Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(1): 31-39 (2019) by Arak University, Iran (http://jwb.araku.ac.ir/) Research Article DOI: 10.22120/jwb.2018.93291.1031 Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) biodiversity at generic level in Lar River, Tehran Province with introducing two new genera for Iranian fauna Polypedilum was the most abundant genus 1 Sahar Arkia , Siamak Yousefi especially in Lar station rather than Polour. 1 2 Siahkalroudi , Neda Kheradpir * According to the diversity indices, genera 1 diversity in Polour station was higher than Lar. Department of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Varamin -Pishva Branch, Islamic Keywords: Chironomidae, Lar River, Azad University, Varamin, Tehran, Iran. Polypedilum, Shannon-Wiener Index. 2 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Varamin-Pishva Branch, Islamic Introduction Azad University, Varamin, Tehran, Iran. Chironomidae is one of the most important *email: [email protected] unique organisms in aquatic ecosystems in all Received: 8 September 2018 / Revised: 29 September 2018 / around the world (Callisto et al. 2002). These Accepted: 22 November 2017 / Published online: 30 November insects compromise the most larval abundance 2018. Ministry of Sciences, Research and Technology, Arak University, Iran. populations in rivers and streams with density of aquatic plant (Milakovic et al. 2001). The Abstract family belongs to the order of Diptera and the Chironomidae flies (Insecta: Diptera) are premature stages (eggs, larvae and pupa) known for their ecological importance; they are develop in water and compose one of the main bio-indicator of aquatic ecosystems and play food regime for fish and other aquatic macro- important roles in different levels of food organisms (Armitage et al. 1995). They are so chain. Although they serve as food supply for valuable as bio-filtering agents (Henriques- fish and others aquatic organisms, they are Oliveira et al. 2003) and bio-indicators of good predators of many Arthropoda species. water pollutions (IAEA 2014). The family is The present study was conducted to investigate composed of 11 subfamilies, several hundreds the chironomid variation in Lar River (Lar and genera and more than 4000 species (Armitage Polour), eastern part of Tehran province, Iran et al. 1995). through spring and summer 2014 in several Typically, Chironomidae has been shunned by replications. Shannon-Wiener and Simpson many benthologists because of perceived diversity indices were calculated for the difficulties in specimen preparation, sampling station separately. Sorenson`s identification, taxonomy, morphology and coefficient was calculated to assess the literature (Epler 2001); this led to the point similarity between the sampling areas. The that most of the recent studies have ended to results showed that there were a great variety of subfamilies and genus. On the other hand, as Chironomidae in Lar River composed of two Chironomidae resemble other insects, so the sub-families and 6 different genus; documentation of this fauna throughout the Chironominae (Chironomus, Stictochironomus, world is not fullfied (Armitage et al. 1995). In Polypedilum, Endochironomus, Hyporhygma) Iran, classification of Chironomidae have been and Tanypodinae (Brundiniella) which 2 of reported from Anzali Wetland (Valipour them are recorded for the first time for Iranian 1997), southern coastline of Caspian Sea fauna. Among the collected genera, 32 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(1): 31-39 (2019) (Ahmadi and Mousavi Nanekaran 2002), Marbor river in Isfahan province (Karami et al. 2014), Ghazal Ozan river in Zanjan province (Navan Maghsoodi 2013), Zayandehrood river in Isfahan province (Ebrahimnezhad and Fakhri 2005, Shayeghi et al. 2014), Golpaygan river (Ebrahimnezhad and Allahbakhshi 2013), Haji Abad river in Hormozgan province (Khosravani et al. 2014) and different rivers in Tehran province (Arkia 2016, 2017, Alvari 1997). Karami et al. (2014) provided a checklist and key identification of Chironomidae Larvae in Marbor River (Isfahan, Iran) and reported 39 genera from four subfamilies: Chironominae (15 genera), Diamesinae (2 genera), Orthocladiinae (17 genera) and Tanypodinae (5 genera), which from these, 13 genera were reported for the first time in Iran. Sharifinia (2015) reviewed the macroinvertebrates of the Iranian running waters through 15 years of recent studies until 2015 and showed that Arthropoda comprised the most taxa with 34 Figure 1. Lar river district in east of Tehran province; sampling areas were marked by the height described genera of Chironomidae as the above sea level. dominant family. Following the previous studies, because of the lack of information Sampling and preservation method about Chironomidae diversity in aquatic Samples of larvae were taken monthly through systems of Iran, especially around Tehran spring and summer, resulting in four province and the need to improve the replicas for each station. Samples were taken ecological substrate for their survive, this by dredge and kept in Ethanol 70% until paper has focused of the Chironomidae the laboratorial identifications. For better diversity in Lar river, in east of Tehran systematic identification, permanent province. mountains were prepared. For this purposes, samples were soaked in a 10% solution of Material and methods potassium hydroxide (KOH) on a hot plate at Sampling area the temperature of 70° c. Ten minutes in acetic The river originates from Kaloon Bastak acid was followed by transfer to absolute Mountains where rain and snowfalls are in alcohol. The dehydration process was plentiful. These mountains are to the east and performed to prepare the samples transferring north east of the province and at an attitude of to slide. Samples were glutted by a drop of 3000 m and flows to the southern range of Canada Balzam and a cover slide and the Alborz mountains which leads to the eastern sampling features such as date and place of edge of Tehran province (Fig. 1). Two stations sampling were written on it. were selected for sampling at two different height above the sea: Lar at the height of 2259 Systematic identification meters above sea.(35°50ʹ22ʺN, 52°2ʹ38ʺE) and To identify the samples, valuable and available Polour at the height of 2307 meters above sea identification keys such as, Karami et (35°49ʹ16ʺN, 52°2ʹ13ʺE). al. (2014) Ebrahimnezhad and Allahbakhshi 33 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(1): 31-39 (2019) (2013) and Epler (2001) were used to the Simpson index is a dominance index which generic level. In order to identify the genera, gives more weight to common or dominant head capsules and body characteristics of the species. Pi in both of them is a fraction of the larvae were studied under the microscope. species abundance to the total collected samples. The bigger the index, the more Statistic analysis diverse the area. Sorenson coefficient was In order to determine any significant calculated to show the similarity level between differences in larval abundance among two sampling stations by the different stations, mean and standard Error of following equation: larval abundance were calculated for each Sorenson`s Coefiecient (CC)= 2C/(S1+S2) sample in each site. The null hypothesis (that Where C is the number of species the two there was no difference between mean sampling areas have in common, S1 is the abundance of different genera among the total number of species or genera in this case stations was tested using a one way ANOVA in sampling area 1 and S2 is the similar count and Duncan method. Simple T-student method for area 2). was applied to show any difference between two stations. Results For comparison the biodiversity of Totally 48 samples were collected from Lar Chironomidae genera between two sampling river which were consisted of 6 genera area, Shannon index and Simpson Index were belonged to two subfamilies Chironominae (5 calculated for Lar and Polour separatedly. The genera) and Tanypodinae (1 genus), two equations for the two indices are: genera were collected for the first time for the Shannon index (H)= -Σ pi ln pi Iranian fauna which are indicated by a star. Simpson index (D)= 1/(Σ pi〖^2〗) Subfamilies, genera and tribes are shown in The Shannon index is an informative statistic Table 1; among the 48 samples, 22 samples index which assumes all species are were belonged to Polour and 26 samples presented randomly in a sample but the collected from Lar area. Table 1. Genera collected in Lar river; the genera marked by * are reported for the first time for Iranian fauna Subfamily Tribe Genera Lar station Polour station Tanypodinae Macropelopiini Brundiniella* + + Chironomus + + Stichtochironomus - + Chironominae Polypedilum + + Endochironomus + - Hyporhygma* + - Subfamily TANYPODINAE less straight forward; well developed Brundiniella* Roback 1978 dorsomental plates each with 5 large teeth and Larvae of Brundiniella live in rivers and two smaller teeth, and with a thin, pointed, distinguished by the weak lateral setal fringe medial extension that reaches or almost on the body; maxillary palp with ring organ reaches the pseudoradula; and the expanded near middle; rounded head capsule; yellow- base of the small claw of the posterior parapod brown ligula with inner teeth directed more or (Epler 2001). Totally 10 samples were 34 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(1): 31-39 (2019) collected, 5 samples from each station equally belonged to Polour. The distinctive mentum, (Fig. 2). with median and second lateral teeth longer than first lateral teeth, will distinguish most Subfamily Chironominae: members of the genus. Other larvae may be Endochironomus Kieffer 1918 identified by the frontoclypeal apotome with Just 2 larvae were collected from Lar station straight anterior margin expanded laterally into (35°50ʹ22ʺN, 52°2ʹ38ʺE). The genus is lobes in which the S 3 setae are located reported for the first time for the Iranian fauna (except in P. ontario); 5 segmented antennae (Fig. 2). The genus was distinguished by the 3- (4 segmented in 2 species); and the 4 median 4 median teeth on mentum separated from the teeth of the mentum not separated from the lateral portion by a distinctive line which runs rest of mentum by a distinct line.