Ablabesmyia Johannsen, 1905

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 : 41-42

Ablabesmyia Johannsen, 1905

Ablabesmyia is probably the most species-rich genus of the Tanypodinae , with the highest diversity in warmer climates ( Cranston & Epler 2013). For example, 14 of the 15 Nearctic species occur in the southeastern United States compared to only seven in Alaska ( Hudson et al. 1990).

The larvae of Ablabemyia (s.s.) americana Fittkau, 1962 were documented by DNA barcoding data from the Miller Creek watershed on the Kenai Peninsula ( Bowser et al. 2020). We found adult specimens of A. americana near the Yukon/Alaska international boundary on the Alaska Highway ( Fig. 9C ) and Deadman Lake in the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge in early August. This species is now considered valid based on DNA analysis and a detailed morphological assessment ( Stur et al. 2019) after being synonymized 52 years earlier with Ablabesmyia (s.s.) monilis (Linnaeus, 1758) by Roback (1971). This synonymy puts some of the A. monilis records listed here as suspect. A. monilis appears to be the most commonly collected Ablabesmyia in Alaska. The earliest records of the adults, as Ablabesmyia basalis , come from a car-top trap collection near Palmer in June, Unalaska in mid-July ( Roback 1971), and Kodiak Island in early July ( Roback 1984). Roback (1985) also reported this species from Fish Creek, south of Nenana. We added larval records from an uplift pond associated with the Sheridan Glacier and adults from the outlet of Auke Lake ( Fig. 9D ), Mendenhall Lake, Rachael Lake near Bettles ( Fig. 9E ), and Tangle River near Paxson. Our adult collections were made between late July and late August. There are also molecular records of this species in Bowser et al. (2020) from the Slikok Watershed in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Ablabesmyia (s.s.) mallochi (Walley, 1925) larvae were collected from Neck Lake on Prince of Wales Island and a tributary to Alexander Creek near Mount Susitna. These are new faunistic records for Alaska. Roback (1985) mentions a pupa and prepupal larvae of unknown Ablabesmyia species from Bull Lake on Kodiak Island and Big Lake north of Anchorage, which is similar to A. monilis and Ablabesmyia (s.s.) parajanta Roback, 1971.

Ablabesmyia (Karelia) alaskensis Roback, 1971 was originally collected by a car-top trap along Highway 1 between Anchorage and Glacier View in late June. We collected larvae of Ablabesmyia (Karelia) illinoense ( Malloch, 1915) from Bob’s Lake near Klawock on Prince of Wales Island, an unnamed stream which is a tributary to North Fork Freshwater Creek on Chichagof Island, in Twin Lake on Kupreanof Island, and from Balls Lake on Prince of Wales Island. This is a new faunistic record for Alaska. The record of Ablabesmyia (Karelia) peleenis (Walley, 1926) in Alaska is based on a pupal type associated with this species from Fish Creek, south of Fairbanks in the Central bioregion ( Roback 1985) and our larval record from Neck Lake. We collected several larvae of Ablabesmyia (Karelia) philosphagnos Beck & Beck, 1966 from a tundra lake West of Teshekpuk Lake in July 2013. This is a new faunistic record for Alaska. There are also larval records of Ablabesmyia in Hayford (2014), Hershey (1985), AWQM (2005), and molecular data from the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge by Bowser et al. (2020).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Some of the study’s collection sites and habitats of Chironomidae in Alaska. A. Turner Lake, near Juneau. B. Bartlett River in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. C. Alaska, USA and Yukon Territory, Canada international boundary. D. Auke Lake outlet in Juneau. E. Rachael Lake near Bettles. F. Spike Creek on Revillagigedo Island. G. Auke Lake in Juneau. H. Hebert River near Juneau. I. Nugget Falls, in Juneau. J. Forested bog near Eagle crest Ski Area, Douglas Isand. K. Creek outlet at Margaret Bay on Revillagigedo Island. L. Mount Roberts (foreground) in Juneau. M. A snow-melt stream (arrows) on Thunder Mountain, Juneau. N. Tangle River near Paxon. O. Kanuti Lake outlet in Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge. P. Fish Creek on Douglas Island. Q. Antler River near Juneau. R. Harbor Mountain, Sitka. S. Observing Thalassosmittia marina (Saunders, 1928) larvae in intertidal rock pools near Lena Point, Juneau. T. Larvae of T. marina (arrows) inhabiting a rock pool in the upper tidal zone and feeding on periphytic algae near Lena Point, Juneau. U.A tundra lake east of King Salmon. V. Swarm of Corynocera oliveri group adults on a tundra lake east of King Salmon.