A review of Svalbard's non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Non-biting midges of the dipteran family Chironomidae is the most species rich group of insects on Svalbard. There are presently more than 60 species recorded, many of which have their type localities on Spitsbergen and Bear Island. We present the results from a project partly funded by the Norwegian Taxonomy Initiative that aims to build a barcode reference library and illustrated identification keys of all Chironomidae species in the archipelago. Through this project, we discovered both misidentified previous records and hitherto unknown species and life stages of non-biting midges, including those parthenogenetic species. The dentification keys and barcode library will aid in future biodiversity assessment and monitoring of Arctic chironomids, especially those connected to freshwater habitats.