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Aim The Neotropics, particularly South America, holds unparalleled high levels of species richness, when compared to other major biomes. Some neotropical areas are hotspots of a fragmentary known diversity of insects and are under manifest danger of biodiversity loss and climate change. Therefore, prompt estimates methods of its diversity are urgently required to complement slower traditional taxonomic approaches. Despite a variety of algorithms for delimiting species through single-locus DNA barcodes having been developed and applied for rapid estimates of species diversity in a wide array of taxa; however, tree-based and distance-based methods may lead to different group assignments, either overestimating or underestimating the number of putative species. Here, we investigate the performance of different DNA-based species delimitation approaches for a rapid biodiversity estimate of the diversity of Polypedilum (Chironomidae, Diptera) in South America. Location Worldwide Methods We analyze a mtDNA dataset comprising 1,492 specimens from 598 locations worldwide. Molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) ranged from 267 to 520, based on the Barcode Index Number (BIN), Bayesian Poisson tree processes (bPTP), multi-rate Poisson tree processes (mPTP), single-rate Poisson tree processes (sPTP), and generalized mixed Yule coalescent (sGMYC) approaches. Results Our results highlight Polypedilum as a species-rich genus, yet incompletely documented, and found the sGMYC method to be the most adequate to estimate putative species in our dataset. Furthermore, based on these data, we describe the distribution of diversity and some biogeographical patterns of Polypedilum. Main Conclusions Findings imply the genus exhibited high levels of endemism and richness of species in the Neotropics, which confirmed our hypothesis that there are substantial differences in community structure between the Polypedilum fauna in South America and the neighboring regions.

Global gradients in species biodiversity are expected to reflect tighter packing of species closer to the equator. Yet, empirical validation of these patterns has so far focused on less diverse taxa, with comparable assessments of mega-diverse groups historically constrained by the taxonomic impediment. Here we assess the temporal and spatial turnover dynamics of arthropod communities sampled across 129 globally distributed monitoring sites. Overall, we encountered more than 150,000 unique BINs (i.e., species proxies). We show that global differences in community compositional change are linked to latitudinal, spatial, and temporal gradients, which are largely consistent across biogeographic regions. This general latitudinal imprint on community composition provides a mechanistic underpinning for global biodiversity gradients.

(1) We document the invertebrate fauna collected from 24 oak canopies in east and west Norway as a contribution to the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre’s ‘The Norwegian Taxonomy Initiative’. (2) A snap-shot inventory of the canopies was recorded by means of emitting a mist of natural pyrethrum into the canopies at night using a petrol-driven fogger and collecting the specimens in butterfly nets spread on the ground under the canopy. (3) Almost the entire catch of more than 6800 specimens was identified to 722 species. Out of 92 species new to the Norwegian fauna, 21 were new to science and, additionally, 15 were new to the Nordic fauna. Diptera alone constituted nearly half of the species represented, with 61 new records (18 new species). Additionally, 24 Hymenoptera (one new species), six oribatid mites (two new species) and one Thysanoptera were new to the Norwegian fauna. (4) Our study emphasizes the importance of the oak tree as a habitat both for a specific fauna and occasional visitors, and it demonstrates that the canopy fogging technique is an efficient way to find the ‘hidden fauna’ of Norwegian forests. The low number of red listed species found reflects how poor the Norwegian insect fauna is still studied. Moreover, the implication of the IUCN red list criteria for newly described or newly observed species is discussed. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses /by/4.0/).

Over the last two decades, the use of DNA barcodes has transformed our ability to identify and assess life on our planet. Both strengths and weaknesses of the method have been exemplified through thousands of peer-reviewed scientific articles. Given the novel sequencing approaches, currently capable of generating millions of reads at low cost, we reflect on the questions: What will the future bring for DNA barcoding? Will identification of species using short, standardized fragments of DNA stand the test of time? We present reflected opinions of early career biodiversity researchers in the form of a SWOT analysis and discuss answers to these questions., The Research School in Biosystematics (ForBio) is supported by a grant from the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre.

BackgroundDragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) are important components in biomonitoring due to their amphibiotic lifecycle and specific habitat requirements. They are charismatic and popular insects, but can be challenging to identify despite large size and often distinct coloration, especially the immature stages. DNA-based assessment tools rely on validated DNA barcode reference libraries evaluated in a supraregional context to minimize taxonomic incongruence and identification mismatches.MethodsThis study reports on findings from the analysis of the most comprehensive DNA barcode dataset for Central European Odonata to date, with 103 out of 145 recorded European species included and publicly deposited in the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD). The complete dataset includes 697 specimens (548 adults, 108 larvae) from 274 localities in 16 countries with a geographic emphasis on Central Europe. We used BOLD to generate sequence divergence metrics and to examine the taxonomic composition of the DNA barcode clusters within the dataset and in comparison with all data on BOLD.ResultsOver 88% of the species included can be readily identified using their DNA barcodes and the reference dataset provided. Considering the complete European dataset, unambiguous identification is hampered in 12 species due to weak mitochondrial differentiation and partial haplotype sharing. However, considering the known species distributions only two groups of five species possibly co-occur, leading to an unambiguous identification of more than 95% of the analysed Odonata via DNA barcoding in real applications. The cases of small interspecific genetic distances and the observed deep intraspecific variation inCordulia aenea(Linnaeus, 1758) are discussed in detail and the corresponding taxa in the public reference database are highlighted. They should be considered in future applications of DNA barcoding and metabarcoding and represent interesting evolutionary biological questions, which call for in depth analyses of the involved taxa throughout their distribution ranges.

The non-biting midge subfamily Tanypodinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) is species-rich, ecologically diverse, and near-globally distributed. Within the subfamily, aspects of generic and species-level taxonomy remain poorly understood, in particular the validity of assignment of Australian and New Zealand taxa to genera erected for northern hemisphere (Holarctic) fauna. Here, we place the austral diversity within this global context by extensive geographical and taxonomic sampling in concert with a multilocus phylogenetic approach. We incorporated sequence data for mitochondrial COI, and nuclear 28S and CAD, and conducted Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic inferences and Bayesian divergence time estimation. The resolved phylogeny supported many associations of Australian taxa with their proposed Holarctic congeners, with the exception of Apsectrotanypus Fittkau, and validates several taxa as endemic. Three of four New Zealand sampled taxa had their sister groups in Australia; New Zealand Monopelopia Fittkau was sister to a German congener. This included the first record of Procladius Kieffer from New Zealand. Most nodes connecting austral and Holarctic taxa clustered around the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (60-80 mya), whereas New Zealand-Australia nodes were generally slightly younger (53-57 mya). Together, these data contribute substantially to our understanding of the taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of the Australian Tanypodinae and more broadly to knowledge of Australia’s aquatic insect biodiversity.

Tanytarsus van der Wulp, with 355 currently known valid species, is a comparatively large genus of nonbiting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae). Relationships among Tanytarsus and associated genera and among species in the genus have been exceptionally difficult to resolve using morphology or single gene genealogies. Here, the phylogeny of Tanytarsus sensu lato is reconstructed based on the combined analysis of five nuclear markers, including both ribosomal (18S) and protein‐coding (AATS1, CAD, PGD and TPI) genes. Our results indicate that Tanytarsus is paraphyletic with Caladomyia Sawedal placed among South American Tanytarsus, Virgatanytarsus Pinder as part of a Gondwanan clade, and Corynocera Zetterstedt within the Tanytarsus norvegicus (Kieffer) species group. Based on these results, we synonymize Caladomyia and Virgatanytarsus with Tanytarsus. We propose retaining the older name Corynocera until an eventual International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ruling on precedence can be made regarding the more frequent usage of the younger name Tanytarsus. As expected, the previously synonymized Nimbocera Reiss is confirmed to be a junior synonym of Tanytarsus with T. rhabdomantis (Trivinho‐Strixino & Strixino) grouping with other Neotropical Tanytarsus. The genus Sublettea Roback remains valid outside of Tanytarsus + Cladotanytarsus Kieffer. The monophyly of some established species groups is well supported, while other groups are refuted or remain uncertain. Based on a calibrated molecular divergence time analysis, Tanytarsus diverged from its sister group Cladotanytarsus during the Late Cretaceous to Early Paleogene (61–79 Ma). The genus most likely originated in the Oriental and Palearctic regions.

Short, standardized gene fragments for species identification (DNA barcodes) have proven effective in delineating closely-related insect species, and can be critical characters to include in taxonomic studies. This is also the case for the species-rich and widely distributed fly family Chironomidae (non-biting midges). Inspired by observed genetic differences in partial COI gene sequences between North American and European populations of the chironomid Ablabesmyia monilis sensu lato, we investigated whether or not the morphology of male and female adults supported the distinction of more than one species. Our results support that the junior synonym Ablabesmyia americana is a valid species separate from A. monilis, and that A. monilis sensu stricto is distributed both in the Palearctic region and in North America. We provide re-descriptions of all of the major life stages of A. americana and of the adult female of A. monilis. Back from the Past: DNA Barcodes and Morphology Support Ablabesmyia americana Fittkau as a Valid Species (Diptera: Chironomidae) © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Colonisation and immigration history is often neglected as a factor when investigating community or species distribution patterns. However, for dynamic systems that are still reacting to large-scale environmental change, such as the retreat of the ice since the last glacial maximum, colonisation history may explain a large amount of the variation between geographically distinct communities. The High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard presents an opportunity to test whether it is possible to observe the effects of large-scale biogeographical patterns on species distribution at landscape scales. Svalbard has one of the best described inventories of the invertebrate fauna in the Arctic. Nonetheless, the majority of the species records originate from the more accessible west coast and the invertebrate fauna of the whole eastern region, including Edgeøya, is virtually unknown. Edgeøya is located at the eastern fringe of the archipelago on the boundary between Palaearctic and Nearctic faunas. It was expected that post-colonisation dispersal within Edgeøya would conceal routes to the archipelago. Samples were obtained from six locations along the coast of Edgeøya between 2009 and 2010. 140 invertebrate species were identified belonging to 69 different genera of which 16 are new records for Svalbard. Most new species present an eastern Palaearctic distribution. Habitat variables (percentage cover of moss, lichen, vascular plant, or bare soil) fail to explain 35.5% of the differences among sites. However, cluster analysis reveals a clear east–west distribution pattern across the island suggesting that pan-Arctic dispersal routes can be identified even at relatively short geographical scales. © The Author(s) 2019 Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Over the past decade, molecular approaches to species delimitation have seen rapid development. However, species delimitation based on a single locus, for example, DNA barcodes, can lead to inaccurate results in cases of recent speciation and incomplete lineage sorting. Here, we compare the performance of Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), Bayesian Poisson tree processes (PTP), networks, generalized mixed Yule coalescent (GMYC) and Bayesian phylogenetics and phylogeography (BPP) models to delineate cryptic species previously detected by DNA barcodes within Tanytarsus (Diptera: Chironomidae) non-biting midges. We compare the results from analyses of one mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I [COI]) and three nuclear (alanyl-tRNA synthetase 1 [AATS1], carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 [CAD1] and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase [PGD]) protein-coding genes. Our results show that species delimitation based on multiple nuclear DNA markers is largely concordant with morphological variation and delimitations using a single locus, for example, the COI barcode. However, ABGD, GMYC, PTP and network models led to conflicting results based on a single locus and delineate species differently than morphology. Results from BPP analyses on multiple loci correspond best with current morphological species concept. In total, 10 lineages of the Tanytarsus curticornis species complex were uncovered. Excluding a Norwegian population of Tanytarsus brundini which might have undergone recent hybridization, this suggests six hitherto unrecognized species new to science. Five distinct species are well supported in the Tanytarsus heusdensis species complex, including two species new to science. © 2018 The Authors. Zoologica Scripta published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.

Chironomid flies (non-biting midges) are among the most abundant and diverse animals in Arctic regions, but detailed analyses of species distributions and biogeographical patterns are hampered by challenging taxonomy and reliance on morphology for species-level identification. Here we take advantage of available DNA barcode data of Arctic Chironomidae in BOLD to analyse similarities in species distributions across a northern Nearctic – West Palearctic gradient. Using more than 260 000 barcodes representing 4666 BINs (Barcode Index Numbers) and 826 named species (some with interim names) from a combination of public and novel data, we show that the Greenland chironomid fauna shows affinities to both the Nearctic and the West Palearctic regions. While raw taxon counts indicate a strong Greenland – North American affinity, comparisons using Chao’s dissimilarity metric support a slightly higher similarity between Greenland and West Palearctic chironomid communities. Results were relatively consistent across different definitions of species taxonomic units, including morphologically determined species, BINs, and superBINs based on a ∼4.5% threshold. While most taxa found in Greenland are shared with at least one other region, reflecting circum-Arctic dispersal, our results also reveal that Greenland harbours a small endemic biodiversity. Our exploratory study showcases how DNA barcoding efforts using standardized gene regions contribute to an understanding of broad-scale patterns in biogeography by enabling joint analysis of public DNA sequence data derived from diverse prior studies. Copyright remains with the author(s) or their institution(s).

Insect skins (exuviae) are of extracellular origin and shed during moulting. The skins do not contain cells or DNA themselves, but epithelial cells and other cell-based structures might accidentally attach as they are shed. This source of trace DNA can be sufficient for PCR amplification and sequencing of target genes and aid in species identification through DNA barcoding or association of unknown life stages. Species identification is essential for biomonitoring programs, as species vary in sensitivities to environmental factors. However, it requires a DNA isolation protocol that optimizes the output of target DNA. Here, we compare the relative effectiveness of five different DNA extraction protocols and direct PCR in isolation of DNA from chironomid pupal exuviae. Chironomidae (Diptera) is a species-rich group of aquatic macroinvertebrates widely distributed in freshwater environments and considered a valuable bioindicator of water quality. Genomic DNA was extracted from 61.2% of 570 sampled pupal exuviae. There were significant differences in the methods with regard to cost, handling time, DNA quantity, PCR success, sequence success and the ability to sequence target taxa. The NucleoSpin(®) Tissue XS Kit, DNeasy(®) Blood and Tissue kit, and QuickExtract(™) DNA Extraction Solution provided the best results in isolating DNA from single pupal exuviae. Direct PCR and DTAB/CTAB methods gave poor results. While the observed differences in DNA isolation methods on trace DNA will be relevant to research that focuses on aquatic macroinvertebrate ecology, taxonomy and systematics, they should also be of interest for studies using environmental barcoding and metabarcoding of aquatic environments.

Chironomidae (Diptera) pupal exuviae samples are commonly used for biological monitoring of aquatic habitats. DNA barcoding has proved useful for species identification of chironomid life stages containing cellular tissue, but the barcoding success of chironomid pupal exuviae is unknown. We assessed whether standard DNA barcoding could be efficiently used for species identification of chironomid pupal exuviae when compared with morphological techniques and if there were differences in performance between temperate and tropical ecosystems, subfamilies, and tribes. PCR, sequence, and identification success differed significantly between geographic regions and taxonomic groups. For Norway, 27 out of 190 (14.2%) of pupal exuviae resulted in high-quality chironomid sequences that match species. For Costa Rica, 69 out of 190 (36.3%) Costa Rican pupal exuviae resulted in high-quality sequences, but none matched known species. Standard DNA barcoding of chironomid pupal exuviae had limited success in species identification of unknown specimens due to contaminations and lack of matching references in available barcode libraries, especially from Costa Rica. Therefore, we recommend future biodiversity studies that focus their efforts on understudied regions, to simultaneously use morphological and molecular identification techniques to identify all life stages of chironomids and populate the barcode reference library with identified sequences. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

For over a decade, DNA barcoding has proven an effective modern tool in taxonomy, evolutionary biology and biodiversity research. Many new species have been discovered and described with DNA barcodes as part of their diagnostic features. Using DNA barcodes, we uncovered a number of potential species within the Tanytarsus curticornis and Tanytarsus heusdensis species complexes (Diptera: Chironomidae) and detected morphological differences a posteriori that support the description of new species. Unusually large intraspecific divergence in COI p-distance (up to 10%) was observed for two species complexes. In total, eight species new to science are described and figured: T. adustus sp. n., T. heberti sp. n., T. madeiraensis sp. n., T. pseudoheusdensis sp. n., T. songi sp. n., T. thomasi sp. n., T. tongmuensis sp. n. and T. wangi sp. n.. Tanytarsus reei and T. tamaoctavus are redescribed, and T. tusimatneous is listed as a new junior synonym of T. tamaduodecimus. The diagnostic characters of the remaining species of the complexes are discussed. Keys to males and pupae are given.

We used an integrative-taxonomy approach to help resolve taxonomic issues within the genus Micropsectra (Diptera:Chironomidae). We used partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nuclear carbamylphosphate synthetase (CAD) sequences and morphological data to provide a framework for better understanding of North American species in this group of nonbiting midges. As part of our results, we describe 3 new species: Micropsectra neoappendica, n. sp., Micropsectra penicillata, n. sp., and Micropsectra subletteorum, n. sp., and 1 species new to the north-central USA, Micropsectra xantha (Roback). Two of the species, M. neoappendica n. sp. and M. subletteorum n. sp., initially appeared to be morphologically identical to species known from the Palearctic. However, molecular data indicated that they were genetically distinct, and reexamination of adult and pupal morphology revealed slight but consistent diagnostic differences. The implications of using species-level identifications for cryptic-species...

Kiefferulus pruinosus (Freeman, 1961) comb. n. http://zoobank.org/ 0A207111-3F6B-4169-A6EB-2CDDC478E839 Chironomus (Endochironomus) pruinosa [sic!] Freeman, 1961: 246. Endochironomus pruinosus (Freeman, 1961), Freeman and Cranston (1980). Material examined: Holotype male (MNHN), Madagascar Nord, Montagne d’Ambre 1000m, 23.xi-4.xii.1958, B. Stuckenberg. The male holotype lacks frontal tubercles, has numerous setae on vein R in an otherwise bare wing (Fig. 3a), and has divided mid- and hind tibial combs, each with spur. Antenna with 11 flagellomeres and an AR of about 2.7. The hypopygium (Fig. 3b) lacks median tergite setae, has Y-shaped anal tergite bands, almost bare superior volsella, setose inferior volsella that is slightly expanded dorso-ventrally and gonostylus with slight subapical constriction. The species fits quite well in the definition of Kiefferulus Goetghebuer after the inclusion of Nilodorum Kieffer by Cranston et al. (1990). Indeed Freeman (1961) had discussed the similarity with Nilodorum in the original description, especially with regard to the appearance of the thorax (Fig. 3c). He chose not to place the species there due to the normally developed maxillary palps and the narrow inferior volsella, but these characters later have been argued not to be diagnostic at genus-level (Cranston et al. 1990). The shape of the superior volsella (Fig. 3b) is quite aberrant compared to other species in Kiefferulus, but we interpret this as a species-specific trait.

Chironomus (Benthalia) hamatus (Freeman, 1957) comb. n. http://zoobank.org/ F9A669AB-EE75-4C5A-ABB5-C58DA7091109 Chironomus (Endochironomus) hamatus Freeman, 1957: 355. Endochironomus hamatus (Freeman, 1957), Freeman and Cranston (1980). Material examined: 1 paratype male (NHMUK), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Elisabethville, 30.iii.1939, H.-J. Brédo. The examined male paratype shows characters typical of the Chironomus group of genera: antenna with 11 flagellomeres, medially fused antepronotal lobes, inferior volsella subcylindrical with dense apical setae. Unfortunately, the slide-mounted hypopygium (Figs 1a, b) is quite distorted, but the almost parallel-sided gonostylus without subapical constriction, anal tergite bands that meet medially in front of and not encircling median tergite setae, and the shape of the superior volsella resembles what is known from Benthalia Lipina (Shilova 1980 sub Einfeldia carbonaria (Meigen, 1804), Saether 2012). Moreover, the specimen has large barrel-shaped frontal tubercles (Figs 1c, d) characteristic of Benthalia (Shilova 1980, fig. 8A 2). In addition there is a smaller pair of warts on the anterior part of vertex, dorsolaterally with respect to the frontal tubercles. A similar arrangement has been recorded for Tanytarsus epleri Ekrem et al., 2003. For this species the pupa has large frontal warts in addition to enlarged frontal tubercles (Ekrem et al. 2003), thus similar structures might be present in the unknown pupa of Chironomus (B.) hamatus. Some authors regard Benthalia a separate genus (e.g. Saether and Spies 2013, Yamamoto and Yamamoto 2014), while Epler et al. (2013) regard Benthalia as possible subgenus of Chironomus Meigen along with Fleuria Kieffer, Baeotendipes Kieffer, Chaetolabis Townes and Lobochironomus Ryser, Wülker & Scholl. Molecular phylogenies are inconclusive for the group placement of Benthalia (Martin et al. 2007 sub Lobochironomus dissidens = Benthalia carbonaria), but indicate a closer relationship to species in Chironomus sensu stricto. Until conclusive data that are provided, preferably through molecular systematic studies with wide sampling of Chironomus species and relatives, we regard Benthalia as a subgenus of Chironomus.

Ekrem, Torbjørn, Elisabeth Stur (2016): NEW COMBINATIONS OF AFROTROPICAL CHIRONOMINI (DIPTERA: CHIRONOMIDAE) Abstract. CHIRONOMUS Journal of Chironomidae Research 29: 4-10, DOI: 10.5324/cjcr.v0i29.1981

During our work on the Chironomidae chapter of the forthcoming Manual of Afrotropical Diptera we examined type material of the four Chironomini species Chironomus (Endochironomus) hamatus, Chironomus (E.) pruinosus, Chironomus (E.) woodi and Chironomus (Cryptochironomus) inflexus described by Paul Freeman. We provide photos of the types and associated material and argue for the following generic placements: Chironomus (Benthalia) hamatus comb.n., Kiefferulus pruinosus comb. n., Synendotendipes woodi comb. n. and Cladopelma inflexum. Open Access article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In this study, the potential of Malaise traps to collect representative portions of an insect community was investigated. To do so, the complete catch (nearly 22 000 specimens) of male Chironomidae (Diptera) from five parallel Malaise traps along an alpine stream was identified and assigned to 108 different species. The traps were run for 4 weeks in June and July, 2008. The similarity in community composition between parallel samples, that is, from different traps the same week, was evaluated by fitting a bivariate Poisson-lognormal species abundance model. The estimated correlation in this bivariate distribution was used as a measure of similarity since this approach is utilising all the available species abundance information and accounts for the sampling process. Estimated similarities showed non-significant differences in chironomid community structure between parallel samples. The five Malaise traps sampled equally representative portions of the Chironomidae community present at the site, so the traps were found to be very reliable in the monitoring of Chironomidae community structure. Application of the bivariate correlation as a similarity measure offers advantages over traditional measures because it takes account of the complete species abundance distributions. This approach provides an approximately unbiased estimate of similarity despite varying sample sizes and detection/non-detection of species that are present, but rare.

Forty six species of invertebrate were collected from the manure enriched imported soils below the abandoned cow sheds in the Russian mining town of Barentsburg, Svalbard. Of these, 11 (24 %) were new records for Svalbard, including Collembola, gamasid mites, Enchytraeidae and the first identified Lumbricidae. Many of the new records are species not frequently observed in the Arctic. It is hypothesized that these species arrived with the chernozem soils imported to Barentsburg for the greenhouses from central or southern European Russia, or with livestock. The observations presented here are the first records of human invertebrate introductions establishing in Svalbard outside of dwellings. It is not believed that the majority of new species records described present an immediate threat to the ecology of Svalbard but they may, especially Deuteraphorura variabilis, establish in the nutrient enriched floral communities beneath bird cliffs characteristic of Svalbard.

In this study we examine the utility of three mitochondrial (COI, COII, 16S) and two nuclear (CAD and EF-1a) markers for estimating lower-level phylogenetic relationships within the dipteran family Chironomidae. As a test case we use species of the genus Micropsectra and the putatively closely related genera Krenopsectra, Parapsectra and Paratanytarsus. We also examine the phylogenetic evidence for the currently accepted species groups within the genus Micropsectra. In our results, highly variable EF-1a sequences within some species indicate the first find of paralogous gene copies in nematocerous Diptera. Among the other genes, COI is found to have the weakest while CAD contains the strongest phylogenetic signal. The resulting phylogeny displays a well-supported, but paraphyletic Micropsectra with regard to Krenopsectra acuta and five Parapsectra species, indicating taxonomic synonymy of these genera with 100% posterior probability. The genus Parapsectra is polyphyletic within Micropsectra while Paratanytarsus remains monophyletic although with low posterior probability. Micropsectra acuta, M. bumasta, M. fallax, M. nohedensis, M. mendli, M. uliginosa, M. chionophila, M. nana, M. styriaca and M. wagneri will all be new combinations as a consequence of the synonymy.

Because the family Chironomidae, or non-biting midges, is one of the most species-rich groups of macroinvertebrates in freshwater habitats, species-level identifications of chironomids are important for biodiversity assessments in these ecosystems. Morphology-based species identifications from adult female chironomids usually are considerably more difficult than from adult males, or even impossible; thus, the females are often neglected in community assessments. We used DNA barcoding to investigate how inclusion of the females influenced the species count from springs and spring brooks at Solendet Nature Reserve in Central Norway. By means of the barcodes we were able to identify 77.6% of the females to species by associating them with males from the study site or from other regions, whereas the remaining, unassociated females could be identified to genus level only. The number of recorded species increased by 27% when females were included. We also found that DNA barcoding is effective for the detection of taxonomically challenging species and species groups. Using DNA barcoding in combination with traditional taxonomy, we recognised at least five species new to science and three species and one genus new to Norway.

During faunistic investigations on spring habitats in the alpine National Park Berchtesgaden (Bavaria, Germany), water mites were found to be the group with the highest share of species strongly adapted to springs. At four sample sites at two spring complexes, insect emergence was screened for parasitism by larval water mites. A total of at least 36 host species were recorded as being parasitized by 19 water mite species. As in many other habitats, the most important host taxon was shown to be the nematoceran family Chironomidae, both in the number of species and individuals parasitized. Likewise, the number of water mite species attached to chironomids was high. Further host species were found among the Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera, Limoniidae and Empididae (Diptera). These taxa were only parasitized by a single water mite species in each case. For 13 mite species, new hosts were recorded for the first time. For another six species, the known host spectrum could be confirmed and/or supplemented. The parasitological data presented (e.g., prevalences, selected attachment sites on the host, larval phenology, intensity of parasitism) provide, in most cases, basic information concerning previously unknown parasite–host associations. At this time, the reason for the strong crenobiosis in water mites cannot be explained by their parasitism.