REVIEW OF CRICOTOPUS (DIPTERA: CHIRONOMIDAE) OF THE NEARCTIC ARCTIC ZONE WITH DESCRIPTION OF TWO NEW SPECIES

Abstract

AbstractThe genus Cricotopus of the arctic zone of the Nearctic region, represented by 14 species in seven species groups, is reviewed. Descriptive notes on 11 species supplement those given by Hirvenoja (1973), with addition of descriptions of immature stages of C. lestralis (Edwards) and larva of C. tristis Hirvenoja. Two new species names, C. beringensis and C. trilobus, are proposed. New species names synonymies are Chironomus basalis Staeger and Chironomus holmgreni Kieffer with Chironomus tibialis (Meigen) (= C. tibialis). Several undetermined individuals are assigned to the fuscus group. Eleven species are Holarctic in distribution, of which C. bicinctus (Meigen) and C. sylvestris (Fabricius) are circumboreal. Seven species are restricted to the arctic zone, two are wide-ranging in both arctic and temperate zones, and four temperate species barely extend into the arctic zone. Keys to all known life-history stages and some ecological data, primarily of larvae, are given.