Tanytarsus, Namayandeh & Hudson & Bogan & Hudson, 2024

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 : 84-85

Tanytarsus v. d. Wulp, 1874

We found records of 17 species of Tanytarsus in Alaska. Bowser et al. (2020) recorded Tanytarsus aigos Ekrem, Sublette & Sublette, 2003 from the Miller and Slikok Creek watersheds on the Kenai Peninsula, using DNA barcode material. We collected adult males of this species around a lake in the Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge in late July. Butler (2000) described Tanytarsus aquavolans based on the material collected from tundra ponds near Utqiagvik. The adults of this species possess modified body parts that reflect water-surface swarming as opposed to the more typical aerial swarming. T. aquavolans larvae are found in peaty soil in the Carex emergent zone of ponds near Utqiagvik ( Butler 2000).Adults of this species have been collected in tundra ponds in Utqiagvik, in late June ( Butler et al. 1980).

Kaufman et al. (2012) collected larvae of Tanytarsus chinyensis group in a sediment core taken in Lone Spruce Pond in the Southwestern bioregion. We collected Tanytarsus dendyi Sublette, 1964 adult males around Peterson Creek near Juneau in early August, representing a new state faunistic record. Ekrem et al. (2003) reported on collecting Tanytarsus gracilentus (Holmgren, 1883) adults on St. Paul Island in July and August by personnel from the California Academy of Science. Ekrem et al. (2003) reported on a Tanytarsus gregarius Kieffer, 1909 collection of adults from Kotzebue and Lake Aleknagik in late June and Nerka in mid-August. Butler et al. (1980) collected Tanytarsus inaequalis Goetghebuer, 1921 adults from tundra ponds in Barrow, exhibiting a two-year life cycle. Ekrem et al. (2003) reported males of this species from Aleknagik and Nerka Lakes in mid-August. Ekrem et al. (2003) also reported on Tanytarsus lestagei Goetghebuer, 1922 , from Alaska but provided no location.

Ekrem et al. (2003) reported on a collection of Tanytarsus martini Ekrem, Sublette & Sublette, 2003 adult male around the Palmer area by Sommerman & Simmet (1965) using car-top trap and Lake Nerka in mid-August. We collected adult males of this species in mid and late July from around Twin and Goose Lakes in the Juneau area. We collected males of Tanytarsus nemorosus Edwards, 1929 from a lake in the Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge in late July. This is a new faunistic record of this species for Alaska. Bowser et al. (2020) collected Tanytarsus mendax Kieffer, 1925 from collections in the Slikok Creek watershed on the Kenai Peninsula. Butler (2000) described Tanytarsus nearcticus based on collected materials around Utqiagvik in mid to late July. He found larvae most abundant in depositional sediments in the center of the pond. He also noted that adults are pelagic swarmers with modified body parts associated with mating. Bowser et al. (2020) collected larvae of this species from the Slikok Creek watershed, and Erkem et al. (2003) reported it from the Ogoturuk Creek watershed, where the specimens probably represent one of the taxa Watson et al. (1966) listed as Tanytarsus n. sp. A and B.

Bowser et al. (2020) collected Tanytarsus recurvatus Brundin, 1947 and Tanytarsus striatulus Lindeberg, 1976 larvae from Slikok and Miller Creek watersheds, identified through molecular DNA barcoding. We collected larvae of Tanytarsus vernalis group from around Deadman Lake in Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. We collected Tanytarsus usmaënsis Pagast, 1931 adults in the Juneau area from Twin Lakes in mid-July and Mendenhall Lake and Peterson Creek northwest of Juneau in late August. This is a new faunistic record for the United States. We collected Tanytarsus wirthi Ekrem, Sublette & Sublette, 2003 adults from Peterson Creek in late August, representing a new faunistic record for Alaska. We have abundant larval collections of Tanytarsus larvae from all regions of the state. Larvae of Tanytarsus are found in a wide variety of aquatic habitats ranging from rock pools to large oligotrophic lakes, streams, marine environments, and even terrestrial habitats ( Epler et al. 2013; Oliver & Dillon 1997).