Diptera.info

Posted by Mario Renden on 30-08-2026 17:48

On 3th August 2026 I took pictures of this chironomidae of unknown genus in Den Helder, The Netherland. It was attracted to light. Can someone please identify it? Thanks a lot.

Greetings,
Mario Renden

Posted by Mario Renden on 31-08-2026 18:33

Dear John and others,

I have the book 'Keys to the adult male chironomidae of Britain and Ireland' of P.H. Langton and L.C.V. Pinder. There are two species of harnischia in it: harnischia fuscimana and harnischia curtilamellata. These are the same two species which are known to occur in The Netherlands. To me, the pictures in that book of the male genitalia of both species look quiet different to my pictures. The pictures of the male genitalia in my book look quiet different from harnischia. Therefore to me it is still a mystery which species is on my pictures.

Greetings,
Mario Renden

Edited by Mario Renden on 31-08-2026 18:35

Posted by John Carr on 31-08-2026 21:31

Mario Renden wrote:
Dear John and others,

I have the book 'Keys to the adult male chironomidae of Britain and Ireland' of P.H. Langton and L.C.V. Pinder. There are two species of harnischia in it: harnischia fuscimana and harnischia curtilamellata. These are the same two species which are known to occur in The Netherlands. To me, the pictures in that book of the male genitalia of both species look quiet different to my pictures. The pictures of the male genitalia in my book look quiet different from harnischia. Therefore to me it is still a mystery which species is on my pictures.

Greetings,
Mario Renden

The Harnischia complex (genus group) includes about 10 genera with reductions in the volsellae of the male genitalia. Compare Microchironomus.

This group is, last I checked, sister to the Chironomus genus group. Together they form a clade in which most species have 11 male flagellomeres compared of 13 in typical species of Chironomini.