Eukiefferiella Thienemann, 1926

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 : 58-59

Eukiefferiella Thienemann, 1926

August Thienemann (1926) erected the genus based on pupal characteristics and named it after Jean-Jacques Kieffer. Zavřel (1939) provided a key and descriptions of larvae and pupae of 18 European species and broke them down into seven species groups. Lehmann (1972) placed 26 European species into six species groups, most of which are still recognized, with the exception of those transferred to other genera by Saether and Halvorsen (1981) and Halvorsen and Saether (1987). Bode (1983) took Lehmann’s 1972 work and applied it to the North American fauna creating ten species groups based on immature characteristics. He further provided a key to the North American larval groups, which is the only immature key available.

Taxonomy of the Nearctic Eukiefferiella requires a revision with many undescribed species and many unassociated immatures lacking species confirmation. Additionally, the question remains of whether the Palearctic species are Holarctic in distribution and how many species make up each species group. In the Nearctic, the presence of nine species is known. Eukiefferiella brehmi Gowin, 1943 , Eukiefferiella claripennis (Lundbeck, 1898) , Eukiefferiella coerulescens (Kieffer, 1926) , Eukiefferiella cyanea Thienemann, 1936 , Eukiefferiella devonica (Edwards, 1929) , Eukiefferiella ikleyensis (Edwards, 1929) and Eukiefferiella tirolensis Goetghebuer, 1938 have a Holarctic distribution, and Eukiefferiella brevinervis ( Malloch, 1915) and Eukiefferiella unicalcar (Saether, 1969) occur in the Nearctic. Some of our collections from Alaska are reared material, which further confirms and supports the Holarctic distribution for two species, Eukiefferiella clypeata (Kieffer, 1922) and Eukiefferiella gracei (Edwards, 1929) .

E. clypeata is widespread in the Palearctic. We collected an adult male and pupae in the Anchorage area. This is a new faunistic record for the Nearctic ( Fig. 10H–J ). Our collections were made in early June and mid-August in South Fork Chester Creek and in late August in Otter Creek, suggesting a bivoltine emergence.

Bode (1980) classified and placed the pupa of the Eukiefferiella gracei group in the potthasti group and subsequently placed them back in their own group ( Bode 1983). We have found two males and a pupa that key to the European E. gracei based on material from South Fork Chester Creek near Anchorage, confirming the existence of this species in the Nearctic ( Fig. 10K–M ). The E. gracei pupa from South Fork Chester Creek has a much longer thoracic horn (416 µm) than Bode's E. potthasti group sp. 1 (~ 340 µm). Langton & Visser (2003) characterized the thoracic horn of the European species as 565–680 μm long. This species is the most widely distributed Eukeifferiella in Alaska.

There is a problem in distinguishing some larval specimens of gracei group from Cardiocladius , and the proper placement of some larvae is still unresolved ( Bode 1983). Bode (1983) characterized larval habitat for species in this group as stones overgrown with moss and algae in swift-flowing cold streams. Larval records in Alaska for E. gracei group are from the Koyukuk and Koktuli Rivers and a first-order stream in the Arctic Coastal Plain ( Arctos 2023). Milner (1994) has reported larvae from Wolf Point Creek in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, and we have records from Alsek River, Antler River, and the outlet of Turner Lake in the Juneau area and several other streams in Southeast Alaska. Our larval records also include specimens from several streams in Southwestern Alaska, Stariski and Twitter Creeks on the Kenai Peninsula, and South Fork Campbell Creek in Anchorage.

In late August, we collected E. brehmi ’s associated males and pupae from South Fork Chester Creek near Anchorage. This is a new faunistic record that establishes E. brehmi' s presence in Alaska. There are also larval records of the E. brehmi group from a tributary to the Mulchanta River and from streams in Denali National Park, St. Matthew Island, and the Arctic Coastal Plain ( Arctos 2023).

We found a pupa corresponding to E. claripennis group sp. 3 by Bode (1980) in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Bode (1980) mentioned that this species is very close to the European E. claripennis . Our further collections of males confirmed the presence of E. claripennis in Alaska and that the species described by Bode (1980) is indeed the same as E. claripennis described in Europe. Larvae, pupae, and adults of this species have been found in first-order streams to medium-size rivers in all bioregions of Alaska. Our adult records come from Alsek, Antler, and Tangle Rivers, streams on Revillagigedo and Unalaska Islands, Six Mile Creek near Anchorage, and a first-order stream in the Juneau area. Larval records of this species came from streams along the Arctic coast, Denali National Park, Glacier Bay National Park, and Preserve, St. Matthew Island, a tributary to South Fork Koktuli River and Koyukuk River ( Arctos 2023). Webb et al. (2022) report this species from White Creek in Denali National Park based on DNA bar codes. Bode (1983) mentions this species inhabits a wide variety of habitats and that second instars overwinter in cocoons based on the work of Madder et al. (1977). Singh and Harrison (1984) found three distinct emergence periods for this species in southern Ontario.

The E. coerulescens group record in Alaska is based on larval specimens collected on St. Matthew Island ( Sikes et al. 2016). The larvae of species in this group prefer small to medium-sized streams ( Bode 1983).

The E. cyanea group record in Alaska is based on larvae collected from the Dietrich and Atigum Rivers in the Brooks Range by Tilley (1979). Bode (1983) examined some of this material and noted that the larvae differ somewhat from the descriptions provided for European specimens. Bode (1983) cited Thienemann (1936), who describes the elongated posterior parapods of this species as an adaptation to living on clean stones in swift water. The first lateral tooth is mostly fused to the median tooth on the mentum, which isn't mentioned in the original description by Thienemann (1936). Makarchenko et al. (2022) suggested the inclusion of E. cyanea in Cardiocladius Kieffer, 1912 based on larval characteristics.

We collected larval specimens of the E. devonica group from Fish Creek on Douglas Island ( Fig. 9P ) and six other unnamed streams in the Southeastern bioregion. They have been reported in alpine streams at 518 m elevation on Baranof Island ( Arctos 2023), in alpine streams in Central Alaska near Cantwell, and in aquatic moss in streams in Southwestern Alaska ( Arctos 2023).

The only Alaskan records for the Eukiefferialla brevicalar group are larvae collected from Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve by Milner (1994) and in Denali National Park by Brabets & Ourso (2013). We collected larvae of this group from the outlet at Turner Lake in the Juneau area. The larvae in this group display much variation and can be difficult to separate from those in the claripennis group ( Bode 1983). Bode (1983) indicated the emergence of species in this group in early spring. Singh & Harrison (1984) showed three distinct emergence periods in southern Ontario.

Other records of Eukiefferiella in Alaska come from Watson et al. (1966), who listed an undescribed species of Eukiefferiella as new from the Ogotoruk Creek area of Western Alaska. There is no way of knowing what this species was, as the study’s specimens were apparently lost in a fire ( Watson et al. 1966).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Some of the study’s collection sites and habitats of Chironomidae in Alaska. A. Turner Lake, near Juneau. B. Bartlett River in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. C. Alaska, USA and Yukon Territory, Canada international boundary. D. Auke Lake outlet in Juneau. E. Rachael Lake near Bettles. F. Spike Creek on Revillagigedo Island. G. Auke Lake in Juneau. H. Hebert River near Juneau. I. Nugget Falls, in Juneau. J. Forested bog near Eagle crest Ski Area, Douglas Isand. K. Creek outlet at Margaret Bay on Revillagigedo Island. L. Mount Roberts (foreground) in Juneau. M. A snow-melt stream (arrows) on Thunder Mountain, Juneau. N. Tangle River near Paxon. O. Kanuti Lake outlet in Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge. P. Fish Creek on Douglas Island. Q. Antler River near Juneau. R. Harbor Mountain, Sitka. S. Observing Thalassosmittia marina (Saunders, 1928) larvae in intertidal rock pools near Lena Point, Juneau. T. Larvae of T. marina (arrows) inhabiting a rock pool in the upper tidal zone and feeding on periphytic algae near Lena Point, Juneau. U.A tundra lake east of King Salmon. V. Swarm of Corynocera oliveri group adults on a tundra lake east of King Salmon.

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.