Salinity Tolerance, Seasonal and Multiyear Dynamics of Biting Midges (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) in Macrozoobenthos Communities of Saline Rivers (the Lake Elton Basin, Russia)

Abstract

The results of long-term studies of biting midges (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) in macrozoobenthos communities of five saline rivers of the hyperhaline Lake Elton basin are presented. The fauna of Ceratopogonidae includes 5 halophilic and euryhaline species, among which representatives of the tribe Palpomyiinae predominate. Taxonomic composition of the family differs in rivers with different levels of salinity. Species Sphaeromias miricornis and Culicoides riethi are widely distributed in mesohaline the Khara, the Lantsug and the Bolshaya Samoroda rivers, and P. schmidti widely distributed in polyhaline the Chernavka and the Solyanka rivers. Two generations of S. miricornis and three generations of P. schmidti were recorded. Departure of the first generation of P. schmidti occurs in mid-May, S. miricornis in late May–early June. There is an increase in mean annual abundance and biomass of biting midges in polyhaline rivers compared to mesohaline rivers.