Halocladius

Halocladius is a genus of halophilic, non-biting midges in the subfamily Orthocladiinae of the bloodworm family (Chironomidae).[2][3][4] They inhabit seashores and saline inland waters of the Northern Hemisphere. Wing length is 1.5–3.5 mm (0.06–0.14 in).[1] Two subgenera have been described:[1] Halocladius[5] and Psammocladius.[6]

Halocladius
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Diptera
Suborder:
Nematocera
Infraorder:
Culicomorpha
Superfamily:
Chironomoidea
Family:
Chironomidae
Subfamily:
Orthocladiinae
Genus:
Halocladius

Hirvenoja, 1973[1]
Type species
Chironomus varians Staeger, 1839

Species

There are five[4] or six species:[3]

  • Halocladius braunsi (Goetghebuer, 1942)
  • Halocladius fucicola (Edwards, 1926)
  • Halocladius mediterraneus Hirvenoja, 1973
  • Halocladius millenarius (Santos Abreu, 1918)
  • Halocladius variabilis (Staeger, 1839)
  • Halocladius varians (Staeger, 1839)

Halocladius variabilis

The most widespread species is Halocladius variabilis, known from Canada, northern Europe, and the Mediterranean and Black Seas.[4] The larvae can grow to 12 mm (0.5 in) in length. In Nova Scotia, life cycle is univoltine, possibly bivoltine.[7] It is a commensal, potentially symbiotic with marine algae: the larvae feed on diatoms fouling its host, possibly delivering nutrients via faecal material. Typical host is brown alga Elachista fucicola, growing itself on Ascophyllum nodosum, although other primary and secondary hosts occur too.[4] Typically, a single larva occupies one Elachista fucicola thallus.[4]

In the Baltic, adults emerge between mid-May and late June. Densities of emerging adults as high as 328 indiv./m² have been observed, although 10 indiv./m² is more typical.[8] Much higher larval densities, more than 50,000 indiv./m², have been reported from rocky intertidal zone of Nova Scotia.[7]

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References
  1. Hirvenoja, Mauri (1973). "Revision der Gattung Cricotopus van der Wulp und ihrer Verwandten (Diptera, Chironomidae)". Annales Zoologici Fennici. 10 (1): 1–363. JSTOR 23733668.
  2. "Halocladius Thienemann". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  3. "Halocladius Hirvenoja, 1973". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  4. Tarakhovskaya, Elena R.; Garbary, David J. (2009). "Halocladius variabilis (Diptera: Chironomidae): a marine insect symbiotic with seaweeds from the White Sea, Russia". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 89 (7): 1381. doi:10.1017/S0025315409000071.
  5. Peter Cranston (2010). "Halocladius (Halocladius) Hirvenoja". Chiro Key. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  6. Peter Cranston (2010). "Halocladius (Psammocladius) Hirvenoja". Chiro Key. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  7. Garbary, DJ; Jamieson, MM; Taylor, BR (2009). "Population ecology of the marine insect Halocladius variabilis (Diptera: Chironomidae) in the rocky intertidal zone of Nova Scotia, Canada". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 376: 193–202. doi:10.3354/meps07676.
  8. Hirvenoja, M., Palmén, E., and Hirvenoja, E. (2006). "The emergence of Halocladius variabilis (Staeger) (Diptera: Chironomidae) in the surroundings of the Tvärminne Biological Station in the northern Baltic Sea" (PDF). Entomologica Fennica. 17 (2): 87–89.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
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