Leonard C. Ferrington, Jr.

Len Ferrington

Education: PhD, University of Pittsburgh, 1980

Research Interests:

My research program focuses on the significance of Chironomidae in aquatic ecosystems. In my lab we attempt to balance taxonomic, systematics and ecological research on Chironomidae in an effort to better understand the ecological framework within which evolutionary processes have operated to produce the biological diversity of the family. The research program consists of five basic areas of emphasis: taxonomy and systematics, biodiversity studies, responses to various types of pollution, stream ecology, and studies of the diversity and co-evolution of Trichomycetes and their Chironomidae hosts. Below you can read more about each of these areas and locate titles of individual projects and related publications.

Len in Mongolia

My research projects have been conducted in a wide range of habitats, from highly degraded to some of the most pristine and beautiful areas across the globe. Areas in the US where we have worked include Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Maine, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Other projects have taken me to Norway, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Tasmania, New Zealand, South Africa and, most recently, Mongolia. Graduate students have often participated in these projects and have benefitted from the travels. I have also been very fortunate to have collaborated with a number of colleagues across the US and in all of the other countries and am grateful of their spirit of cooperation that has always made the research enjoyable and scientifically productive.

Teaching Interests: 

My teaching interests include teaching an introductory Honors course in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management (ESPM 1012H), a course called Insects, Aquatic Habitats & Pollution at both undergraduate (Ent 3925) and graduate levels (Ent 5081), and a graduate level course called Aquatic Insects (Ent 5361). Periodically I also teach a Freshman Seminar (ENT 1905) focused on Environmental Resource Conservation and Management of a selected country. Recently the Freshmen Seminar focuses on Iceland.

International Activities:

Extended projects have taken me to Norway, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Tasmania, New Zealand, South Africa and Mongolia. Graduate students have often participated in these projects and have benefitted from the travels. I have also been very fortunate to have collaborated with a number of colleagues across the US and in all of the other countries and am grateful of their spirit of cooperation that has always made the research enjoyable and scientifically productive. I recently participated in an IES Faculty Development Seminar “Paradise Lost? Challenging Perspectives on a Changing Europe” which took place at the IES Abroad EU Center, Villa Gleichenstein in Freiburg, Germany. Topics included EU Foreign Relations, Environmental Policies, Identity Politics and Economic Policies, and discussions were interlaced with local field study trips within Freiburg, the surrounding area (including the Black Forest) and EU institutional facilities at Strasbourg (France), Brussels (Belgium) and Frankfurt (Germany).  

Areas of Research:

  • Winter-Active Chironomidae
  • Taxonomy and Systematics
  • Biodiversity
  • Responses to Pollutants
  • Stream Ecology

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications (2006 – Present):

Anderson, A.M., P. Kranzfelder, A. Egan and L. C. Ferrington, Jr. 2014. A Survey of Neotropical Chironomidae (Diptera) on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Florida Entomologist 97(1): 304-308.

Baranov, V. and L. C. Ferrington Jr. 2013. Hibernal Emergence of Chironomidae in Crimea (Ukraine). Chironomus Newsletter 26: 33-40.

Anderson, A. M., P. Kranzfelder, R.W. Bouchard and L. C. Ferrington, Jr. 2013. Survivorship and Longevity of Diamesa mendotae Muttkowski (Diptera: Chironomidae) Under Snow. Journal of Entomological and Acarological Research 45: 22-26.

French W. E., B. Vondracek, L. C. Ferrington Jr., J. C. Finlay and D. J. Dieterman. 2013 Winter feeding, growth and condition of brown trout Salmo trutta in a groundwater-dominated stream, Journal of Freshwater Ecology. http://www.tandfonline.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1080/02705060.2013.847868

Krider, L. A., J. A. Magner, J. Perry, B. Vondracek and L. C. Ferrington Jr. 2013. Air-water temperature relationships in the trout streams of southeastern Minnesota’s carbonate-sandstone landscape. Journal of the American Water Resources Association. (JAWRA-12-0071-P.R2) pp. 1-12.

Anderson, A. M. and L. C. Ferrington Jr. 2012. Resistance and resilience of winter-emerging Chironomidae (Diptera) to a flood event: implications for Minnesota trout streams. Hydrobiologia (electronic copy available through DOI 10.1007/s10750-012-1406-4).

Ferrington, L. C., Jr. 2012. Looking for Connections: Pulling Together Collegiate Initiatives to Create a Concept for High Impact Experiential Learning Experiences in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management. Chapter, IN: Duin, A. H., E. A. Nater, F. X. Anklesaria (eds). Cultivating Change in the Academy: 50+ Stories from the Digital Frontlines at the University of Minnesota in 2012. An Open-Source eBook June 2012 University of Minnesota On-line @ https://cultivatingchange.wp.d.umn.edu/

Ferrington, L. C., Jr. and O. A Saether. 2011. A revision of the genera Pseudosmittia Edwards, 1932, Allocladius Kieffer, 1913, and Hydrosmittia gen. n. (Diptera: Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae). Zootaxa 2849: 1-314.

Anderson, A. M., R. W. Bouchard Jr. and L. C. Ferrington Jr. 2011. Hibernal emergence of Chironomidae (Diptera) in relation to stream size in Kansas, USA. IN: Proceedings of the 17th International Symposium on Chironomidae, Nankai University, Tianjing, China.

Bouchard, R. W., Jr. and L. C. Ferrington, Jr. 2011. The effects of subsampling and sampling frequency on the use of surface-floating pupal exuviae to measure Chironomidae (Diptera) communities in wadeable temperate streams. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 181: 205-223.

Ferrington, L. C. Jr., B. Karns and R. W. Bouchard, Jr. 2011 Longevities of Diamesa mendotae Muttkowski, a Hibernal Emerging Species of Chironomidae (Diptera). Pp. 22-29 IN: Proceedings of the XV International Symposium on Chironomidae. The Chironomidae Research Group, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN

Bouchard, R. W., Jr. and L. C. Ferrington, Jr. 2009. Winter growth, development and emergence of Diamesa mendotae (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Minnesota Streams. Environmental Entomology 38(1): 250-259.

Gresens, S. E. and L. C. Ferrington, Jr. 2008. Taxonomic distinctness provides an alternative view of the diversity of Chironomidae (Diptera) Assemblages. Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal (História Natural) No. 13:101-108.

Ferrington , L. C., Jr. 2008. Global biodiversity of Scorpionflies and Hangingflies (Mecoptera) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia (Special FADA Issue). 595(1): 447-455.

Ferrington , L. C., Jr. 2008. Global biodiversity of non-biting midges (Chironomidae: Diptera) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia (Special FADA Issue). 595(1): 447-455.

Bouchard, R. W., Jr. and L. C. Ferrington, Jr. 2008. Determination of Chironomidae thermal preferences and thermal partitioning among closely related taxa in Minnesota streams using surface floating pupal exuviae. Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal (História Natural) No. 13: 197-204.

Ferrington, L. C., Jr., E. C. Masteller and J. A. Santiago-Blay. 2008. Comparison and significance of Chironomidae emergence from Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay, Erie, Pennsylvania, U. S. A. Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal (História Natural) No. 13: 21-28.

Rufer, M. M. and L. C. Ferrington, Jr. 2008. Sampling frequency required for chironomid community resolution in urban lakes with contrasting trophic states. Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal (História Natural) No. 13: 77-84.

Sealock, A. W. and L. C. Ferrington, Jr. 2008. Sampling efficiency of Chironomidae (Diptera) across disturbance gradients. Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal (História Natural) No. 13: 85-92.

Ferrington, L. C., Jr. 2007. Hibernal emergence patterns of Chironomidae in lotic habitats of Kansas versus substrate composition. Pp. 99-105, IN: T. Andersen (ed.), Contributions to the Systematics and Ecology of Aquatic Diptera—A Tribute to Ole A. Sæther. The Caddis Press, Columbus, Ohio.

Ferrington, L. C., Jr. & O. A. Sæther. 2006. Rhagosmittia and Trondia, two new genera of Orthocladiinae from Oceania and Australia (Diptera: Chironomidae). Aquatic Insects 28(4): 243-250.

Hayford, B. L. & L. C. Ferrington Jr. 2006. Distribution of Chironomidae in Hovsgol Nuur, Mongolia. Chapter 26 IN: C. E. Goulden, T. Sitnikova, J. Gelhaus & B. Boldgiv (eds.). The Geology, Biodiversity, and Ecology of Hovsgol Nuur (Mongolia). Backhuys Publishers.

Ferrington, L. C., Jr. 1999. Mary and Jim Sublette: Fifty years of collaborative studies with Chironomidae. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 71(3): 195-198.