Key for identification of pupal Chironomidae (Diptera) from the ecoregion Tributaries of Paraná and Río de la Plata rivers through the use of pupal exuviae

Abstract

Chironomidae is one of the most important taxa in freshwater ecosystems. Pupal exuviae are used as a simple and rapid way to obtain ecological information on aquatic habitats and data on autecology and geographic distribution. The objective of this study was to develop a key for the identification of pupal Chironomidae from the ecoregion Tributaries of Paraná and Río de la Plata rivers, integrating information recently in the ecoregion with the knowledge available from previous publications. The study of the pupal exuviae allowed to expand the knowledge of the taxonomic richness and the distribution of genera and species previously registered. On the other hand, the application of the Chironomidae Pupal Exuviae Technique enabled a precise identification at the species/morphospecies level and a reduction in sampling time and sample processing, resulting efficient and less expensive. This key is the result of knowledge of the family in the ecoregion for several decades and constitutes a first contribution to the taxonomic knowledge of Chironomidae at the species level.