Description of the Alpine Micropsectra oberaarensis sp. n. with taxonomic comments on the attenuata group (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Ahitherto unknown species in the Micropsectra attenuata group, Micropsectra oberaarensis sp. n., has recently been collected from high elevation in the Berner Alps (Switzerland).The male and pupa of the new species, and the previously unknown larva of the closely related Micropsectra seguyi Casas & Laville, are here described and diagnosed. These two species, Micropsectra attenuata Reiss and Micropsectra auvergnensis Reiss are morphologically similar as adult males, but can easily be separated in their pupal life stage. Partial COI gene sequences indicate sufficient interspecific variation to separate the morphologically two most similar species, M. oberaarensis and M. seguyi. Micropsectra davigra Gilka & Abramczuk is presented as a new junior synonymto M. pharetrophora Fittkau& Reiss and a key to males of all eight West Palaearctic species in the attenuata group is given. The diagnostic characters separating the genera Parapsectra and Krenopsectra from the attenuata group are briefly discussed

New findings and an overall assessment of Norwegian biting midges (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae)

Source at: http://www.entomologi.no/journals/nje/2022-1/pdf/nje-vol69-no1-2022-82-190-dominiak.pdfFaunistic studies on biting midges conducted mostly in South Norway between 2006 and 2020, as well as a revision of available literature, resulted in a new comprehensive checklist of the species known from mainland Norway. In total, 21 genera and 216 species of Ceratopogonidae have been registered, of which as many as 165 are with Linnaean names. For the remaining 51 species interim names are given as no existing nominal species could be assigned. Four genera, namely Ceratoculicoides Wirth & Ratanaworabhan, 1971, Monohelea Kieffer, 1917b, Phaenobezzia Haeselbarth, 1965 and Probezzia Kieffer, 1906, and 58 species are reported from Norway for the first time. Records of nine biting midge species previously mentioned from the country turned out to be uncertain and are currently treated as doubtful. In Norway, the most species-rich genera of Ceratopogonidae are: Culicoides Latreille, 1809 with 34, Forcipomyia Meigen, 1818 with 29, Dasyhelea Kieffer, 1911a with 22, Atrichopogon Kieffer, 1906 with 16, Bezzia Kieffer, 1899 with 15, and Palpomyia Meigen, 1818 with 15 reported species

CHIRONOMIDAE TYPES IN THE MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY, BERGEN

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The invertebrate fauna of anthropogenic soils in the High-Arctic settlement of Barentsburg, Svalbard

The terrestrial environment of the High Arctic consists of a mosaic of habitat types. In addition to the natural habitat diversity, various human-influenced types may occur. For the resident invertebrate fauna, these anthropogenic habitats may be either unusually favourable or detrimental. In the town of Barentsburg, Svalbard, soils were imported for the greenhouses from southern Russia. These soils were subsequently discarded outside the greenhouses and have become augmented with manure from the cowsheds. Both the greenhouse and the cowsheds are now derelict. This site represents an unusually nutrient-rich location with considerable development of organic soils, in stark contrast to the naturally forming organic soils in Svalbard, which are typically thin and nutrient poor. Few previous studies have examined the soil invertebrate communities of human-disturbed or -created habitats in the Arctic. In an often nutrient-poor terrestrial environment, it is unclear how the invertebrate fauna will react to such nutrient enhancement. In these soils, 46 species of invertebrates were determined. Eleven species have not been recorded from other habitats in Svalbard and are hence likely to have been introduced. The native species assemblage in the anthropogenic soils was not atypical for many natural sites in Svalbard. Despite the enriched organic soils and highly ameliorated winter temperature conditions, the soil invertebrate fauna biodiversity does not appear to be enhanced beyond the presence of certain probably introduced species

The Arthropod Fauna of Oak (Quercus spp., Fagaceae) Canopies in Norway

(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.</jats:p

Figure 5 in A revision of West Palaearctic species of the Micropsectra atrofasciata species group (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Figure 5. Micropsectra appendica sp. nov. A, hypopygium. B, variation in superior volsella. C, superior, median and inferior volsellae. D, pupal thorax. E, pupal frontal apotome. F, pupal abdominal segments II–VI, dorsal. G, pupal abdominal segments VIII–IX. H, variation in posterolateral comb of pupal segment VIII.Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Stur, Elisabeth &amp; Ekrem, Torbjørn, 2006, A revision of West Palaearctic species of the Micropsectra atrofasciata species group (Diptera: Chironomidae), pp. 165-225 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 146 (4)&lt;/i&gt; on page 177, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00230.x, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10114664"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/10114664&lt;/a&gt

Figure 16 in A revision of West Palaearctic species of the Micropsectra atrofasciata species group (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Figure 16. Micropsectra robusta sp. nov. A, hypopygium. B, superior, median and inferior volsellae.Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Stur, Elisabeth &amp; Ekrem, Torbjørn, 2006, A revision of West Palaearctic species of the Micropsectra atrofasciata species group (Diptera: Chironomidae), pp. 165-225 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 146 (4)&lt;/i&gt; on page 205, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00230.x, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10114664"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/10114664&lt;/a&gt

Figure 1. Phylogenetic hypotheses for the Micropsectra atrofasciata species group, only including species with sequenced COII. A in A revision of West Palaearctic species of the Micropsectra atrofasciata species group (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Figure 1. Phylogenetic hypotheses for the Micropsectra atrofasciata species group, only including species with sequenced COII. A, result from Bayesian analysis of COII gene sequences. Posterior probabilities shown above branches, bootstrap support below branches from parsimony analysis of the same data set. B, result from parsimony analysis of the combined molecular and morphological data sets. Bremer support on branches. C, result from parsimony analysis of the combined molecular and morphological data sets, with third positions excluded. Bremer support on branches.Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Stur, Elisabeth &amp; Ekrem, Torbjørn, 2006, A revision of West Palaearctic species of the Micropsectra atrofasciata species group (Diptera: Chironomidae), pp. 165-225 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 146 (4)&lt;/i&gt; on page 168, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00230.x, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10114664"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/10114664&lt;/a&gt