A structural study of the anal papillae of the midge Chironomus riparius Meigen (Diptera: Chironomidae).

Larvae of the midge, Chironomus riparius Mg., have four anal papillae arranged as two pairs, one dorsal to and the other ventral to the anus. Structural study with light and electron microscopes has revealed that their integument consists of a thin cuticle overlaying a thick, syncytial epidermis which is specialised to facilitate ion transport. There is a distinct neck or collar region at the junction of each papilla with the rest of the body wall. Although in many respects these structures resemble those in mosquitoes, there are both morphological and physiological features which suggest that differences exist in the means by which ion exchange with the environment is controlled and effected in the two families.