The Chironomidae (Diptera) of Svalbard and Jan Mayen

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.