in last instar. All investigated morphological parameters of head capsule of both species followed Dyar's law.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Jan Frouz

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Chironomus crassicaudatus
	Glyptotendipes paripes