A Brief Account on Chironomids (Diptera) of Udaipur (Rajasthan) Region

The Chironomids, generally called non-biting midges or blind mosquitoes, are abundant and cosmopolitan aquatic insects . They are estimated to be at least 200 million years old, dating back to the Triassic period (Ashe et al, 1987). Approximately 5,000 species are described worldwide but estimates of actual species ranges up to 20,000 (Ferrington et al, 2008). Chironomids are holometabolous insects. The average life cycle of Chironomids is four weeks. Their life cycle includes three aquatic developmental stages (egg, larva and pupa) and a terrestrial reproductive stage (winged adult).