A polar insect's tale: Observations on the life cycle of Parochlus steinenii, the only winged midge native to Antarctica.

Keywords: Antarctica; Chironomidae; environmental adaptation; life history; phenology EN Antarctica Chironomidae environmental adaptation life history phenology 1 9 9 03/06/23 20230301 NES 230301 Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands include some of the world's most extreme and pristine terrestrial habitats. Integrating GDD data into models aimed at forecasting the impact of current climate change provides a powerful tool for assessing its effects on insect phenology, as it can account for both regional and temporal variations in temperature (e.g., Hughes et al., [25]). In this context, we characterized the habitat preferences, life cycle, and phenology of I P. steinenii i , the winged Antarctic midge, to better understand how climate change may affect the phenological patterns of this species through time and space. Studies of the life history, phenology, and stress tolerances of insects inhabiting aquatic ecosystems in these regions are critical for a better understanding of the ecological consequences of recent and ongoing climate change. [Extracted from the article]