CHIRONOMUS NETTSLETTER OF C HIRONOMID RESEARCH Co-Editors: Ruth Contreras-Lichtenberg Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Austria Peter H.Langton 5 Kylebeg Avenue, Mountsandel, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry Northem Ireland BT52 IJN Production Editor: Richard K. Johnson University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden Treasurer: Trond Andersen. University of Bergen, Norway lssN 0172 - 1941 No. 12 September, 1999 14th International Symposium on Chironomidae 2000 Rio de Janeiro. Brazil Dear Colleague, o e Oliveira, Dr. Maria attend the 14th International ì :5,:iiìliï,ï#1li" parr of Symposium in Freiburg, Rio de Janeiro, BraziLrdespite the long distances m^ost participa in America meeting, although faraway for many of you, will o al nature at reasonáble prices. General information: ', Brazil to harmonize with the XXI International Congress zil - August 20-26,2000). mployed scientists, with reductions for on fee includes: welcome cocktail, transfers rnts and lunch. All will be by bus, from Rio de Janeiro CiW. ì. le Janeiro Ciry). ?ark (Teresópolis City) ba Ciry). rlished in a special issue of the Memórias do If you intended to receive the 2nd announcement, please contact: Dr. Sebastião José de Oliveira Coleção Entomológica do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Castelo Mourisco. 2 andar Av. Brasil, 4365; Manguinhos 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil e-mail: sjolivei@ioc'fiocruz'br we hope to see you in Rio, Best regards, Sebastião José de Oliveira Chironomus newsletter CONTENTS Current Research ) Meeting 25 Theses 11 Info on Editorial 25 Short Communications t4 Personalia 26 Obituary t7 Current Bibliography 28 Last Minute News 24 Advertisement 57 CURRENT RESEARCH NEWS FROM RUSSIAN FAR EAST By Eugenyi A. Makarchenko Institute of Biology and Soil Sciences Far East Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia I should like to introduce my working Orthocladius (Eudactylocladius) olivaceus group, which consists of four scientists who (KIerr.), Paracladius conversus (Walren) study systematics and biology of Far Eastern and Paratrichocladius skirwithensis Eow. 45 Chironomidae. Three members. Marina A. species of Chironomini from the southern Makarchenko, Eugenyi A. Makarchenko part of Primorye Territory (North Korean and Oksana Y. Zorina are working in the and Chinese border region) were found, from Laboratory of Freshwater Hydrobiology of which three species of Parachironomus, the Institute of Biology and Soil Sciences Einfeldia and Pagastiella, appear to be new FEB RAS, (Vladivostok). The main purpose to science and 27 species are recorded for of their investigations is to prepare a Key on Russia for the first time. Chironomidae (males, pupae and larvae) of A fourth colleague, Tatiana N. Travina the Russian Far East. As you know for a long (PhD student) is working in the Kamchatka time I studied svstematics of Far Eastern Fisheries Institute (KamchatNIRO) in Podonominae, Diamesinae and (Petropavlovsk - Kamchatsky). She is Prodiamesinae. For the other subfamilies studying the fauna and biology of only determinations of larvae from chironomids of the Kurilskoe Lake which is hydrobiological samples were made. From situated at the southern part of Kamchatka last year Marina A. Makarchenko and I Peninsula and is the spawning-ground of one began to study in detail taxonomy and of the largest Asian salmon, Oncorhynchus systematics of Orthocladiinae. Oksana V. nerko. From the Kurilskoe Lake basin 59 (PhD Zorina student) studied Chironominae, species of Chironomidae have been Chironomini. We identified 9l species from identified. Data on quantity and biomass of Kamchatka and 48 species of Orthocladiinae chironomid larvae of this lake are available. from Kurile Islands in 1999. 20 species are recorded for Russia for the first time. For the following species the development from larvae to the adult male was studied: Orthocladius (Orthocladius) trigonolabis EDw., O. (O.) obuntbratus JoH., Chironomus newsletter EUROPEAN SUBFOSSIL CHIRONOMIDAE WORTilNG GROUP By Steven Brooksr and Maria Rieradevall2 l. Natural History Museum, London, UK (email: [email protected]) 2. University of Barcelona SPAIN (email: [email protected]) Tanytarsini, which are common as fossils Since 1996, and under the sponsorship of in lake the EU-funded projects AL:PE 2, MOLAR sediments and which can provide useful climatic and CHILL 10,000, participants responsible information. Steve and Maria had the opportunity for Chironomidae midge analysis have had to try out early drafts of some of their keys on the participants the opportunity to meet and exchange of the fifth in the series European fossil information as well as discuss shared of chironomid taxonomy workshops. year identification difficulties. These meetings This have proven to useful for the participants were Klaus Brodersen be very (Copenhagen, harmonisation of taxonomy in studies which Denmark), Steve Brooks (London, (Uppsala, cover broad geographic scales. The projects UK), Lars Eriksson Sweden), (Abisko, mentioned deal partially or totally with the Evastina Grahn Sweden), Mari Hakojarvi (Helsinki, Finland), Oliver reconstruction of climatic change during the (Bern, Holocene, using a wide variety of proxies at Heiri Switzerland), Wolfgang sites Hofmann (Plön, Germany), Barbara throughout western Europe. (Ormskirk, In April of this year we met in London at Milne UK) and Maria Rieradevall (Barcelona, Spain). the Natural History Museum. The organisers Previous were Steve Brooks (NHM, UK) and Maria meetings have been held in London (1996, Rieradevall (Univ. of Barcelona, Spain) who 1998), Bergen (1997) and is staying at the NHM on an EU grant for Helsinki (1997), and we can add to the above nine months. list of participants: Malcolm Belt Maria is workins on (Leicester, chironomids in late-glacial and HJlocene UK), Ignacio Granados (Madrid, Spain), Jonasson and sediments from lakes in the Pyrenees and is Annika developing a chironomid-temperature Nick Woolley (Egham, UK), Anke Halvorsen, calibration set for the Pyrenees. One of the Øle Sæther, Øyvind Schnell, objectives of her visit is Gaute Velle and Endre Willassen to collaborate with (Bergen, Steve on the production of an identification Norway), Heikki Olander (Helsinki, manual for European subfossil chironomid Finland), Zoe Ruiz (Belfast, UK), (Birmingham, midge larvae. Although there are some good Jon Sadler UK) and Ian keys available for the identification of Walker (Kelowna, Canada). The modern midge larvae, some of the critical next meeting is planned for April 2000 in Bern (Switzerland). morphological characters used in these keys See vou there! are missing from fossil material. This is particularly problematic in Tanypodinae and A SURVEY OF THE CHIRONOMIDAE (DIPTERA) OF CALAKMUL BIOSPHERE RESERVE. MEXICO By A. Contreras-Ramosl and T. Andersen2 1. hstinûcdeBiologíaUNAlr{Dçto.deZologíaA$o.Postal7Gl53.2.045l0lv,Iqico,DI.-Moiico (e-mail: atilano@ibunam. ibiologia.unam. mx) 2. Museum of Zoology, University of Bergen, Muséplass 3. N-5007 Bergen, Norwa1,. (e-mail: trond.andersen@zm b. uib. no) results The chironomid fauna of Mexico is poorly outlined here are part of collecting efforts Mexico's known. At present, only about 60 species of by National University (UNAM) staff Calakmul this family have been recorded or described in the Biosohere Reserve, Campeche from the country (ANDERSEN et al., in State, Mexico, which also focused estimating press). Although preliminary, this study has on the diversity of Odonata and Psocoptera formally started efforts to build a scientific of the reserve. The chironomids collection of Mexican chironomids. The are being sorted, processed, Chironomus newsletter identified, and described as a combined the reserve. There were three collecting endeavor between UNAM and the University expeditions to the reserve (2 8 . iv . - I 0.v. I 99 7, of Bergen. We are also collecting in other 17-27.ix. 1997, 13-21.ii. 1998), in which 11 areas of Mexico, and gradually we hope to sites were visited. Adult chironomids were have built up a fairly representative collected mainly with black and mercury collection of Mexico's fauna. Of course, if vaporlights and Malaise traps, less frequently estimates of about 1000 species for the with nets. They were sorted in the laboratory Mexican chironomid fauna are close to and selected specimens were mounted on reality, we still have a long way to go. slides with Canada balsam. Study area, materials, and methods Results and discussion The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, with an Several thousand specimens were collected, approximate extension of 723,I85 ha, is one mostly from lentic habitats. Selectively, a of the largest conservation areas in Mexico. few hundred slides have been prepared. It is located on the southeastern corner of Species identification is difficult as many Campeche State, being continuous with the groups need taxonomic revision. However, Mayan Biosphere Reserve of Guatemala. we estimate that the Calakmul chironomid Dense tropical forests under a strongly fauna consists ofat least 100 species, several seasonal rain regime cover most of the of which are new to science. At the moment, reserve. Rivers are scarce, and when present, a total of 42 genera belonging to the they are typically seasonal. Permanent or subfamilies Tanypodinae, Orthocladiinae and temporary lentic water bodies, locally called Chironomidae, have been recorded from "aguadas", are the main source of water in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (Table 1). Table 1. Chironomid genera recorded from Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. Subfamilv Tanvoodinae