Taxonomy and Ecology of Three New Species of Monodiamesa Kieffer, with Keys to Nearctic and Palaearctic Species of the Genus (Diptera: Chironomidae)

• Published in: Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
• Main Author: Sæther, Ole A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1973
• Subjects: General Medicine; Northwest Territories
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f73-115; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f73-115

Three Nearctic species of Monodiamesa are described: Monodiamesa depectinata sp.n. from male imagines, pupa, and fourth- and third-instar larvae; Monodiamesa tuberculata sp.n. from imagines, pupae, and fourth- and third-instar larvae; and Monodiamesa prolilobata sp.n. from male imagines. A larva possibly belonging to M. prolilobata is described. These are the first records and descriptions of imagines of Nearctic species of this genus.Keys are given for male imagines, pupae, and larvae of the Nearctic and Palaearctic species of the genus.Monodiamesa depectinata occurs in the Laurentian Great Lakes area and in Lake Winnipeg, Man. It was taken from sandy substrates in the lower littoral and the sublittoral zones of oligotrophic to mesotrophic lakes. Monodiamesa tuberculata occurs from the mainland of British Columbia through the prairie provinces and the Northwest Territories to the Laurentian Great Lakes. It was taken from the sublittoral and profundal zones of oligotrophic lakes and in some lakes is probably a glacial relict. Monodiamesa prolilobata, from west of the Rocky Mountains, probably covers the combined ecological niches of the two more easterly species.