Chironomidae (Diptera) of Louisiana. 1. Systetnatics and immature stages of some lentic chironomids of west-central Louisiana

Host range and searching behaviour ofCricotopus lebetis(Diptera: Chironomidae), a tip miner ofHydrilla verticillata(Hydrocharitaceae)

“…Among the 191 species found at 72 locations were several species of Cricotopus but not C. lebetis (Epler et al, 2000). Additionally, all records of C. lebetis in the United States (Cuda et al, 2002;Epler et al, 2000;Sublette, 1964;Epler, personal communication;Stratman, unpublished data) are coincident with the current distribution of hydrilla (Madeira et al, 2000), although hydrilla was not reported in Louisiana, where C. lebetis was first found, until 1969 (Sanders, Johnson, & Kelso, 2010). The lack of records of hydrilla in Louisiana prior to the discovery of C. lebetis provides circumstantial evidence that the midge feeds on plants other than hydrilla but is not definitive evidence because hydrilla may have been present for several years prior to its discovery.…”

“…The native range of C. lebetis is unknown, but because it was not discovered in the United States until 1957 (Sublette, 1964), after the introduction of hydrilla in the early 1950s (Schmitz et al, 1991), Epler et al (2000) speculated that it may be an adventive species that arrived in the United States with hydrilla. Supporting the (Balciunas & Minno, 1984).…”

“…This midge is a member of the Cricotopus sylvestris species group, in the subgenus Isocladius of the subfamily Orthocladiniiae (Epler et al, 2000). The first record of C. lebetis in the United States was from Natchitoches, LA, in 1957(Sublette, 1964, and it was later found at two other locations in Louisiana (Sublette, 1964;Epler et al, 2000). In Florida, the midge was first collected in 1976 in 'south-west Florida' (specific location not available) and has since been found at several other locations in the state (Cuda et al, 2002;John Epler, personal communication).…”

Tanytarsini (Diptera: Chironomidae) from India

“…it is close to curticornis Edwards (1929) from tIl£' British Islands. and dendyi Sublette (1964) from NorthAmerica. but a number of characters such as the presence of frontal tubercle, yellow thorax with dark patches.…”

Polypedilum digitifer Townes andPolypedilum griseopunctatum (Malloch) (Diptera, Chironomidae): Redescription of adult males with a description and separation of the immature stages

“…Information on adults of P. digitiferwas reported by BECK and BECK (1959), OENDY and SUBLETrE (1959), SUBLETTE (1960, 1964), and DARBY (1962. MENZIE eta/.…”