Limnophyes Eaton, 1875

Chamutiová, Tímea, Hamerlík, Ladislav & Bitušík, Peter, 2020, Subfossil chironomids (Diptera, Chironomidae) of lakes in the Tatra Mountains an illustrated guide, Zootaxa 4819 (2), pp. 216-264 : 238-239

Limnophyes Eaton / Paralimnophyes Brundin ( Figs 51, 52 )

Head capsule yellow, occipital margin pale or darkened. Antenna 5-segmented. Premandible with two apical and two inner teeth. Apical mandibular teeth shorter than combined width of 3 ( Limnophyes ) or 4 ( Paralimnophyes ) inner teeth ( Fig. 52A ). Mentum with two median teeth slightly higher than first lateral of 5 lateral teeth. Fourth and fifth laterals obviously smaller and narrower than others. Mentum frequently with pale stripes in the median region Ventromental plates widened and sclerotized posterolaterally into rounded dark pigmented plate projecting below outermost lateral tooth and appearing as additional basal tooth separated by notch ( Fig. 52A ).

Remarks: When mandibles are missing from subfossils Paralimnophyes and Limnophyes are indistinguishable. Shape of mentum with two median teeth and 5 pairs of laterals, presence of stripes resembles Eukiefferiella , however widely separated median teeth and presence of dark brown bulge at the end of ventromental plates is distinctive for Limnophyes / Paralimnophyes . Heleniella has a similar pattern of mentum but unlike Limnophyes / Paralimnophyes the fifth lateral tooth is longer than the fourth and there is a U-shaped gap between median teeth.

Remains were found in small number of Tatra Mts. lakes. Generally, the occurrence of Limnophyes larvae, like other semi-terrestrial taxa (in the uppermost lakes) may be indicative for water-level fluctuation in these lakes ( Hamerlík et al. 2017).

Figures

FIGURES 49–53. Heterotrissocladius marcidus-type: 49—premandible. H. marcidus-type: 50—head capsule. Limnophyes/ Paralimnophyes: 51—head capsule. Paralimnophyes: 52—head capsule, A—detail of mandible. Metriocnemus eurynotus-type: 53—head capsule.