Description of the adult and immature stages of Clunio ponticus Michailova, 1980 (Diptera, Chironomidae), from the Black Sea, Varna, Bulgaria

Joel Moubayed-Breil,Peter H Langton,Paraskeva Michailova

doi:10.5324/cjcr.v0i33.3332

Abstract

The mature and immature stages of Clunio ponticus Michailova, 1980 are diagnosed and described based on associated material recently collected in the marine littoral zone of Varna, St-Konstantin and Helena Resorts, Black Sea (eastern Bulgaria). Male and female adults, pupae and larvae of C. ponticus can be easily distinguished from other known European Clunio species on the basis of some atypical features found in the male and female adults, pupal exuviae and fourth instar larvae. In addition, the biological cycle (reproduction and emergence) of C. ponticus is not synchronized with lunar periodicity (new and full moon) as for some other known Clunio species from Europe, but closely related to the typology of the intertidal zone along the coastline of the Black Sea. This indicates that this species is a local biogeographic representative of the ‘Pontus Region’, which includes the eastern coastline of the Black Sea. Remarks on related known Clunio species from Europe with comments on the ecology and geographical distribution of C. ponticus are given.

Highlights

Data on the taxonomy and geographical distribution of known marine species belonging to the genus Clunio Haliday, 1855 (Strenzke 1960; Olander & Palmén 1968; Neumann 1976; Sæther 1977; Heimbach 1978; Michailova 1980a, 1980b; Coffman et al 1986; Cranston et al 1989; Langton 1991; Neumann et al 1997; Langton & Pinder 2007; Tasdemir 2010; Ashe & O’Connor 2012; Kaiser & Heckel 2012; Sæther & Spies 2013; Moubayed-Breil & Ashe 2012; Andersen et al 2013; Moubayed-Breil et al 2013; MoubayedBreil & Ashe 2016; Abdelsalam, 2017) show that there are currently five known valid species from the sea coasts of Europe and neighbouring areas: C. balticus Heimbach, 1978; C. boudouresquei
C. ponticus is diagnosed and described as male and female adults, pupal exuviae and larvae based on recent investigations conducted by P
Based on some atypical characters found in the male adult, female adult, pupal exuviae and larva, this species appears to belong to a local marine biogeographic representative of the ‘Pontus Region’, which includes the eastern coastline of the Black Sea

Summary

Introduction

Data on the taxonomy and geographical distribution of known marine species belonging to the genus Clunio Haliday, 1855 (Strenzke 1960; Olander & Palmén 1968; Neumann 1976; Sæther 1977; Heimbach 1978; Michailova 1980a, 1980b; Coffman et al 1986; Cranston et al 1989; Langton 1991; Neumann et al 1997; Langton & Pinder 2007; Tasdemir 2010; Ashe & O’Connor 2012; Kaiser & Heckel 2012; Sæther & Spies 2013; Moubayed-Breil & Ashe 2012; Andersen et al 2013; Moubayed-Breil et al 2013; MoubayedBreil & Ashe 2016; Abdelsalam, 2017) show that there are currently five known valid species from the sea coasts of Europe and neighbouring areas: C. balticus Heimbach, 1978; C. boudouresqueiMoubayed-Breil, 2019; C. marinus Haliday, 1855; C. mediterraneus Neumann, 1966 and C. ponticus Michailova, 1980. Based on some atypical characters found in the male adult (frontal area of head, palpomeres, ridge of tergites VIII, apodemes of hypopygium, gonostylus), female adult (palp, apodemes of gonapophysis VIII), pupal exuviae (absence of hook rows on sternites) and larva (median tooth of mentum widely domed), this species appears to belong to a local marine biogeographic representative of the ‘Pontus Region’, which includes the eastern coastline of the Black Sea. Larval stages of C. ponticus are marine dwellers of the intertidal zone along the seacoast of Varna, where various types of perturbation and degradation of the marine habitats have been observed over the last four decades.

Results

Conclusion