Smittia Holmgren, 1869

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 : 72-73

Smittia Holmgren, 1869

Malloch, 1923 described Smittia arctica (Norman, 1894) from St. Paul and St. George Islands in the Pribilof Islands, which was the first record of this genus from Alaska. We collected the following four species, all representing new faunistic records for Alaska: Smittia edwardsi Goetghebuer, 1932 adults from the Alaskan/ Yukon border in early August, S. edwardsi adults from the Herbert River mouth area in mid-August and the Lena Point area in mid-August, Smittia leucopogon (Meigen, 1804) adults in the Lena Point area in mid-July, and adults of Smittia nudipennis (Goetghebuer, 1913) using sweep nets in the Mendenhall Valley, Peterson Creek, Herbert River, and on Revillagigedo Island from late July to mid-August. Adults of Smittia pratorum (Goetghebuer, 1927) were collected in mid-July near a seep in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, on the Mount Roberts Trail, and in the Eagle Beach area north of Juneau. We also have found an adult of an unknown species from Deadman Lake in Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. However, the condition of the specimen does not allow for further identification. Watson et al. (1966) reported an undescribed species from the Ogotoruk Creek area. There are some records of unknown Smittia in the Arctos database, including DNA barcoded specimens from the Kenai Peninsula and one from the Aleutian Islands.

Moller Pillot (2008) found S. edwarsi in exposed soils, grasslands, along the shores and banks of streams and ponds, cornfields, and even cow dung. He indicated that S. leucopogon were frequently found in gardens with bare soil and along the edges of ponds and seems to prefer places with decaying organic matter. S. pratorum were found to be very common and numerous in fertilized grasslands and on lawns. Moller Pillot (2008) observed in laboratory conditions that the larvae were free living but often made a chamber or tube of gathered material. The larvae of Smittia can additionally be found in damp soils associated with vernal pools and seeps (P. L. Hudson, personal observations).