Micropsectra Kieffer, 1909

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 : 80

Micropsectra Kieffer, 1909

We collected Micropsectra logani (Johannsen, 1928) adults near the Antler River in mid-May, Tangle River in mid-August, and from the Yukon River Delta during June. We collected M. logani pupa in Otter Creek near Anchorage in late August. We collected Micropsectra nigripila (Johannsen, 1905) adults around Steep Creek near the Outlet Road in Juneau in early September. We collected Micropsectra polita ( Malloch, 1915) adults near Mendenhall Lake in late August, Steep Creek in early September, and the Antler River in mid-May. We collected larvae and pupae of this species from the Yukon River delta in early June and females and pupae from Otter Creek in late August. All three species are new faunistic records for Alaska. Thompson & Epler (2009) reported Micropsectra recurvata Goetghebuer, 1928 from Attu Island. Bowser et al. (2020) collected Micropsectra subletteorum Anderson, Stur & Ekrem, 2013 in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and identified using molecular DNA barcoding.

We found Micropsectra larvae to be abundant in running waters of Southeastern, Southcoastal, Central, and Southwestern bioregions. We collected an unknown pupa of a Micropsectra species from Clear Creek in late August, which falls in the atrofasciata group. We collected unknown larvae from the South Fork Campbell Creek near Anchorage. Other larval records of this genus can be found in Arctos (2023). Larvae of most Micropsectra species occur in springs, streams, and small rivers, where they prefer more lentic conditions ( Säwedal 1982). They can also be found in hygropetric habitats, thermal springs, moorland, and temporary pools ( Epler et al. 2013).