Non-biting Midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Continental Salt Marshes in Serbia

Abstract

Continental salt marshes represent specific inland saltwater bodies with unique ecological characteristics a fact that is mirrored by specific flora and fauna. However, there is still limited data on their biota in Serbia, which is especially true for aquatic macroinvertebrates, including chironomids (Diptera: Chironomidae). Here we investigated diversity and seasonal variations of chironomid community in six salt marshes distributed in the northern and southern part of Serbia. We recorded a total of 25 taxa, of which two are new for the Serbian chironomid fauna. Most of the recorded species are common in freshwaters and six of them are halotolerant. Chironomid community structure fluctuated in relation to the seasons. The highest diversity was recorded in the spring and summer months for the majority of studied salt marshes. Low diversity and dominance of halotolerant taxa were recorded in Pannonian salt marshes in the northern part of the country, suggesting higher salinity of these habitats comparing to the southern ones. The present findings represent the first inventory of chironomid larvae for these unique and highly endangered habitats in Serbia, which can help to fill the gaps in the knowledge of distributional ranges of halotolerant and halophilic species and provide baseline for future surveys.