New faunistic records of chironomids and phantom midges (Diptera, Chironomidae and Chaoboridae) from Ukraine indicate recent climatic refugia in the Eastern Carpathians.

The aquatic insect fauna of the Eastern Carpathians is poorly known, especially in Ukraine. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted faunistic surveys of Chironomidae and Chaoboridae in 2018 and 2021. The study involved sampling of 11 watercourses and 10 mountain lakes situated in the Ukrainian part of the Eastern Carpathians.

Cold mountain stream chironomids (Diptera) of the genus Diamesa indicate both historical and recent climate change.

Chironomids of the genus Diamesa (Meigen, 1835, Diptera: Chironomidae) inhabit cold, oxygen-rich running waters. We have investigated the presence of Diamesa and other freshwater macroinvertebrates at 22 stream sampling sites in 3 European high mountain regions (the Central Pyrenees, the Ötztal Alps, and the Tatra Mountains) to establish suitable temperature conditions for Diamesa dominance. It has been generally accepted that their high abundance was linked to the presence of glaciers; however, we have shown that in the Tatra Mountains, where there are no glaciers, the conditions for the dominance of Diamesa species are created due to permanent snowfields, the geographical orientation of the valley and shading by the surrounding high peaks.

Diversity and distribution of chironomids in Central European ponds.

Ponds are common freshwater habitats in the European landscape that substantially contribute to local and regional biodiversity. Chironomids often dominate invertebrate communities in ponds but are usually disregarded in ecological studies due to relatively complicated taxonomy and identification issues. We present a comprehensive overview of the chironomid diversity in 246 ponds spanning a wide range of conditions extending from the Pannonian Plain to the Carpathians.

Molecular and morphological characterisation of larvae of the genus Diamesa Meigen, 1835 (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Alpine streams (Ötztal Alps, Austria).

Diamesa species (Diptera, Chironomidae) are widely distributed in freshwater ecosystems, and their life cycles are closely linked to environmental variables such as temperature, water quality, and sediment composition. Their sensitivity to environmental changes, particularly in response to pollution and habitat alterations, makes them valuable indicators of ecosystem health. The challenges associated with the morphological identification of larvae invoke the use of DNA barcoding for species determination.

Energy status of chironomid larvae (Diptera: Chironomidae) from high alpine rivers (Tyrol, Austria).

Chironomids (non-biting midges) inhabit almost every wet or semi-wet continental environment on Earth with probably 10,000 different species. Species occurrence and composition are undoubtedly limited by environmental harshness and food availability being reflected in their energy stores. Most animals store energy as glycogen and lipid.

Subfossil chironomids (Diptera, Chironomidae) of lakes in the Tatra Mountains: an illustrated guide.

Here we present a summary of subfossil chironomids (Diptera: Chironomidae) found in the surface sediments of 52 Tatra Mts. lakes (Slovakia, Poland). Head capsules of 73 morphotypes of 5 subfamilies are described and illustrated.

Chironomids (Insecta, Diptera, Chironomidae) from alpine lakes in the Eastern Carpathians with comments on newly-recorded species from Ukraine.

Background: The first summarising checklist of Ukrainian Chironomidae (Insecta, Diptera) consisted of 302 species. Compared to other European countries, it is obvious that the real chironomid diversity of Ukraine has not been fully documented and greater effort is needed to discover the actual richness of this family. Thus, our survey focused on the chironomid fauna of some alpine lakes situated above the treeline in the Ukrainian Carpathians (a part of the Eastern Carpathians) aiming to contribute to the knowledge of the Ukrainian chironomid fauna and create the basis for more comprehensive neo- and palaeolimnological studies of these, regionally, little-known ecosystems.

A preliminary checklist of Chironomidae (Diptera) from Albania with first records for the Balkan Peninsula.

The Chironomidae of Albania have so far received limited attention and only 39 species have been recorded prior to the present study. Here we bring the results of random and non-intensive samplings of chironomid pupal exuviae and adults, at five localities in 2012, that provided 55 species and 5 additional taxa, with 51 being new for the Albanian fauna, out of which 7 were new for the Balkan Peninsula. In addition to that, we present a preliminary checklist of Chironomidae based on the data from Fauna Europaea complemented by the results of the recent investigation.

Origin and behavior of radionuclides in sediment core: a case study of the sediments collected from man-made reservoirs located in the past mining region in Central Slovakia.

The analyzed sediments were taken from the man-made reservoirs (Velka Richnava, Rozgrund and Vindsachta) located in an area intensively mined for polymetallic ores since the end of the eleventh century (Banska Stiavnica region, Central Europe). The aims of this study were to determine the radioactivity of natural (Ra, Th, Pb) and artificial (Cs and Am) radionuclides, compare the radionuclides' distribution, and indicate the correlation of radioisotopes and their origin related to sediment properties. Two analytical techniques were used.

Reconstructing the Trophic History of an Alpine Lake (High Tatra Mts.) Using Subfossil Diatoms: Disentangling the Effects of Climate and Human Influence.

Diatom analysis was undertaken on a 200-year sediment record in an alpine lake (Popradské pleso, Tatra Mountains, Central Europe). Due to its remote character and well-documented human influence since the mid-nineteenth century, it allows a study of the relationship between anthropogenic pressures and diatom assemblages. Altogether, 122 diatom taxa of 40 genera were identified, and two major taxonomic shifts were revealed in the stratigraphic record.

Lake biota response to human impact and local climate during the last 200 years: A multi-proxy study of a subalpine lake (Tatra Mountains, W Carpathians).

Element content, loss-on-ignition, chironomid analysis and (210)Pb dating were applied on a sediment core from a subalpine Tatra lake (Popradské pleso) to reveal the response of aquatic biota to eutrophication induced by human activities in the lake catchment. The lead dating indicates that the 0-8 cm section of the core represents the past ca 200 years, ending at ~1814 AD. Comparing the key changes of the proxies with human activities that are historically well documented, four phases of the recent lake development were distinguished: (1) a pre-tourism phase, (2) a phase of increasing touristic activity and early cottage development, (3) a phase of eutrophication, and (4) a phase of post-eutrophication.