A Biosystematic Study of Larval and Pupal Chironomini (Diptera, Chironomidae) from the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers

Thirty-six species belonging to 19 genera of the tribe Chironomini (Chironomidae) are recorded from the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers in Saskatchewan. The larva and pupa of each species, unless material was not available, are described and identification keys are presented. The species describ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published: 2014
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10388/6351
Description
Summary:Thirty-six species belonging to 19 genera of the tribe Chironomini (Chironomidae) are recorded from the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers in Saskatchewan. The larva and pupa of each species, unless material was not available, are described and identification keys are presented. The species described include Beckiella tethys (Townes), Chernovskiia amphitrite (Townes), Chironomus (Chironomus) decorus Johannsen, Chironomus (Chironomus) sp , nr. staegeri Lundbeck, Chironomus (Chironomus) sp . 1, Chironomus (Chironomus) sp . 2, Chironomus (Chironomus) sp. 3, Chironomus (Chironomus) sp , 4, Chironomus (Chironomus) sp. 5, Chironomus (Chironomus) sp , 6, CryPtochironomus sp. a. new species, Cryptochironomus sp . b. new species, Cryptochironomus digitatus (Malloch), Cryptochironomus sty1ifera (Johannsen), Cryptochironomus sp , c. new species, Cyphome11a gibbera Saether, Demicryptochironomus sp. 1, Dicrotendipes nervosus Staeger, Endochironomus subtendens (Townes), G1yptotendipes (Phytotendipes) sp . 1, Glyptotendipes (Phytotendipes) sp , 2, Microtendipes caducus Townes, Parac1adope1ma nereis (Townes), Parachironomus frequens (Johannsen), Paralauterbornie11a nigroha1 tera1e (Malloch), Phaenopsec tra (Phaenopsectra) obediens (Johannsen), Phaenopsectra (Phaenopsectra) sp. nr. a1bescens (Townes), PolyPedilum (Po1ypedilum) "castornama" Maschwitz, Polypedilum (Polypedilum) convictum (Walker), Po1ypedilum (Tripodura) scalaenum (Schrank), Polypedilum (Tripodura) sp . 1, Robackia c1aviger (Townes), Stenochironomus taeniapennis (Coquillett), Stictochironomus marmoreus (Townes), Stictochironomus (Townes), Xenochironomus (Xenochironomus) xenolabis (Kieffer). The larva and pupa of C. Sp. a, C. sp . b , C. sp. c , P. frequens, P. (P.) "castornama", S. taeniapennis, S. marmoreus, P. quagga and the larva of C. amphitrite and C. gibbera are described for the first time. Information presented for each species includes reference to the original description, description, diagnosis, a brief discussion dealing with related species, habitat and life history notes, distribution and material examined. Illustrations of characters taxonomically important are presented. Problems,associated with certain taxonomic characters and the presentation of descriptions and keys are discussed. The Chironomini species associated with the Saskatchewan Rivers can be grouped according to eight habitat types including muck and clay, sand, gravel and pebbles, cobble and boulders, freshwater sponge, submerged rotting wood, algae and submerged plants and small spring-fed streams. Distributional information of the species found in the Saskatchewan Rivers is incomplete and only very general conclusions can be made. Several of the species found are known to be holarctic.