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We present here the first-ever fossil flies from the family Deuterophlebiidae. The recent adults have an exceptionally brief lifespan, with males surviving only two hours. Their distinctive features include a complete reduction of mouthparts, and wing venation characterized by a dense net of false veins replacing most of true veins. Due to this distinctive venation the phylogenetic position of Deuterophlebiidae was unclear, compounded by the absence of fossils that could shed light on the early development of these characters. Two new genera and species are described from Burmese amber, Protodeuterophlebia oosterbroeki Krzemiński, Krzemińska & Soszyńska, gen. et sp. nov. and Cretodeuterophlebia courtneyi, Krzemiński, Skibińska & Kopeć, gen. et sp. nov. They date back the age of the family to the mid-Cretaceous. Notably, the fossils reveal first false veins and reduced mouthparts, suggesting a short lifespan in these Cretaceous mountain midges. A comparative analysis of wing venation indicated the Hennigmatidae as a plausible ancestral group to the Deuterophlebiidae. A syninclusion of mayfly indicates the coexistence of these short-lived insects during the same flight period. This synchrony extends to their brief time in flight aligning with the flow of fluid resin. The occurrence of these simultaneous events is extremely low, emphasizing the significance of these findings., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Cricotopus is a large and diverse genus of non-biting midges composed of several subgenera. Complete mitogenome sequences are available for very few Cricotopus species. The subgenus Pseudocricotopus unites species with unusual morphological structures in adult male and pupal stages, however, molecular methods are needed to verify the placement of this subgenus within Cricotopus. We obtained mitogenomes of C. (Pseudocricotopus) cf. montanus and nine other Cricotopus species for phylogenetic analysis, coupled with two Rheocricotopus species and one Synorthocladius species as outgroups. The structure of the mitogenome was similar among these Cricotopus species, exhibiting A+T bias and retaining ancestral gene order. Mutation rate, estimated as Ka/Ks, varied among genes, and was highest for ATP8 and lowest for COI. The phylogenetic relationships among species of Cricotopus, Rheocricotopus and Synorthocladius was reconstructed using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood estimation. The phylogenetic trees confirmed placement of subgenus Pseudocricotopus, represented by Cricotopus cf. montanus, within Cricotopus. Our study increases the library of chironomid mitogenomes and provides insight into the properties of their constituent genes., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

This is the first study focused on Eocene dipterans of the tribe Pseudochironomini (subfamily Chironominae, family Chironomidae), based on unique materials from Baltic amber. Two new genera and three new species: Eomicromimus gen. nov. with Eomicromimus polliciformis sp. nov. and Eomicromimus serpens sp. nov., and Eoriethia gen. nov. with Eoriethia ursipes sp. nov. are presented. The systematic position of the new taxa is discussed, and an amended key to the identification of adult males of extinct and extant Pseudochironomini genera is provided. The presented analysis of the morphology of the tribe's fossil members allowed us to verify the concepts regarding the origin/homology of male diagnostic structures crucial in defining new taxa, their phylogeny, and to consolidate the terminology used in chironomid research. A new habitual name for Chironomidae, "mime midges", is also proposed., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Zakrzewska et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Tanytarsini is a large tribe of Chironomidae with at least 11 recorded marine species grouped in three genera. In this study, we performed a phylogenic analysis using molecular data from 13 Tanytarsini genera, including all Japanese marine species in a large tribe of Chironominae, to estimate their phylogenetic positions and evolutionary history. The phylogenetic reconstruction grouped the marine species in two clades. One clade was composed of five marine Tanytarsus and two marine Pontomyia species within a larger clade of Tanytarsus. Pontomyia is considered to have morphologically specialized and adapted to marine environments by rapid evolution, although it formed a clade with Tanytarsus. The only one species of Tanytarsus, T. pelagicus, clustered as a member of the second clade, which was mainly composed by species of the genus Paratanytarsus. Thus, we redescribe T. pelagicus as Paratanytarsus pelagicus., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Trickling water on nearly vertical rocky substrates is a common feature of mountainous regions of Japan. The thin water film is inhabited by discoid colonies of the cyanobacteria Nostoc. This species resembles the North American Nostoc parmelioides Ktzing, which forms ear-like colonies in stream beds and is inhabited by symbiotic chironomid larvae. The Nostoc colony in Japan was inhabited by a chironomid larva inside a ring-shaped burrow in the colony. Morphological analyses suggested that these individuals belong to a new species closely related to Cricotopus spp. symbiotic with Nostoc parmelioides. Here, we described the chironomid species Cricotopus cataractaenostocicola sp. nov. The species was distinguished from other congeneric species mainly by the morphology of male hypopygia. It has an anal point and long setae on the outside of the gonocoxite, and does not have setae near the apex of the inner lobe in the gonocoxite. Almost all the Nostoc colonies contained one large larva or pupa. The outer layer of the chironomid-symbiotic Nostoc colony had an elastic hardness. The 3D computer tomography (3DCT) scan showed a connected network of internal passages that are sufficiently wide to be traversed by the larvae, suggesting that cavities are present for the larvae to pass through. Future studies should investigate the formation of cavities and their purpose. As pioneers in the observation of living organisms using 3DCT, we provided the CT data to the Natural History Museum in Vienna.

Illustrated morphological descriptions of chironomid larvae from subfamily Orthocladiinae Cardiocladius sp. 1, which as commensals live between ventral suckers of Blephariceridae larvae, as well as larvae and pupae of Eukiefferiella claripennis group inhabited of Simuliidae pupal cocoons, are given. DNA barcodes of these chironomid species and sequences of their hosts, three species of Liponeura Loew (Blephariceridae) and one species of Simulium aff. variegatum (Simuliidae), are provided.

The larva of Clunio marinus Haliday is described based on field and reared material, collected along the coast of Vigo (Spain) and Helgoland (Germany). C. marinus can be easily distinguished from other known European Clunio species on the basis of some species-specific features found in fourth instar larvae. Comparison with related known Clunio species from Europe with comments on their larval morphology are given. The characteristics of the polytene chromosomes of C.marinus from Vigo are presented. The comparative external morphological analysis of the larvae from the two localities shows a certain differentiation at the external morphological level. The reasons for this differentiation are discussed.

One newly described species of Chironomidae, Polypedilum (Pentapedilum) cranstoni sp. nov., was discovered in ephemeral rock pools from the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains in South Africa. Desiccation-resistant larvae were obtained from bottom sediments of rock pools that had been dry for the previous several months. After rehydration, ex situ adults emerged and were collected. The morphology and diagnostic characters of the new species (male and female adults) are described here together with an analysis based on their COI gene sequence.

The adult male and female of Chironomus gelhausi n. sp. are described from a small lake in western Mongolia. Based on field observations and morphological characters, C. gelhausi is a surface-mating species which has retained the ability to fly. Morphological characteristics associated with surface-mating in this species include apically truncated wings, reduced antennal plume in the male, reduced palps, reduced mid and hind leg length, and enlarged hypopygium. Behavioral observations and morphology of C. gelhausi indicate that this species is a species of Chironomus which has independently evolved morphological characteristics consistent with surface-mating behavior similar to that of Fleuria and other species within Chironomus sensu lato. We can assume that this behavior and the associated morphological characteristics are related to survival in a harsh environment where high winds could displace aerial mating swarms from the larval habitat.

Chironomids have been widely used in environmental monitoring and toxicity assays. Assessment criteria for chironomids range from the molecular-biochemical level to the population level. However, the use of markers to evaluate cellular and anatomical changes in organs and systems of individuals under contaminant exposure is still incipient. In this study, we conducted a histological description of the main systems and organs of immature Chironomus columbiensis. We used fourth instar larvae, obtained from a standardized culture, and confirmed this state through morphological and molecular methods. Larvae were fixed in Duboscq solution for insects during 48 hr, dehydrated in increasing dilutions of ethanol, and embedded and mounted in historesin to obtain 3 μm sections. The digestive, nervous, excretory, and integumentary systems and the fat body and testicles were analyzed through longitudinal and transversal sections, stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE), and further photographed and described through light microscopy. This is the first description of internal morphology performed for C. columbiensis and can help in future histopathological analysis, because through bioaccumulation some of these organs are contaminant targets. It can even be a great taxonomic tool, since the characteristics of the histological pattern of C. columbiensis presented differences compared to other descriptions made in chironomids., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The functional traits of species respond to environmental gradient changes, which, in turn, are responsible for the niche specialization of species. We analyzed the niche specialization of several Tanypodinae taxa (predatory non-biting midge, 4th instar, n = 693) along the depth zones of the water in six shallow tropical reservoirs. We measured the body length and diet composition of seven Tanypodinae larvae genus. Community-weighted mean (CWM) traits index was utilized to calculate the niche distribution of body length and diet composition. We analyzed the niche distribution of predator larvae, through a simple linear analysis of CWM index and the depth of the water, and by establishing correlations between body length and diet composition. In our study, it was found that the consumption of oligochaete (b = 0.30, SE ± 0.04, t = 7.02, p = 0.0001, R 2  = 0.45) and the body length (b = 0.64, SE ± 0.11, t = 5.44, p = 0.0001, R 2  = 0.33) increased in deeper zones. We observed a strong and positive relationship between oligochaete consumption and a longer body (r = 0.91, p = 0.0001). We inferred that changes in habitat characteristics, from littoral to deeper zones of the reservoirs, are expected to have influenced the selection of larvae traits predators. We concluded that body length determines the diet consumption and accurately reflects the niche distribution of Tanypodinae assemblages. The functional trait approach proved to be an efficient tool for the analysis of the ecological processes that determine the structure of a non-biting midge predator assemblage.

Constantly, aquatic ecosystems are under pressure by complex mixtures of contaminants whose effects are not always easy to evaluate. Due to this, organisms are sought in which early warning signs may be detected upon the presence of potentially toxic xenobiotic substances. Thereby, the study evaluated the incidence of deformities and other morphometric variations in the mentum and wing of Chironomus columbiensis exposed to water from some of the Colombian Andes affected by mining, agriculture, and cattle raising. Populations of C. columbiensis were subjected throughout their life cycle (24 days) for two generations (F1 and F2). Five treatments were carried out in controlled laboratory conditions (water from the site without impact, site of mining mercury, mining mercury + cyanide, cattle raising, and agriculture) and the respective control (reconstituted water). Thereafter, the percentage of deformities in the mentum was calculated, and for the morphometric analysis 29 landmarks were digitized for the mentum and 12 for the wing. As a result, four types of deformities were registered in the C. columbiensis mentum, like absence of teeth, increased number of teeth, fusion and space between teeth, none of them detected in the individuals from the control. Additionally, the highest incidence of deformity in F1 occurred in the treatment of mining mercury, while for F2 this took place in the treatments of mining mercury + cyanide, cattle raising and agriculture. Differences were also found with respect to the morphometric variations of the mentum and wing of C. columbiensis among the control and the treatments with water from the creeks intervened. The treatments of mining mercury + cyanide and agriculture had the highest morphological variation in the mentum and wing of C. columbiensis. The results suggest that the anthropogenic impacts evaluated generate alterations in the oral apparatus of the larval state of C. columbiensis and in the adult state provoke alterations in the wing shape (increased width and reduced basal area). These deformities may be related to multiple stress factors, among them the xenobiotics metabolized by the organisms under conditions of environmental contamination., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Chironomids are often one of the dominant organisms in significantly polluted freshwater. Many invertebrate studies have characterized whole-organism mechanisms of toxicity, for example, assessing cadmium (Cd) uptake via calcium (Ca) channels. However, with the use of the scanning ion-selective electrode technique and an innovative Cd-selective microelectrode, we analyze this relationship at the organ level using a realistic concentration of Cd and Ca in the hemolymph (blood). Generally, Cd fluxes follow the same directional pattern as Ca, although Ca fluxes are approximately 5 times higher than those of Cd. These results correlate well with previous studies indicating that chironomids have a higher affinity for Ca over Cd, which affords them tolerance to Cd toxicity. When saline Ca concentration was increased to 10 times physiological levels, Cd fluxes from the gut lumen into the cells of the midgut regions were reduced by 50 to 80%. Transport of Cd from hemolymph to tissue for the posterior midgut, Malpighian tubule, and proximal ceca was also reduced by approximately 50%. The present results indicate that Cd fluxes into or across the gut and Malpighian tubules are reduced by high Ca, suggesting that Cd may be transported in some cells by similar mechanisms. However, Cd was actively excreted at the anal papillae after a 48-h waterborne exposure to Cd, but this process was independent of Ca and instead may involve a P-glycoprotein-related pump to detoxify Cd. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2542-2549. © 2018 SETAC., (© 2018 SETAC.)

The genus Oliveiriella (Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae) was erected by Wiedenbrug & Fittkau (1997). The adults have characteristic black spots on their wings and other characteristics similar to the genus Cricotopus. Pupal skins are very characteristic with strong short spines in the anal lobe instead of setae, while larvae are distinguishable by the long anal papillae and the intense blue color of their body. However, Andersen et al (2013) consider Oliveiriella as a subgenera of Cricotopus. In this paper, using the sequences of the cox1 gene, we conclude that Oliveiriella should be considered a subgenus within Cricotopus, confirming its status in Andersen et al (2013). Furthermore, we describe Cricotopus (Oliveiriella) rieradevallae Prat & Paggi sp. n. from the Saltana river (Ecuador). The adult males, females, and preimaginal stages of the two species of subgenus Oliveiriella known from South America Cricotopus (O.) almeidai n. comb. from Peru, Brazil, and Argentina and Cricotopus (O.) sanjavieri n. comb. from Argentina are compared with those of Cricotopus (O.) rieradevallae sp. n. from Ecuador. The differences allow the distinction of the three species. The cox1 gene reveals that at least three different undescribed species of the same subgenus are present in the high-altitude tropical Andes. The morphology of the available pupae and pupal exuviae reveals the presence of several morphotypes that are candidates to be described as new species. A key used to distinguish these pupal morphotypes is provided, including the three described species. Additionally, the distribution of the subgenus is discussed.

In this study, mouthpart deformities in Chironomid larvae (Diptera) were investigated in relation to sediment contamination in the Shiroro Lake in Nigeria. Metals and chironomids were sampled monthly at three stations (A-C) between August 2013 and January 2014. Across the stations, zinc ranged (3.9-75mg/g), manganese (1.29-1.65mg/g), lead (0.00-0.10mg/g), iron (101-168mg/g) and copper (0.13-0.17mg/g). The metal ions did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) between the sampling stations. However, zinc and iron ions were significantly different between the sampling seasons (P < 0.05). Thirteen chironomid species were recorded, with Chironomus sp., Polypedilum sp. and Ablabesmyia sp. dominating the assemblage structure. Mouthpart deformities were significantly higher at Station A compared with Station C, and seasonally significantly higher during dry season compared with wet season. Elevated incidences of deformity were recorded in Chironomus spp larvae as compared to other genera therefore for further studies in this region assessments should be based solely on Chironomus species and ignoring the rest. Strategies need to be developed to reduce the contaminations and the biological effects., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The threats posed by climate change make it important to expand knowledge concerning cold and heat tolerance in stenothermal species from habitats potentially threatened by temperature changes. Thermal limits and basal metabolism variations were investigated in Pseudodiamesa branickii (Diptera: Chironomidae) under thermal stress between -20 and 37 °C. Supercooling point (SCP), lower (LLTs) and upper lethal temperatures (ULTs), and oxygen consumption rate were measured in overwintering young (1st and 2nd instar) and mature (3rd and 4th instar) larvae from an Alpine glacier-fed stream. Both young and mature larvae were freezing tolerant (SCPs = -7.1 °C and -6.4 °C, respectively; LLT 100 -20 °C) and thermotolerant (ULT 50 = 31.7 ± 0.4, 32.5 ± 0.3, respectively). However, ontogenetic differences in acute tolerance were observed. The LLT 50 calculated for the young larvae (= -7.4 °C) was almost equal to their SCP (= -7.1 °C) and the overlapping of the proportion of mortality curve with the CPIF curve highlighted that the young larvae are borderline between freezing tolerance and freezing avoidance. Furthermore, a lower ULT 100 in the young larvae (of ca. 1 °C), suggests that they are less thermotolerant than mature larvae. Finally, young larvae exhibit a higher oxygen consumption rate (mgO 2 /gAFDM/h) at any temperature tested and are overall less resistant to oxygen depletion compared to mature larvae at ≥10 °C. These findings suggest that mature larvae enter into a dormant state by lowering their basal metabolism until environmental conditions improve in order to save energy for life cycle completion during stressful conditions., (© 2015 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Two new species of the genus Cryptochironomus Kieffer, C. maculus Yan & Wang sp. n. and C. protuberans Yan & Wang sp. n. are described and illustrated as adult males. C. albofasciatus (Staeger) is recorded from China for the first time. A key to the males of Cryptochironomus in China is presented and generic diagnosis is emended.

A new species of Dicrotendipes is described in all life stages from Florida. Adults of this new species are nearly identical to D. modestus (Say); pupae are similar to D. modestus, D. neomodestus (Malloch) and D. tritomus (Kieffer); while the larvae are unique and were keyed by Epler (1992, 1995, 2001) as Dicrotendipes sp. A. The taxonomic status of D. modestus and D. pulsus (Walker) is discussed.

Australian Cecidomyiidae described by Schiner (1868), Skuse (1888, 1890), Koebele (1893), Felt (1915), Edwards (1916) and Rübsaamen (1916), totalling 111 species and three subgenera, are revised. Chastomera Skuse, 1888 is confirmed to be a junior synonym of Haplusia Karsch, 1878 and Gonioclema Skuse, 1888 and Necrophlebia Skuse, 1888 are declared nomina dubia. Twenty-two species are placed to genus, an additional four species are placed to supertribe or subfamily, all of them redescribed. The remaining species are declared junior synonyms or nomina dubia. Diadiplosis koebelei (Koebele, 1893) is a new junior synonym of Diadiplosis plumbea (Skuse, 1888). Dasineura tomentosa Dorchin, 2011 is a new junior synonym of Dasineura frauenfeldi (Schiner, 1868). Sphenolasioptera Kolesik & Gagné gen. nov. (Cecidomyiinae: Lasiopterini) is erected to contain Sphenolasioptera vastatrix (Skuse, 1888) n. comb. The following genera are recorded from Australia for the first time: Ledomyia Kieffer (Cecidomyiinae: Ledomyiini), represented by L. vitulans (Skuse), n. comb.; Bremia Rondani (Cecidomyiinae: Aphidoletini), represented by B. actiosa (Skuse) n. comb. and B. oreas (Skuse) n. comb.; Divellepidosis Fedotova & Sidorenko (Porricondylinae: Porricondylini), represented by D. pallidina (Skuse) n. comb. and D. indubitata (Skuse) n. comb. Additions are made to the key to genera of Cecidomyiinae of Australia and Papua New Guinea (Kolesik 2014) to accomodate Bremia, Ledomyia and Sphenolasioptera.

Polypedilum isigabeceum Sasa et Suzuki, 2000 was described as belonging to subgenus Polypedilum s. str. However, if we accept the conclusion of Sæther et al. (2010), the species might be placed into Kribionympha with P. unagiquartum Sasa, 1985 because of the presence of distinct frontal tubercles in the adult males. However, other taxonomic characters do not support their treatment. P. isigabeceum is re-described and reconfirmed to be assigned to the subgenus Polypedilum s. str. The taxonomic meaning of frontal tubercles is discussed for defining the subgeneric rankings within genus Polypedilum.

Some rare species from Italian Alps, belonging to the genus Diamesa Meigen, 1835 (Diptera, Chironomidae) are here redescribed as adult males, because only old, incomplete descriptions are available for these taxa. Terminology of male genitalia is reviewed, diagnostic features are illustrated in detail, and notes on biology and geographical distribution of the examined species are provided. An identification key to the known adult males is presented.

A new species of Tanypus Meigen, T. urszulae sp. nov. from Brazil, is described and figured as adult male, pupa and larva. Additionally, the generic diagnosis for the larva is emended.

The immature stages are described for the first time for Chironomus (Xenochironomus) australiensis Freeman (Diptera: Chironomidae) and the adult male is redescribed including from type specimens. The species does not belong to Chironomus Meigen or Xenochironomus Kieffer, but is best placed in a modestly expanded Einfeldia Kieffer. Application of this genus name is clarified, including by a lectotype fixation for its type species, E. pectoralis Kieffer, 1924. Einfeldia australiensis (Freeman) comb. n. provides the first record of the genus from Australia; otherwise the genus is reported confidently only from North America, Central America and western Europe to Japan. The immature stages of E. australiensis occur in relatively shallow mesotrophic to eutrophic dune lakes and maars with circum-neutral pH and high conductivity, from southeastern Queensland to southern Australia. The cytology is described briefly from larval salivary glands. Alternative genus placements for the species are discussed, and problems with Einfeldia and connected systematics in the tribe Chironomini are addressed.

Three new Nearctic genera of gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), each with a new species, are described: Helianthecis Gagné for Helianthecis capitum Gagné, new species, that lives in flower heads of Helianthus spp. (Asteraceae) from North Dakota to Texas; Lonicerae Gagné for Lonicerae russoi Gagné, new species, and Lonicerae lonicera (Felt), new combination, that form bud galls on Lonicera spp. (Caprifoliaceae) in California; and Chiosperma Gagné for Chiosperma turgidum Gagné, new species, that forms a bud gall on Symphoricarpos albus (L.) S.F. Blake (Caprifoliaceae) in Washington. The three new genera belong to the supertribe Lasiopteridi and are placed in the tribe Oligotrophini. The tribes Oligotrophini and Rhopalomyiini are combined.

A new species of the monotypic genus Metapelopia is described and illustrated based on all life stages. Adults of the Metapelopia peruensis sp. n. can be easily distinguished from those of M. corbii by the color pattern of the legs and abdomen. Larvae and pupae were collected associated with algae accumulated on rocks.

The subgenus Tripodura Townes of Polypedilum Kieffer from China including 26 species is reviewed. Eleven new species, named P. (T.) absensilobum Zhang & Wang sp. n., P. (T.) apiculusetosum Zhang & Wang sp. n., P. (T.) arcuatum Zhang & Wang sp. n., P. (T.) bilamella Zhang & Wang sp. n., P. (T.) conghuaense Zhang & Wang sp. n., P. (T.) dengae Zhang & Wang sp. n., P. (T.) mengmanense Zhang & Wang sp. n., P. (T.) napahaiense Zhang & Wang sp. n., P. (T.) parallelum Zhang & Wang sp. n., P. (T.) pollicium Zhang & Wang sp. n. and P. (T.) trapezium Zhang & Wang sp. n. are described and illustrated based on male imagines. Three species, P. (T.) quadriguttatum Kieffer, P. (T.) unifascia (Tokunaga) and P. (T.) udominutum Niitsuma are firstly recorded in China. A key to known male imagines of Chinese species and an updated world checklist of subgenus Tripodura are presented.

The genus Odontomesa Pagast is newly recorded from China. Based on associated material collected from China and U.S.A, the immature stages of Odontomesa fulva (Kieffer) and Odontomesa ferringtoni Sæther are redescribed. Odontomesa sp. A Sæther is confirmed as conspecific with O. ferringtoni. The generic diagnosis of immature stages is emended. Keys to the known larvae and pupae of the genus are presented.

Fossil and extant Diallactiini, which are mycophagous Cecidomyiidae (gall midges), are reviewed globally for the first time. Johnsonomyia Felt, 1908 stat. rev. is restored from synonymy with Haplusia Karsch, 1877 (with Chastomera Skuse, 1888 confirmed as a junior synonym) and both genera are re-defined. Haplusia funebris Plakidas, 2007 and Wyattella lobata Yukawa, 1968 are newly combined in Johnsonomyia. Gynapteromyia Mamaev, 1965 is shown to be a species-rich, almost cosmopolitan genus, which absorbs several of the species previously classified in Haplusia or Chastomera. Gynapteromyia brevipalpis (Mamaev, 1964) comb. nov., G. heteroptera (Mamaev & Spungis, 1980) comb. nov., G. hondrui (Mamaev, 1964) comb. nov., G. indica (Grover, 1971) comb. nov., G. longipalpis (Mamaev, 1964) comb. nov., and G. stricta (Fedotova & Sidorenko, 2005) comb. nov. are all new combinations. †Palaeocolpodia eocenica Meunier, 1904 is considered to be a nomen dubium. Prior to the present study, the tribe Diallactiini contained 28 extant species classified in 6 genera. Previously unworked specimens of Diallactiini gathered by the author in the past 15 years were examined and identified as belonging to 57 different species, all unnamed. From that material, the following new taxa are described: Bruneiplusia gen. nov. (from Brunei), B. kaspraki sp. nov., Gynapteromyia costaricensis sp. nov. (Costa Rica), G. furcata sp. nov. (Costa Rica), G. novaezealandiae sp. nov. (New Zealand), G. tasmanica sp. nov. (Australia), G. temburong sp. nov. (Brunei), G. tenuistylata sp. nov. (Brunei), Haplusia afrotropica sp. nov. (South Africa), Japoplusia gen. nov. (Japan), Jap. honshuensis sp. nov., Johnsonomyia scabra sp. nov. (Costa Rica), John. serrata sp. nov. (South Africa), Loboplusia gen. nov. (Costa Rica), L. zurqui sp. nov., Makrostyles gen. nov. (Costa Rica), Makr. terrifica sp. nov., Mikrostyles gen. nov. (Brunei), Mikr. angustilobata sp. nov., Mikr. latolobata sp. nov., Wahabia gen. nov. (Brunei), Wah. mantici sp. nov., and Wyattella japonica sp. nov. (Japan). A key to the genera of Diallactiini based on male characters is presented. Diallactiini are shown to be a remarkably diverse group in terms of adult morphology. The genitalia of some male Diallactiini represent the most strongly modified such structures known in Winnertziinae. Morphological novelties found in Diallactiini, but no other Cecidomyiidae, include the fringed leg setae of Loboplusia and the furcate palpal sensilla in some Gynapteromyia and Mikrostyles. Diallactiini occur in all zoogeographic regions, with the highest generic and specific diversity found in the tropics (although Afrotropical diallactiines are poorly researched). Local diversity is also highest in the tropics, with as many as 29 species (unnamed or named in this paper) of at least 6 genera found at a single site, Zurquí de Moravia, in the cloud forest of Costa Rica. The best-explored fauna of Winnertziinae, including Diallactiini, is certainly that of Europe, but diallactiine biodiversity there is low and most of the nine European species are rarely encountered in the field. Gynapteromyia brevipalpis is reported from Sweden for the first time.

Sympotthastia wuyiensis sp. n. is described and illustrated as male imago from China. The immature stages of S. takatensis (Tokunaga) are described. The generic diagnosis is emended. Key to the known adult males, larvae and pupae of the genus worldwide is presented.

The genus Hydrosmittia from China is reviewed. Two new species H. continalinea sp. n. and H. sipinata sp. n. are described and illustrated based on male imagines. Key to known male imagines of genus Hydrosmittia worldwide is provided.

The life cycle of the freshwater horsehair worm typically includes a free-living phase (adult, egg, larva) and a multiple-host parasitic phase (aquatic paratenic host, terrestrial definitive host). Such a life cycle involving water and land can improve energy flow in riparian ecosystems; however, its temporal dynamics in nature have rarely been investigated. This study examined seasonal infection with cysts in larval Chironominae (Diptera: Chironomidae) in northern Taiwan. In the larval chironomids, cysts of 3 horsehair worm species were identified. The cysts of the dominant species were morphologically similar to those of Chordodes formosanus. Infection with these cysts increased suddenly and peaked 2 mo after the reproductive season of the adult horsehair worms. Although adult C. formosanus emerged several times in a year, only 1 distinct infection peak was detected in September in the chironomid larvae. Compared with the subfamily Chironominae, samples from the subfamilies Tanypodinae and Orthocladiinae were less parasitized. This indicates that the feeding behavior of the chironomid host likely affects horsehair worm cyst infections; however, bioconcentration in predatory chironomids was not detected.

Twenty two species of Stenochironomus Kieffer are known from Brazil, 19 of which occur in the Amazon region. In order to increase knowledge of the taxonomy of this genus in the Amazon region, collections were carried out in streams located in Presidente Figueiredo, Manaus and Itacoatiara municipalities, Amazonas State. Leaves and wood mined by Stenochironomus larvae were collected and transported to the laboratory where they were kept until adult emergence. Seven new species were found, one of which is described in the immature stages and as adults of both sexes (S. amazonicus sp. n.), one as immatures and adult male (S. liviae sp. n.), four as male and pupa (S. bare sp. n., S. figueiredoensis sp. n., S. gracilis sp. nov. and S. manauara sp. n.) and one only as male (S. suzanae sp. n.). Additionally, the female, pupa and larva of S. impendens Borkent, pupa and larva of S. jubatus Borkent, female and pupa of S. zonarius Borkent and female of S. palliaculeatus Borkent were described.

Thirteen holotypes of the orthoclad genus Rheocricotopus from Sino-Indian Region: R. (Psilocricotopus) hidakadeeus Sasa & Suzuki, R. (P.) isigadeeus Sasa & Suzuki, R. (P.) kurocedeus Sasa, R. (P.) tokarakeleus Sasa & Suzuki, R. (P.) tobatervicesimus Kikuchi & Sasa, R. (Rheocricotopus) inaquereus Sasa, Kitami & Suzuki, R. (R.) inaxeyeus Sasa, Kitami & Suzuki, R. (R.) shoufukusecundus Sasa, R. (R.) tamahumeralis Sasa, R. (R.) tatequintus Sasa, R. (R.) tedorisecundus Sasa, R. (R.) togapeniculus Sasa & Okazawa and R. (R.) yakulemeus Sasa & Suzuki are re-examined and illustrated, Some additional descriptions, corrections and a key of these thirteen holotypes are given.

The presence of the Afro-Australian genus Conochironomus Freeman, 1961 (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Asia has been recognised only informally. An unpublished thesis included Conochironomus from Singapore, and the genus has been keyed from Malaysia without named species. Here, the Sumatran Conochironomus tobaterdecimus (Kikuchi & Sasa, 1980) comb. n. is recorded from Singapore and Thailand. The species is transferred from Sumatendipes Kikuchi & Sasa, 1980, rendering the latter a junior synonym (syn. n.) of Conochironomus Freeman. Conochironomus nuengthai sp. n. and Conochironomus sawngthai sp. n. are described as new to science, based on adult males from Chiang Mai, Thailand. All species conform to existing generic diagnoses for all life stages, with features from male and female genitalia, pupal cephalic tubercles and posterolateral 'spurs' of tergite VIII providing evidence for species distinction. Some larvae are linked to C. tobaterdecimus through molecular barcoding. Variation in other larvae, which clearly belong to Conochironomus and are common throughout Thailand, means that they cannot be segregated to species. Larval habitats include pools in river beds, urban storage reservoirs, drains with moderately high nutrient loadings, and peat swamps. Endochironomus effusus Dutta, 1994 from north-eastern India may be a congener but may differ in adult morphology, thereby precluding formal new combination until discrepancies can be reconciled. Many problems with vouchering taxonomic and molecular material are identified that need to be rectified in the future.

The genus Diplosmittia was erected by Sæther (1981) based on Diplosmittia harrisoni from St. Lucia and St. Vincent in the British West Indies. Prior to the present study the genus comprised nine species, all except D. carinata Sæther were known only from Neotropical Region (Ashe & O'Connor, 2012). During sampling in the surroundings of a highly organic polluted river, in the National Botanical Garden in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the present second author collected several imagines of Diplosmittia that did not fit any taxon treated in the recent review of the genus (Pinho et al. 2009). In the present paper, the male of this new species is described and illustrated.

The male and female adults and pupa of Nilothauma niidaense n. sp. are described and illustrated on the basis of the material collected from a fontal stream in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. N. sasai Adam & Sæther is treated as a junior synonym of N. hibaratertium Sasa, of which the male is redescribed. The Adam & Sæther key to Nilothauma males is revised.

In this study, we tested the utility of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) as the barcode region to deal with taxonomical problems of Polypedilum (Tripodura) non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae). The 114 DNA barcodes representing 27 morphospecies are divided into 33 well separated clusters based on both Neighbor Joining and Maximum Likelihood methods. DNA barcodes revealed an 82% success rate in matching with morphospecies. The selected DNA barcode data support 37-64 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) based on the methods of Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) and Poisson Tree Process (PTP). Furthermore, a priori species based on consistent phenotypic variations were attested by molecular analysis, and a taxonomical misidentification of barcode sequences from GenBank was found. We could not observe a distinct barcode gap but an overlap ranged from 9-12%. Our results supported DNA barcoding as an ideal method to detect cryptic species, delimit sibling species, and associate different life stages in non-biting midges.

Polypedilum nubifer (Skuse, 1889), originally described from Australia, is an apparently widespread species of Chironomidae (Diptera) that can attain nuisance densities in some eutrophic water bodies. Appropriate management depends upon the identity and ability to distinguish from potential cryptic taxa. A morphological study of larvae, pupae and adults of both sexes confirmed P. nubifer as widely distributed and frequently abundant, but also revealed two previously cryptic species of limited distribution in northern Australia. These species are described as new and illustrated in all stages here. Polypedilum quasinubifer Cranston sp. n. is described from north-west Queensland, Australia and also from Thailand and Singapore. Polypedilum paranubifer Cranston sp. n. is known only from retention ponds of a uranium mine in Northern Territory, Australia. Unusual morphological features of P. nubifer including alternate Lauterborn organs on the larval antenna, cephalic tubules on the pupa and frontal tubercles on the adult head are present in both new species as well. Newly slide-mounted types of Polypedilum pelostolum Kieffer, 1912 (lectotype designated here) confirm synonymy to Chironomus nubifer Skuse, 1889, examined also as newly-slide mounted types. Reviewed plus new evidence does not support recognition of Tripedilum Kieffer, 1921 as a separate taxon; therefore, Tripedilum is returned to junior synonymy with Polypedilum s. str.

Two new species of Oukuriella, O. angelomachadoi sp. nov. (Holotype male deposited in MZUSP: BRAZIL, Paraná State) and O. plumaterata sp. nov. (Holotype male deposited in MZUSP: BRAZIL, São Paulo State), and the immatures stages of O. sublettei are described and figured. The larvae of O. sublettei were collected from submerged woods in low-order streams in the Atlantic Forest. In addition new records of several described species, including the first records of Oukuriella from Mexico and Bolivia are given.

Establishing reliable methods for the identification of benthic chironomid communities is important due to their significant contribution to biomass, ecology and the aquatic food web. Immature larval specimens are more difficult to identify to species level by traditional morphological methods than their fully developed adult counterparts, and few keys are available to identify the larval species. In order to develop molecular criteria to identify species of chironomid larvae, larval and adult chironomids from Western Lake Erie were subjected to both molecular and morphological taxonomic analysis. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) barcode sequences of 33 adults that were identified to species level by morphological methods were grouped with COI sequences of 189 larvae in a neighbor-joining taxon-ID tree. Most of these larvae could be identified only to genus level by morphological taxonomy (only 22 of the 189 sequenced larvae could be identified to species level). The taxon-ID tree of larval sequences had 45 operational taxonomic units (OTUs, defined as clusters with >97% identity or individual sequences differing from nearest neighbors by >3%; supported by analysis of all larval pairwise differences), of which seven could be identified to species or 'species group' level by larval morphology. Reference sequences from the GenBank and BOLD databases assigned six larval OTUs with presumptive species level identifications and confirmed one previously assigned species level identification. Sequences from morphologically identified adults in the present study grouped with and further classified the identity of 13 larval OTUs. The use of morphological identification and subsequent DNA barcoding of adult chironomids proved to be beneficial in revealing possible species level identifications of larval specimens. Sequence data from this study also contribute to currently inadequate public databases relevant to the Great Lakes region, while the neighbor-joining analysis reported here describes the application and confirmation of a useful tool that can accelerate identification and bioassessment of chironomid communities.

One new species named Goeldichironomus adhaerens sp. n. is described from urban area in Manaus, Brazilian Amazon, based on male adult, pupa and larva. New records of G. neopictus Trivinho-Strixino & Strixino, G. maculatus Trivinho-Strixino & Strixino, G. pictus Reiss and G. fluctuans Reiss are also provided.

Larvae of a species from the subfamily Blepharicerinae were first discovered in the 1950's, but the lack of additional records prevented description of the species. A recent study of important additional specimens from the late Brian Stuckenberg has provided the basis for describing this unusual fly. This paper provides a description of larvae, pupae, and adults of Aphromyia stuckenbergi gen. et sp. nov., and a brief discussion of its phylogenetic position within the family. The latter is confounded by marked adult colocephaly (reduction of the head) and concomitant reduction in mouthparts, and by lack of recent collections that would permit molecular analyses and further morphological study. Known from only two collections, the most recent nearly 60 years ago, this highly endemic and rare fly is arguably one the most endangered species in Madagascar.

A new fossil genus, Eonandeva gen. nov., with two new species: E. helva sp. nov. (type for the genus) and E. latistyla sp. nov., is described from Eocene Baltic amber (~45-40 Ma). Adult males of both new species show the wing venation pattern, shape and chaetotaxy typical for the tribe Tanytarsini. The characters defined as prior apomorphies for the new genus--the gonostylus with a subapical flattened lobe and the stout, strongly elongated superior volsella--separate Eonandeva from the closely related extant genus Nandeva Wiedenbrug, Reiss et Fittkau, 1998.

Polypedilum (Pentapedilum) tuburcinatum Andersen et Bello González sp. n. is described and figured as male, female, pupa and larva based on material collected in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa, imported into quarantine in Ireland and reared in the laboratory. The species feeds on the aquatic weed Lagarosiphon major (Ridl.) Moss ex Wager and is regarded as a promising candidate agent for biological control of this invasive weed.

Two Japanese Polypedilum species including a new species are redescribed and described based on the males. Polypedilum (Probolum) simantokeleum, Sasa, Suzuki et Sakai, 1998, is transferred to the subgenus Uresipedilum. Polypedilum (Uresipedilum) dissimilum sp. nov. is easily distinguished from other members of Uresipedilum by having a T-shaped tergal band. Definition of the subgenus Probolum is briefly discussed: we suggest Probolum should be defined as the species with the superior volsella bearing inner lobe pending adequate larval information.

The incidence of morphological deformities of chironomid larvae as an indicator of sediment toxicity has been studied for decades. However, standards for deformity analysis are lacking. The authors evaluated whether 25 experts diagnosed larval deformities in a similar manner. Based on high-quality digital images, the experts rated 211 menta of Chironomus spp. larvae as normal or deformed. The larvae were from a site with polluted sediments or from a reference site. The authors revealed this to a random half of the experts, and the rest conducted the assessment blind. The authors quantified the interrater agreement by kappa coefficient, tested whether open and blind assessments differed in deformity incidence and in differentiation between the sites, and identified those deformity types rated most consistently or inconsistently. The total deformity incidence varied greatly, from 10.9% to 66.4% among experts. Kappa coefficient across rater pairs averaged 0.52, indicating insufficient agreement. The deformity types rated most consistently were those missing teeth or with extra teeth. The open and blind assessments did not differ, but differentiation between sites was clearest for raters who counted primarily absolute deformities such as missing and extra teeth and excluded apparent mechanical aberrations or deviations in tooth size or symmetry. The highly differing criteria in deformity assignment have likely led to inconsistent results in midge larval deformity studies and indicate an urgent need for standardization of the analysis., (© 2015 SETAC.)

A new genus, Nubensia Spies, is proposed for N. nubens (Edwards, 1929), n. comb., based on morphological evaluation of both adult sexes, the pupa and larva. The material studied includes name-bearing syntype specimens and the first reared associations linking three life stages for individual members of this species. The larva represents a unique morphotype previously described incompletely only from studies of subfossil chironomid remains. The problems with placement of the species in any previously established genus are discussed in detail, and various related issues in taxonomy and nomenclature are commented on. The verified distribution of N. nubens ranges from the British Isles and central Europe to the western Mediterranean, including northern Africa, with possible extensions to Turkey and central Asia. Larvae have been found on mostly coarse, variously covered substrates near the shores of lakes and banks of slowly flowing running waters, under both oligotrophic and eutrophic conditions.

Morphology, cytology, ecology and biology of Holarctic Chironomus (Chironomus) acidophilus Keyl, 1960 (Diptera, Chironomidae) was examined from material collected in the geothermal Vosmerka Lake (pH=2.0-2.5). An illustrated redescription of C. acidophilus is given on the basis of adult males reared from field-collected pupae, and of simultaneously collected larvae. Additional larvae belonging to the pseudothummi-complex were identified as C. acidophilus on the basis of their karyotype. The karyotype of C. acidophilus (2n=8) and detailed mapping of the 4 chromosome arms A, E, D and F are provided. The population of C. acidophilus from Kamchatka was found to be karyologically monomorphic. Information on distribution and ecology of C. acidophilus from Vosmerka Lake (total mineralization 1583.5 mg/l) is also given. Chironomus acidophilus is the only species of aquatic insects recorded in this lake. Lack of competition and a richness of food resources contribute to the high abundance (35161 ind./m 2 ) and biomass (11.342 g/m 2 ) of the larvae of C. acidophilus in Vosmerka Lake.