Ferrarese - 1992 - Chironomids of Italian rice fields

NETHERLANDS JOURNAL OF AQUATIC ECOLOGY 26(2-4) 341-346 (1992) 

CHIRONOMIDS OF ITALIAN RICE FIELDS 

UBERTO FERRARESE 

KEYWORDS: chironomids; (rice) paddy; shoot; plumule; laser. 

ABSTRACT 

Studies on chironomids of Italian rice fields began in 1914, but a comprehensive faunistic picture of 

Italian rice field chironomids was provided only by coccHI in 1966. In 1988 and 1989 field research south of 

Verona (northern Italy) permitted us to confirm the results of COCCHI regarding C. sy/vestris and 

Chironomus spp., and to increase the number of known species of Italian rice field chironomids. The list of 

species which are injurious to rice is similar to that of other European countdes, with the exception of 

Hamischia fa/cata and Tanytarsus sp. The type and period of damage is different for certain species (e.g. 

Cricotopus sy/vestris) in Italy in comparison to other countdes. A few agrotechnical steps are recommended 

to control pest species. The finding of the parthenogenetic species Paratanytarsus grimmii in lab. 

aquaria used for rearing purposes is documented. 

INTRODUCTION 

Since the beginning of the century chironoraids 

have been considered as one of the major 

pests of rice crops in Italy, an agricultural product 

widely cultivated in the plains of northern Italy and 

in Sardinia. The objectives of this article are to 

review the Italian scientific literature on this subject 

and to present the results of a survey recently carried 

out in the rice fields south of Verona (northern 

Italy), in order to draw a comprehensive picture of 

rice field chironomids in Italy. 

The first Italian author to indicate a chironomid 

species as a rice pest was CAVAZZA (1914). He 

reported laboratory observations on Chironomus 

cavazzai (a species described by KIEEFER (1 913), but 

at present a nomen dubium) which was responsible 

for heavy damage to newly budding rice plants. 

in paddies near Bologna (northern Italy). According 

to this author, the larva of C. cavazzai feeds upon 

the shoot and, after removing the pedcarp, completely 

destroys the embryo. Thus, when 

Chironomus larvae were present in high densities, 

all or much of the crop was lost. In the same work 

a description of the larva and the pupa of C. cavazzai 

was presented, as well as a translation of 

Kieffer's description of the adult. Photos of the 

three development stages, of a seed-eating larva, 

and of the damaged rice seeds, were also given. 

Until the 1960's, only a few authors mentioned 

chironomids of rice fields in papers dealing 

with chironomid morphology and biology (LOM- 

BARDI, 1932), faunistics, chemical and biological 

control (MORETTI, 1932; 1948; 1955), and ecology 

(MORONI, 1962). In 1966, COCCHI provided one of 

the most comprehensive contributions to the 

knowledge of chironomids in Italian rice fields and 

added seven species to the chironomid list, viz. 

Proc/adius choreus Mg., Cricotopus sylvestris F., 

Limnophyes minimus Mg., Chironomus cingu/atus 

Mg., C. riparius Mg., Harnischia fa/cata (K.), and 

Po/ypedi/um nubecu/osum Mg. He also provided 

accurate descriptions of their biology. Particular 

emphasis was given to swarming and mating behaviour, 

egg laying, feeding habits of larvae, eclosion, 

and voltinism. The author indicated Cricotopus 

sy/vestris, Harnischia fa/cata and Tanytarsus sp. as 

the major pests in the phase immediately after 

341

342 FERRARESE 

seed germination. Chironomus was considered to 

have a secondary role as a root growth disturber. 

No new data have been collected from 1966 to the 

present, except for the survey described in the 

remainder of this paper. In 1988 and 1989 surveys 

of chironomids in the rice fields south of Verona 

were executed. The objectives of this research 

were to determine the chironomid species composition 

and the species most injurious to rice in 

these paddies. 

MATERIALS AND METHODS 

Chironomid samplings were taken, one per 

farm, in three different rice farms (Fig. 1). 

Sampling points 1 and 2 were located in Vallese, 

sampling point 3 in Isola della Scala. Larvae and 

pupae were collected every two weeks from the 

beginning of May (with the exception of farm 3, in 

which sampling began in eady June) to the end of 

August in 1988, and from the beginning of May to 

early September in 1989. The samples were collected 

with a hand net (20 meshes cm'l). The net was 

sack-shaped (40 cm deep) and mounted on a rectangular 

frame (length 25 cm, width 20 cm). 

To collect a larval sample at a site, the frame 

was held vertically while submerged to a depth of 

ca. 3 cm in the upper layer of muddy bottom. The 

water depth at the sampling sites varied with the 

different cultivation phases. The net was dragged 

twice along the bottom for a length of 50 cm. The 

material collected in this way was filtered through 

the net and the rice plants present in this area were 

carefully washed so that the larvae attached to 

them were allowed to fall into the net. 

Samples were taken during the various cultivation 

phases, also when herbicides, pesticides 

and fertilizers were used, which possibly influenced 

the density of the various populations. 

To allow species identification and to study 

their phenology, adults were sampled weekly at the 

same farms by means of funnel traps (DAVIES, 

1980). A few larvae were reared in the laboratory. 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 

The qualitative and quantitative composition 

of the chironomid larvae taken from the three 

farms are summarized in Tables 1 and 2. 

Cricotopus sylvestris was generally the most abundant 

species, except for sampling site no. 3 in 

1988. Chironomus, Paratanytarsus and, to a lesser 

extent, Polypedilum nubifer were also common. 

Rg. 1. Location of the sampling sites. 1-2: Vallese; 3: Isola della 

Scala. 

Cricotopus sylvestris, Chironomus and Paratanytarsus 

larvae occurred more frequently until early 

July while Polypedilum nubifer larvae increased 

afterwards. 

Table 3, left-hand column, contains the cumulative 

list of chironomid species collected, including 

those that were identified in the adult stage 

only. On the basis of the present data and the previous, 

cited investigations (Table 3, right-hand 

column) it was possible to draft a list of chironoraids 

from Italian dce fields (Table 3). 

The composition of pest species, mainly 

Cricotopus and Chironomus, is not very different 

from that of other European countries with rice 

fields, such as France (RISSEC, 1951), Hungary 

(BERCZIK, 1957; 1970; 1978), and Rumania (ALBU 

and BOTNARIUC, 1966; BOTNAR~UC and ALBU, 1966). 

Within the genus Cricotopus the most injudous 

species in Italy as well as in Hungary and Rumania 

is C. sylvestris F. In Hungary, C. bicinctus (Mg.) is 

also an important pest (SERCZIK, 1978), but in our 

survey this species was found to be less common. 

In France also C. trifasciatus Mg. was reported 

among the major pests (RISBEC, 1951). In Italy, 

extensive attacks to the plumule and the radicle by 

C. sylvestris larvae may completely destroy the 

' 

I

Chironomids of Italian rice fields 343 

Table 1. Qualitative and quantitative composition o1 chironomid larval samples on eight sampling occasions in 1988 (number of pupae in 

parentheses). 

3/5 24/5 3/6 18/6 2/7 18/7 8/8 23/8 Total 

SAMPLING SITE 1 (Vallese) 

Procladius spp. 

Corynoneura sp. 

Cricotopus sylvestns 

Cricotopus bicinctus 

Psectrocladius (P.) sp, 

Smittia sp. 

Chironomus or. plumosus 

Chironomus gr. thummi 

Cryptochironomus supplicans 

Oicrotendipes nervosus 

Parstanytarsus spp. 

Polypedilum nubifer 

Tan}tarsus fimbriatus 


Monopelopia tenuicalcar 

Proc/adius spp. 

Tanypus punctipennis 


Cdcotopus sy/vestns 


Chironomus gr: p/umosus 

Chironomus gr, thummi 


Paratan}tarsus spp. 

Po/ypedilum nubifer 


SAMPLING SITE 3 (Isola d. Scala) 

Monopetopia tenuicalcar 


Psectrotanypus varius 

TanyDus punctipennis 


Cricotopus sy/vestris 

Chironomus gr. p/umosus 



Paratanytarsus spp. 

Polypedi/um nubifer 


1 5 3 1 10 

1 1 

7 13 28 29 2 79 

1 2 3 

1 1 

1 1 

3 3 

1 1 

5 8 13 

1" 1 

1 4 33 2 15 " 2 57 

1 5 4 10 

4 2 8 14(1) 29 

2 1 3 

1 1 2 I 5 

4 4 

1 1 2 

9 66(1) 47 10 3 136 

6 1 7 

3 2 4(1) 10 

4 1 1 1 7 

1 1 

20 6 3 29 

4 4 

3 3 23 4 3 36 

12 

1(1) 

85(13) 7 

26 11 

129(2) 

1(2) 4 

2 2 

3 7 22 

2 

1 1 

1 1 

6 4 115 

7(1) 45 

2 133 

1 1 

9 36 52 

28 74(2) 1 6 111 

2 2(3) 11 

plants just after sowing. Additional damage to the 

vegetative apex and to the root may occur immediately 

after the first land drying, when the young 

plant is still submerged (COCCHI, 1966). It is inte-- 

resting to note that in Rumania only the second 

type of attack, concentrated on the young leaves, 

has been demonstrated (BOTNARIUC and ALBU, 

1966), due perhaps to the different phenology of C. 

sy/vestris and to the different sowing period (Le. 

late May or early June). 

Other than CAVAZZA (1914), no Italian author 

has mentioned any significant damage to rice 

seedlings caused by Chironomus larvae. In the 

rice fields south of Verona only root disturbing 

activity by species of this genus, most frequently 

by C. annu/arius (Mg.), was noted. Among the species 

indicated by COCCHI (1966) as being injurious 

to the germinating seeds of rice we can also find 

Hamischia fa/cata (K.) (at present a nomen dubium), 

Tanytarsus sp. and C. sylvestris. 

During our investigation, specimens of the 

genus Hamischia were never found, in contrast to 

findings in rice fields in Rumania by ALBU and 8o7- 

NARIUC (1966). It cannot be excluded that

344 FERRARESE 

Table 2. Qualitative and quantitative composition of chironomid larval samples on 9 sampling occasions in 1989 (number of pupae in 

parentheses). 


5/5 20/5 3/6 17/6 1/7 15/7 29/7 1 0/8 9/9 Total 

Ab/abesmyia monilis 

Monopelopia tenuica/car 





Cryptochironomus supp/icans 



Po/ypedi/um gr. nubeculosum 

Tanytarsus fimbnatus 

2 2 

54 5(1) 2 1 

3 

1 

1(3) 1 1 12 

1 79 

1 3 2 

4 

8 9 

4 

1 

1 

4 

63 

3 

2 

1 

22 

97 

4 

6 


Ablabesmyia monilis 

Clinotanypus nervosus 


Cficotopus sylvestds 


Chironornus gr. p/umosus 



Dicrotendi~s nervosus 


Po/ypedi/um nubifer 

Po/ypedilum gr. nubecu/osum 

Tanytarsus fimbriatus 

25 

2 

3 

4 1 1 

46 20 7 3(1 ) 

1 4 

22 

1 1 

35 43 11 

1 

2 

1 

I 

1 

1 

1 1 

1 

7 4 

1 

1 

1 

19 

104 

5 

2 

4 

3 

1 

24 

3 

1 

93 

SAMPLING SITE 3 (Isola d, Scala) 


Acricotopus /ucens 


Orthocladius sp. 

Paracladius conversus 

Chironomus gr. plumosus 




Tanytarsus h'mbfiatus 

2 1 

3 

158 

1 

1 

3 

75 

26 

4 43 

25(1) 18 

3 43(5) 3 5 

13 15(2) 

3 12 

4 

2 14 

3 

281 

1 

1 

29 

44 

59 

2 17 

34 

Hamischia falcata is a synonym of one of the species 

identified by these authors. They, however, did 

not mention damage caused by them. Apart from 

the report by COCCHI (1966), there is no evidence 

that Hamischia and Tanytarsus are injurious to 

rice. 

In Italy two agrotechnical steps have been 

suggested to prevent damage by chironomids. (1) 

The sowing of pregerminated seeds soon after 

paddy flooding; thus, when larval density begins to 

reach an economic threshold, it is already the time 

of the first land drying (thus an ancient empidcal 

practice now finds its rational foundation). (2) 

Accurate land levelling before seeding, to avoid 

permanent pools where larvae could develop, and 

to reduce the submersion time of tender tissues of 

plants after the first drying; nowadays laser devices 

instead of mechanical equipment are employed for 

this purpose. The control steps are: paddy drying, 

when the plants are high enough and/or the use of 

organophosphorous insecticides, among which 

temephos has given the best results (Ferrarese, 

unpubl, data). 

The presence of Polypeditum nubifer (Skuse) 

from late June on is of interest. This species does 

not appear to be very noxious for developed rice 

plants. It is not possible to separate this species by 

morphological characters from P. aberrans Tsher-

Chironomids of Italian rice fields 345 

Table 3. Chironomid species found in 1988 and 1989 during surveys of rice fields near Verona (left column) and species cited in previous 

Italian literature on rice fields (right column). (* indicates species known to be injurious to rice plants). 

Verona rice fields 

TANYPOOINAE 

C/inotanypus nervosus (Mg.) 

Tanypus punctipennis Mg. 

Procladius choreus (Mg,) 

Procladius sp. 

Psectrotanypus varius (F.) 

Ablabesmyia Iongistyla Fitt. 

Ablabesmyia moni/is (L.) 

MonoDeloDia tenuica/car (K.) 

ORTHOCLADIINAE 

Psectrocladius (P,) sp. 

Orthoc/adius (0.) sp. 

Acficotopus /ucens (Zett.) 

Parac/adius conversus (Walk.) 

* Cricotopus bicinctus (Mg.) 

* Cficotopus sylvestris (F,) 

Limnophyes minimus (Mg.) 

Smittia sp. 

Corynoneura ? scutellata ( Winn. ) 

Italian literature 

Tanypus sp. 

Proc/adius choreus (Mg.) 

Ab/abesmyia moni/is (L.) 

* Cricotopus sy/vestris (F.) 

Cficotopus sp. 

Limnophyes minimus (Mg.) 


Verona rice fields 

CHIRONOMINAE 

Chironomini 

Poly/)edilum culte/latum G. 

Po/ypedi/umnubeculosum(Mg.) 

Po/ypedilum nubifer (Skuse) 

Italian literature 

Po~edi/umnubecu/osum(Mg.) 

Po/ypedi/um sp, 

Dicrotendipes nervosus (Staeg.) 

* Chironomus annularius (Mg.) 

Chironomus anthracinus Zett. 

* Chironomus ?cingulatus (Mg.) 

* Chironomus p/umosus (L.) * Chironomus p/umosus (L.) 

* Chironomus riparius Mg. * Chironomus riparius Mg. 

* Chironomus cavazzai K. 

* Hamischia falcata (K.) 

C/yptochironomus supp/icans (Mg.) 

Tanytarsini 

Tanytarsus fimbriatus Reiss & Fitt. 

* Tanytarsus sp. 

Paratanytarsus gfimmii (Schneider) 

Paratanytarus inopertus (Walk.) 

Paratanylarsus sp. 

Micropsectra sp. 

novskii which is found in the paddies of eastern 

Europe. 

In laboratory aquaria used for rearing larvae 

the presence of Paratanytarsus grimmii (Schneider) 

was observed. This species is a parthenogenetic 

chironomid living in ponds; it has also been 

found in recent years in several water distribution 

systems of Europe including some of northern Italy 

(DOMENICHINI and MOLINARI, 1985). Experiments demonstrated 

their origin in the paddy and not in the 

waters which feed the aquaria. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Sincere thanks are expressed to Prof. Dr. 

S. Zangheri, Prof. Dr. L. Dalla Mont~, Or. M. 

Pasini and G. Pavanello (Institute of Entomology, 

University of Padua), to Prof. Dr. E.J. Fittkau and 

Dr. F. Reiss (Zoologische Staatssammlung, Munich) 

and to G. Lazzari (Ente Nazionale Risi). The 

author thanks Prof. Dr. A. All (University of Florida) 

for critically reading through the manuscript. The 

research was financed by the MURST. 

REFERENCES 

ALBU, P. and N. BOTNARIUC, 1966. Les Chironomid6s de la rizi~re de Chirnogi (Oltenitza-Roumanie). Gewiss. Abw'~ss., 41/42: 48-63. 

BERCZIK, A., 1957. Funde von Chironomidenlarven aus einem Reisfelde. Annls. Univ. Scient. Bpest. Sect. biol., 1: 13-16. 

BERCZIK, A., 1970. Sch~digung eines Reisfeldes durch Chironomiden und seine 6kologischen Umstinde. Opusc. Zool. Bpest, 

10: 221-230. 

BERCZIK, A., 1978. Die tierischen RelsschSdlinge in Ungarn und zur Frage ihrer Bek~mpfung. Opusc, Zool. Bpest, 15: 61-73. 

BOTNARIUC, N. and P. ALBU, 1966. Cdcotopus silvestris Fabr. - Chironomide nuisible au riz. Gewiss. Abw~s., 41/42: 64-69. 

CAVAZ7_A, F., 1914. Ricerche intomo alle specie dannose ella coltivazlone del riso (Oryza sativa) e specialmente intorno al Chironomus 

cavazzai Kieffer. Boll. Lab. ZooL gen. agr. Portiel, 8: 228-239. 

COCCHI, G.F., 1966. Ricerche sui Ditteri Chironomidi dannosi al also nella Bessa Botognese. Boll. Osservatodo malattie piante Bologna, 1: 

39-66. 

OAVIES, C.J., 1980. Relationship between dipteran emergence and phytoplankton production in the Experimental Lakes Area, northwestern 

Ontario. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 37: 523-533. 

DOMENICHINI, G. and F. MOLINARI, 1985. Artropodi delle acque potabili. Atti Accad. Naz. ItaL Entomol. Rend. 30-32, 1981-1984: 

321-337.

346 FERRARESE 

KIEFFER, J.J., 1913. Un nouveau Chironomide des rizi~res de Bologne. Boll. Lab. Zool. oen, agr, Portici, 7: 210. 

LOMBAROl, D., 1932. Note sulla biologia, la morfologJa e I'istologia deUe larve di Cricotopussylvestris F.. Boll. Pesca Piscic. Idrobiol., 

8: 794-808. 

MOREITI, G.P., 1932. Note sulla fauna entomologica delle risaie. Atti Soc. ital. Sc. nat., 71:61-85, 

MORETTI, G.P,, 1948. Insetticidi clorurati e Ioro tossicittl per alcuni artropodi e vertebrati acquatici. Atti Soc. ital. Sc. nat., 87: 5-39. 

MORETTI, G.P., 1955. Biological control exercised by carp on insects in paddy fields. Odbats Oocums tech. FAO Rome, 3:179-185. 

MORONI, A., 1962. L'ecosistema di risaia. Ente Nazionale RisL 54 pp. 

RISBEC, J. 1951. Les insectes nuisibles au riz clans le Midi de la France. Phytoma, 4:11-17. 

Address of the author:. 

Istituto di Entomologia agraria, Universit~ di Padova, via G. Gradenigo 6, t-35131 Padova, Italy,

Ferrarese - 1992 - Chironomids of Italian rice fields

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