Abstract
Non-biting midges of the fly family Chironomidae are extremely abundant and diverse in Arctic regions and are essential components of Arctic ecosystems. Modern identification tools based on documented records of Arctic chironomid species are therefore important for ecological research and environmental monitoring in the region. Here, we provide an updated review of the chironomid fauna of the Svalbard archipelago and the island of Jan Mayen, Norway. Our results show that a total of 73 species distributed across 24 genera in four subfamilies are known from these areas. Our review treats 109 taxa, including nomina dubia and misidentifications. It includes morphological identification keys to all known species as well as photographs of most taxa and DNA barcodes of 66 species. Taxonomic remarks are given for selected taxa, including previous misidentifications and erroneous records. Chironomus islandicus, Tvetenia bavarica, Limnophyes schnelli, Metriocnemus brusti and Metriocnemus fuscipes as well as the genera Allocladius, Corynoneura and Bryophaenocladius are reported from Svalbard for the first time, while Procladius (Holotanypus) frigidus, Stictochironomus psilopterus, Chaetocladius incertus, Orthocladius (Orthocladius) mixtus and Smittia longicosta, previously considered as junior synonyms or nomina dubia, are revived as valid species based on examination of type material or literature. Twenty species within eleven genera are introduced with interim names. Metriocnemus similis is regarded as a junior synonym of Metriocnemus ursinus, and Smittia incerta, Smittia flexinervis and Smittia spitzbergensis are regarded as nomina dubia. Valid taxa no longer considered as part of the Svalbard fauna are Parochlus kiefferi, Arctopelopia barbitarsis, Procladius (Holotanypus) crassinervis, Diamesa lindrothi, Diamesa incallida, Diamesa lundstromi, Chironomus hyperboreus, Sergentia coracina, Camptocladius stercorarius, Chaetocladius dissipatus, Chaetocladius dentiforceps, Chaetocladius laminatus, Chaetocladius perennis, Cricotopus (Cricotopus) humeralis, Cricotopus (Cricotopus) polaris, Hydrosmittia ruttneri, Limnophyes edwardsi, Metriocnemus picipes, Metriocnemus tristellus, Orthocladius (Eudactylocladius) gelidus, Orthocladius (Euorthocladius) thienemanni, Orthocladius (Orthocladius) obumbratus, Orthocladius (Orthocladius) rhyacobius, Paralimnophyes, Paraphaenocladius impensus, Psectrocladius (Monopsectrocladius) calcaratus, Psectrocladius (Psectrocladius) psilopterus, Psectrocladius (Psectrocladius) ventricosus, Smittia lasiophthalma, Smittia lasiops and Zalutschia tatrica.
Highlights
The family Chironomidae, or non-biting midges, is one of the most common and species rich organism groups in freshwater and semi-aquatic habitats [1]
As a result of our review, eight taxa are reported from Svalbard from the first time: Chironomus islandicus (Kieffer, 1913), Limnophyes schnelli Sæther, 1990, Metriocnemus brusti Sæther, 1989, Metriocnemus fuscipes (Meigen, 1818) and Tvetenia bavarica (Goetghebuer, 1934) as well as the genera Allocladius Kieffer, 1913, Bryophaenocladius Thienemann, 1934 and Corynoneura Winnertz, 1846
We present novel DNA barcodes for 66 species from Svalbard and Jan Mayen that are associated with morphological groups and compared with DNA barcode data of related populations and taxa, from regions outside of the ArctiC
Summary
The family Chironomidae, or non-biting midges, is one of the most common and species rich organism groups in freshwater and semi-aquatic habitats [1]. It has members in all biogeographical regions, including the Antarctic mainland, and more than 6000 valid species described world-wide Insects 2020, 11, 183 new species are frequently discovered (e.g., [4]) This is at least partly due to the fact that molecular work, especially DNA barcoding [5], has become more common, and enabled researchers to detect morphologically similar species with distinct genetic lineages [4,6,7,8,9]. Rearing larvae to emerging adults can be challenging for species with strict environmental requirements
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