Chironomus striatipennis Kieffer, 1910

- as Chironomus (Prochironomus), on basis of adult female
It has been generally assumed that C. striatipennis is a widely distributed species throughout Asia, from India to Singapore and in South America and southern U.S.A.  However, while this appears to be the situation based on morphology, the results of Pramual et al. ( 2016) suggested the existence of a number of a number of groups in their samples that had been identified as C. striatipennis.  Even so, because the samples were analysed based on the specific name applied to them, this decision led to the results appearing to confirm that C. kiiensis was a synonym of C. striatipennis.  However a more detailed analysis of the BARCODE COI sequences from specimens across this region without reference to their species name, while confirming the existence of such groups, showed that the COI sequence of Indian specimens (where C. striatipennis was originally described) is significantly different from that of specimens from further east in Asia.

The following description will deal only with Indian material, with those of other areas considered under other available names.

Syn: There are no confirmed synonyms
Incorrect synonymies: Chironomus kiiensis Tokunaga, 1936. Incorrect synonymy, as DNA analyses indicate that the Indian material is distinct from specimens from other regions.
Chironomus pallidinubeculosus - incorrect synonymy by Hashimoto et al. 1981, as this is a distinct species with similarly patterned wings.
Chironomus calipterus - misidentification by Saxena (1995) and Bugledich et al. 1999.
Chironomus strenzkei, Fittkau 1968 (syn. of C. kiiensis - misidentification by Martin 2017 resulting from incorrect distribution records for C. striatipennis - actually syn. of C. kiiensis.

In Bold Bins: BOLDABZ2474;
                      BOLDAAD8160;
                      BOLDAAD8162

Mostly misidentifications

Kieffer's 1910 description and an English translation
(there are no figures)

Female.  Brun; tête et antennes roussâtres, nodosités des antennes noirâtres; mesonotum d'un gris blanchâtre, avec 4 bandes d'un brun roux, les deux médianes separées par une ligne et raccourcies en arrière, les deux lateráles raccourcies en avant; scutellum d'un gris blanchâtre; balanciers blancs; pattes blanchâtres, extrémité des 3 ou 4 premiers articles tarsaux et le dernier ou les deux derniers en entier d'un brun noir.  Antennes de 5 articles, dont le 2e est rétreci au milieu; 3-5 ellipsoidaux, plus longs que leur col, sauf le 5e, dont l'appendice terminal est de moitié plus long que la nodosité; verticilles 2-3 fois aussi longs que l'epaisseur des articles.  Ailes blanchâtres, avec des stries enfumées le long de la partie distale de la discoïdale, de la posticale et de ses deux rameaux, de l'anale et le long du bord du lobe anal; en outre, deux bandes longitudinales et étroites sont situées l'une distalement de l'autre, entre le cubitus et la discoïdale; nervures jaunâtres ; transversale, base du cubitus et de la partie distale de la discoïdale noires et bordées de noirâtre; extremité du radius également distante de l'extremité des deux rameaux de la posticale; cubitus a peine arqué, non dépasse par la costale, distant du bord, aussi rapproché de Ja pointe alaire que la discoïdale; transversale oblique, située un peu en avant de la bifurcation de la posticale.  Tibia antérieur égalant les trois quarts du fémur; métatarse double du tibia; 4e article tarsal plus de deux fois le 5e, celui-ci six fois aussi long que gros; aux pattes postérieurs, le 4e article est de moitié plus long que le 5e, qui est 3-4 fois aussi long que gros.  Abdomen presque deux fois aussi long que le reste du corps.  Taill 4.5 mm.

Translation
Female.  Brown; reddish head and antennae, nodules of antennae blackish; mesonotum a whitish gray, with four bands of reddish brown, the median two separated by a line and shortened at the back, the two sides shortened at the front; scutellum of a whitish gray, white balancers, legs whitish, extremities of 3 or 4 first tarsal segments and the whole of the last of the two of a black brown.  Antennae of 5 segments, including the second is narrowed in the middle; 3-5 ellipsoidal, longer than their collar, except the 5th, which is the terminal appendage which is half as long as the knot; whorls 2-3 times as long as the thickness of the segments. Wings whitish, with smoky streaks along the distal portion of the discoidal, the posticale and its two branches, the anal and along the edge of the anal lobe, in addition, two longitudinal and narrow strips are located distally from one another, between the ulna and discoidal; veins yellowish; transversal, base of the ulna and the distal part of the discoidal black and borders of blackish; distal extremity of the radius also distant from extremity of the two branches the posticale; cubitus barely arched not exceeding the costal, distant from the edge, as close to the wing tip as the discoidal, transversal oblique, located just in front of the bifurcation of the posticale.  Anterior tibia matching three-quarters of the femur; metatarsal twice the tibia; 4th tarsal segment more than twice the 5th, which is six times as long as wide; for the posterior legs, the 4th segment is half longer than the 5th, which is 3-4 times as long as wide.  Abdomen almost twice as long as rest of the body.  Length 4.5 mm.
i.e. for anterior legs LR = 2, F/T =1.3
In Kieffer's key the defining character is two transverse dark bands on the wings.

Translation of Kieffer, J.  Description de nouveaux Chironomides de l'Indian Museum de Calcutta.  Records of the Indian Museum 6 (3): 134 (1911F)
Chironomus striatipennis, Kieff.
(Pl. vi, fig. 12, part of the pincer)

♂ ♀. The male, which was unknown so far, has the antenna of 12 segments, whose 2nd is longer than wide, 3-11 very transverse, 12th three times longer than the 10 preceding combined; plume tawny.  Pronotum indented in the middle (♂ ♀).  Mesonotum, scutellum and base of metanotum ash grey and dull, the three bands of the mesonotum brownish black, the median divided by a longitudinal line and posterior border by a brown line.  Posterior legs of male have hairs 2-3 times as long as their thickness, except the tarsi.
Lamella of the piners with a prolonged beak; terminal articles suddenly thinned in its distal half, which is cylindrical, hairless and provided with three long bristles on the inner side (fig. 12).

Kumaon (Uttarakand):Bhim Tal, at an altitude of 1500 m.; 27-ix-1906 (N. Annandale); 7♂ and 1 ♀.  This species is neighbor to calipterus, Kieff.
(This gives an AR of 3.)

The type in the Indian Museum was re-examined by Chaudhuri and Guha, but they did not redescribe it, while Chaudhuri et al. (1992) refer to a paratype male in the ZSI (Reg.no.980/15) but its status is not clear as there is only a single female in the type material, so it cannot be a Paratype, and the collector (G. Brown) was not named in the later description of the male.

Diagnosis:  According to Chaudhuri et al. (1992):
Adult - scutellum with 14-18 setae; wing markings; tarsomeres I-III dark brown at apices; tergites II-V with brown median spot; hypopygium with bent anal point and curved superior volsella; and equal spheroidal seminal capsules.
Pupa - Frontal plate with triangular frontal tubercles; respiratory organ with a bunch of profusely branched filaments; tergite II with median shagreen and caudal row of 62-72 hooklets; tergite VIII with basal transverse patch of shagreen, caudolateral spur with 2 unequal points; G/F 1.05-1.08 in male and 0.69-0.82 in female (G/F is not defined).
Fourth instar larva - AR 1.6-2.0, triangular labral lamella; 2 pairs of chaetulae basales; pecten epipharyngis a single plate with 16 teeth; premandible with subequal apical teeth and short premandibular brush; mandible with well developed pecten mandibularis; maxilla with 4 sensilla basiconica; mentum with short 4th and 6th lateral teeth; segment XI with 2 pairs of coiled ventral tubules; procercus with 8 anal setae.

Adult:  Incorporating description of Chaudhuri et al. (1992):

Male:
Wing length = 2.43 (1.98-2.84) mm.; width - 0.67 (0.53-0.73) mm.  VR = 1.04-1.09 (or 0.91-0.96).
LR = 1.66 (1.49-1.82;


Illustration of the wing of C. striatipennis from Chaudhuri et al. 1992.

Face yellowish brown, antennae and palps brown.  AR about 2.91 (2.47-3.40).  Frontal tubercles about 41 (35-68) µm long and 14 (10-20) µm wide.  Palpal proportions (micron) 45 : 43 : 158 : 160 : 247; P5/P4 1.33-1.63 (1.33); P5/P3 1.33-1.59 (1.47)).  Clypeal setae - abt 21.3 (19-22).
Thorax pale brown with brown stripes, lateral stripes darker along the medial edge, and ending in a darker spot; postnotum and sternopleuron brown.
Setae: acrostichals - abt 10.7 (8-15); dorsocentrals - 16.8 (15-19); prealar - 5.14 (5-6); scutellar - 2.8 (2-4) small in anterior row, 9.0 (8-10) in posterior row, total 11.8 (11-12).
Wings with dark spot over the crossvein and with obvious dark clouds and seams, particularly in cell R5.  1-2 setae on brachiolum, abt 13.8 (12-18) setae on squamal fringe.
Some worker's claim to be able to distinguish between the pattern of C. striatipennis and C. kiiensis.

Haltere pale.
Leg lengths (microns) and proportions as follows:

 
Fe
Ti
Ta1
Ta2
Ta3
Ta4
Ta5
LR
F/T
BR
PI
1110
1000
1564
845
615
482
255
1.49-1.82
1.08-1.23
0.25-0.32
PII
1145
1095
645
407
293
198
143
0.58-0.62
1.00-1.09
 
PIII
1278
1339
1002
590
446
270
173
0.74-0.76
0.93-0.97
 

BR about 3.45 (2.4-5.3)  Sensilla chaeticae: Mid 5-7; Hind 7-8

Abdominal tergites mostly dark, with a pale basal band on the anterior segments,  About 7-10 setae in individual pale patches on tergite IX.


Male hypopygium (left) and superior appendage (right) of C. striatipennis

Superior volsella of the E-type closest to (h) of Strenzke (1959).  Inferior volsella reaching about to end of anal point with simple setae.  Gonostylus quite swollen at base and reducing markedly over posterior third and about 4+1-3+1; Anal point slightly narrowed near base.

Female (based on Chaudhuri et al. 1992):
Wing length 1.68-2.8 mm.  VR about 1.06.  Cloudy patches as in male.
Antennal proportions (including pedicel)(micron) 80, 147, 102, 105, 98, 170: AR 0.37-0.38, A5/A1 1.16.
Frontal tubercles 43 µm long, 22 µm wide, i.e. about twice as long as wide.
Palps (segs 2-5): 40, 130, 100, 230; P5/P4 2.3, P5/P3 1.8.
Leg lengths (microns) and proportions as follows:
 
Fe
Ti
Ta1
Ta2
Ta3
Ta4
Ta5
LR
F/T
Ta4/Ti
PI
1170
980
1610
880
710
660
320
1.49-1.82
1.08-1.23
0.67
PII
1200
1170
660
380
270
200
150
0.56
1.03
 
PIII
1370
1440
1100
660
540
320
200
0.76
0.95
 

Genitlia: Notum 0.24 (0.20-0.26) µm long.  Cerci well developed, finely setose, illustrated as having a curved ventral margin and relatively poined posterior margin.

Molecular:  Mitochondrial COI barcode sequence exists for some Indian specimens, and groups with sequences from Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand attributed to C. kiiensis, but with an apparent cline of difference from west to east.  Sequence from Brasil shows close relationship to Chinese sequences (Martin 2017).
GenBank accession numbers include: AB740241, AB838643, AB838645, AB838646, JF412086, JF412087, JF412088, JF412089, JQ350720.
BOLD numbers: COTW008, COTW009, COTW010, COTW011, COTW012
Many of these sequences are under the name Chironomus kiiensis
It needs to be noted that mtCOI sequence attributed to C. kiiensis exists from a number of areas, and falls into 3 groups.  The majority of sequences refer to C. striatipennis, but there are four sequences in GenBank that differ from them by about 9%.  These may be C. kiiensis, but note caution above.  The GenBank accession numbers of these specimens are: JQ350720, AB740240, AB838642, AB838644.

Found: INDIA - Type localities - Bhim tal and Kumaon, Uttar Pradesh.
            Other localities: Burdwan.  Delhi - Lodi Gardens (28.53°N, 77.27°E); Yamuna River, Okhla (28.58°N, 77.22°E)
            Uttar Pradesh - Varanasi, Banaras (25.20°N, 83.10°E).  Jammu & Kashmir - Bishnah Wetlands((abt. 32.70°N, 75.00°E).

Adult redescribed and immatures described by Chaudhuri, Das & Sublette (1992). Nath & Lakhotia (1989) and Gupta & Kumar (1991) both describe the chromosomes, but it appears they reverse chromosomes I and II.  Chromosome arms A, E and F were described by Saxena (1995) as C. calipterus and she also provided some other unpublished sequences.

[ Return to Index | Go to C. striatipennis immatures | Go to C. kiiensis | Go to References ]


Modified: 17 August 2025
Access: Unrestricted
Copyright © 2013-2025, Jon Martin.