Are there female heterogametic strains of Chironomus tentans Fabricius?

Although male heterogamety is the generally accepted method of sex determination in Chironomus, female heterogamety has been reported for some strains of Chironomus tentans. Some new data, combined with a reassessment of the published data, indicate that the proposal of female heterogamety rests on inconclusive data, while male heterogamety provides an adequate explanation of sex determination in C. tentans. A cross which would unambiguously discriminate between male and female heterogamety in these strains is proposed, although it is considered unlikely that female heterogamety exists in this species.