A Brief Review of the Genus Polypedilum in Ohio, With Keys to Known Stages of Species Ocurring in Northeastern United States (Diptera, Chironomidae)
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Date
1985-12
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Abstract
Of the 25 species recorded for the northeastern states, only four are abundant: Polypedilum scalaenum, with larvae occurring commonly among algae in streams and lotic situations in lakes; P. convictum, highly variable, with larvae occurring widely in rocky streams and in lake localities subject to wave action; P. halterak, sometimes regarded as a nuisance species and a pioneer in silting new reservoirs, present in shallower water of eutrophic lakes and ponds; and P. illinoense, with larvae commonly associated with vegetation {Potamogeton, Nelumbo, Myriophyllum, moss) in relatively quiet and unpolluted water. Less abundant but present in Ohio are the following: P. albicorne, P. tritum, P. sordens, P. fallax, P. calopterus, P. Ontario, P. albinodus, P. acifer, P. trigonus, P. opbioides and P. aviceps. Not yet recorded for Ohio are P. nubeculosum, P. laetum, P. braseniae, P. artifer, P. apicatum, P. parvum, P. gomphus, P. vibex, P. pedatum and P. angustum. Adults of Polypedilum have been collected from May to October in Ohio. Larvae vary from pale yellow to bright red and occupy a wide range of habitats from swift streams to ponds and leaf litter. Generally they form silken tubes in silt or sand or in plant tissues, feeding principally on plankton but larvae are known to occupy cases of caddisworms. Typically late-instar larvae overwinter. Larvae show a wide range of response to organic and industrial pollution. Immatures for 14 of the 25 northeastern species are known.
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Author Institution: Zoology Department, Miami University
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The Ohio Journal of Science. v85, n5 (December, 1985), 245-262