Parakiefferiella Thienemann, 1936

Namayandeh, Armin, Hudson, Patrick L., Bogan, Daniel L. & Hudson, John P., 2024, Chironomidae (Diptera: Insecta) of Alaska, USA, with descriptions of new species and a checklist, Zootaxa 5511 (1), pp. 1-95 : 67-68

Parakiefferiella Thienemann, 1936

Bowser et al. (2020) reported larvae of Parakiefferiella bathophila (Kieffer, 1912) from the Miller Creek watershed using DNA barcode data. Parakiefferiella gracillima (Kieffer, 1924) and Parakiefferiella nigra Brundin, 1949 were reported by Butler et al. (1980) from tundra ponds near Utqiagvik, Alaska. P. nigra was also reported in sediment cores taken in Lone Spruce Pond in the Southwestern bioregion. ( Kaufman et al. 2012). The larva of P. nigra is stenotopic, inhabiting cold, oligotrophic lakes ( Walker et al. 1992). We collected two male and two female pupae of Parakiefferiella rara Makarchenko & Makarchenko, 2007 from drift samples in mid-May at the outlet of the Antler River ( Fig. 10R–S ). This is a new faunistic record for the Nearctic. We collected larva of Parakiefferiella sp. A Epler, 2001 from a lily pad in Auke Lake in Juneau and from Wasilla Creek. This is a new faunistic record for Alaska.

The larvae of Parakiefferiella have been collected from various ponds, lakes, and rivers throughout Alaska (AWQMS 2005; Tilley 1979; Lougheed et al. 2011; Arctos 2023), and we have also found them in lakes and streams throughout the state, including Chester Creek in Anchorage. Hershey (1985) found the larvae of an unknown Parakiefferiella , one of the most abundant taxa in Toolik Lake, typically on bare sediment. This species had a two-year life cycle, emerging during the first two weeks of August.

Figures

FIGURE 10. The new Nearctic faunistic records of Alaskan Chironomidae I. Lappodiamesa vidua (Kieffer, 1922) larva (A– C); Acamptocladius submontanus (Edwards, 1932) male (D); Cricotopus (Paratrichocladius) scaturigineus (Makarchenko & Makarchenko, 2014) male, pupa, larva (E–F); Eukiefferiella clypeata Kieffer, 1922 male, pupa (H–J); Eukiefferiella gracei (Edwards, 1929) male, pupa (K–M); Heleniella ornaticollis (Edwards, 1929) male (N); Metriocnemus shoulcarus Sasa, 1989 male (O–P). Paracladius omolonus Makarchenko & Makarchenko, 2006 (Q). Parakiefferiella rara Makarchenko & Makarchenko, 2007 male, pupa (R–S). A. Mentum. B. premandible. C. procercus. D. hypopygium. E. hypopygium. F. tergites II–V. G. mandibles, mentum, labrum. H. hypopygium. I. tergites II–V. J. thoracic horn. K. hypopygium. L. tergites II–V. M. thoracic horn. N. hypopygium. O. antenna. P. hypopygium. Q. hypopygium. R. hypopygium. S. tergites VI–IX. Scale bars are 50 µm.