Research Activities

Multidisciplinary investigation of phylogeny and evolution ofchironomids, particularly the genus Chironomus, in collaborationwith a number of co-workers in Australia and overseas.

Our studies include karyosystematic, morphological and molecular geneticapproaches.  Areas of interest have included the unusual sexdetermination system (Updated 15 March 2014), the multiple haemoglobins and the genes potentially involved in heavy metal metabolism, and the potential use of the mitochondrial Cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), or other genes, for species identification (BARCODING).  To assist this aim, there is a link, where possible, to the Bin in the BOLD Database with sequences relating to the species.
This is very much a work in progress and may include incomplete links (Please let me know of any you identify).

Australian Chironomus species (Updated 22 September 2023).  Includes information on morphology and cytology of known species.  It is downloadable in PDF format.

New Zealand Chironomus species(Updated 22 September 2023).  Description of the morphology and polytene chromosomes of about thirty recognizable species, many unnamed.  It is downloadable in PDF format.

North American Chironomus species (Updated 22 September 2023).  This lists and describes the species that have been recognized on the basis of morphology or from the polytene chromosome complement, with notes on distribution.  Also lists the species known from each state and province.  It is downloadable in PDF format.

Oriental Chironomus species(Updated 22 September 2023).  A preliminary listing of some species of the South East Asian area and including Japan, since many species are in common.  It is downloadable in PDF format.

Chironomus Names (Updated 22 September 2023).  A listing of the names that have been applied in the genus Chironomus, and their present status.

Kiefferulus Names (Updated 24 December 2022).  A listing of the names that have been applied in the genus Kiefferulus, and their present status.

A Web based and updated version of Cranston, P.S. & Martin, J. (1989) 'Family Chironomidae' from "Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian regions." (Ed. N.L.Evenhuis) (Updated 4 April 2019).

Web-based and updated version of E.-M. Bugledich, P.S. Cranston & J. Martin (1999): CHIRONOMIDAE, From: "Diptera: Nematocera"(Ed. E.-M.A. Bugledich)  Zoological Catalogue of Australia Vol. 30.1.  CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, pp. 112-158. (Updated 26 April 2012).

Some Publications of Jon Martin (Updated 16 June 2023).

Translations of some foreign language chironomid papers. (Updated 10 January 2019)

Chironomid HomePage: The place for information on Chironomidae:  directory ofchironomid workers; on-line checklists, catalogues and bibliographies;information about books; and more.

Bibliography of Chironomidae

Pete Cranston's Publications.

John Epler's Home Page on Chironomidae and Water Beetles is another useful site for information relating to the southern U.S.A.

Assoc. Prof. Jon Martin's main interests are in the areas of phylogeny, cytogenetics, systematics (including DNA barcoding) and pollution tolerance of Chironomids (blood worms).

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