Krasheninnikov A.B., Gavrilo M.V., Semenchenko A.A.
В журнале Polar Biology
Год: 2025 Том: 48 ArticleID: 101
Smittia brevipennis (Diptera, Chironomidae) has sporadic distribution across the circumpolar Arctic with only two localities known from the Russian Arctic. Here we report two new localities for this species from the Russian high-Arctic: the Franz Josef Land Archipelago and the Vize Island. Morphological descriptions of larvae and female imago are given, and cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene sequences are obtained and compared within available COI sequences for the genus Smittia worldwide. The COI sequences of S. brevipennis showed no variability across its circumpolar range including Canada, Alaska, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Vize Island. It is unique for the chironomids inhabiting such an extensive range and may not only indicate relatively recent and rapid colonization of the high-Arctic areas by S. brevipennis, but also can be explained by small sample size or the COI gene may be not an appropriate sequence for some Smittia species including S. brevipennis. Possible ways and means of historical dispersal across the circumpolar range of this brachypterous parthenogenetic orthoclad chironomids are discussed. The most likely way of S. brevipennis dispersal is rafting by drift ice or driftwood.
