The dipteran family Chironomidae is the most widely distributed and frequently the most abundant group of insects in freshwater and contains representatives in terrestrial and marine environments. Ecologically, the group plays an important role in trophic cycles and detritus processing in water, and is often used to assess and monitor water quality. This book is a comprehensive account of the ecology of the Chironomidae since 1954 and provides a state-of-the-art account of the family including both pure and applied aspects of research. Written by an international team of experts from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Japan, UK and USA, this book should be valuable to entomologists and ecologists and to workers involved in biological monitoring in the water industry.