Adult:
(from Townes 1945)
Fourth instar larva: A small bathophilus-type, but with a group of bristles at the rear margin of segment 10.
Gula slightly darkened, frontoclypeal apotome as in Goeldichironomus, Kiefferulus and Einfeldia species.
Mentum (Fig. c) not typically Chironomus, but like other Goeldichironomus species; c1 tooth with only notches on the side, although sometimes more obvious; 4th laterals markedly reduced (typical for this species).
Ventromentum (Fig. d) with inner margin pointing ventrally. Pecten epipharyngis (Fig. a) with about 22 teeth of normal or reduced size.
Antenna(Fig. b) with basal segment less than 4 times as long as wide, AR about 0.8; segment A3 relatively long, A4/A3 about 0.5.
Mandible (Fig. e) with 3rd inner tooth well developed and darkened, setae subdentalis with a fringed ventral margin
The larva of this species is characterized as Goeldichironomus by the ventrally pointing inner margin of the ventromental plates and the serrate ventral surface of the seta subdentata, and as G. carus by the reduced 4th laterals of the mentum.
Cytology: 3 polytene chromosomes with the carus arm combination AD, BEG, CF.
Keyl patterns not easily recognised. Nucleolus where arm G joins arm E; Balbiani ring about 1/3 from end of arm G.
No polymorphism in the available specimens.
Type locality: La Mucuy, Merida, VENEZUELA.
Found: Florida – Winter Haven, Polk Co.
Georgia – (Caldwell et al. 1997)
North Carolina – (Caldwell et al. 1997)
Texas – Brownsville, Cameron Co.; Cedar Lane, Matagorda Co.; Galveston, Galveston Co.; San Antonio, Bexar Co. (all Townes 1945)
Also Barro Colorado Island and Garun, Canal Zone; Baranquila and Buenaventura, Columbia.
Townes notes that the adult is easily recognized by the mesoscutum, which has a brown band around the edge, just above which are three velvety-black subtriangular spots on each side, grading down in size from anterior to posterior.
Originally described as Tendipes (= Chironomus), G. carus was transferred to Goeldichironomus by R. Contreras-Lichtenberg (1982) following an examination of the immatures. A photograph of the arm E-G fusion is given in Martin et al. (1974).