First record of the genus Claudiotendipes Andersen, Mendes & Pinho (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Colombia, with notes on its altitudinal range and COI barcode
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Abstract
The genus Claudiotendipes Andersen, Mendes & Pinho (2017) includes species from Brazil, Costa Rica, and Bolivia typically occurring at altitudes between 220 and 1,525 m a.s.l. To date, no records of the genus exist for Colombia, and molecular data for the group remain absent from public databases. During a large-scale survey of 52 high Andean streams sites spanning Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia (altitudinal range: 2,200–4,500 m a.s.l.) we sorted hundreds of chironomid specimens and collected a single larva exhibiting this unique morphotype. This specimen came from the Cauca River basin (Caldas, Colombia) at 2,515 m a.s.l. We examined the specimen morphologically and sequenced the barcode region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Morphological characters—including the six-segmented antenna with alternate Lauterborn organs and the mentum with four pale median teeth—place the specimen within Claudiotendipes. This record extends the known altitudinal range of the genus above 2,000 m a.s.l. and represents the first record for Colombia. The partial COI sequence (GenBank: PX924818) provides the first DNA barcode for the genus. Maximum Likelihood analysis confirms its position as a distinct lineage within the Chironomini, clustered in a clade with Oukuriella and an unidentified Chironomidae sequence, though the deeper nodes supporting these relationships remain weak. This study contributes to the knowledge of Neotropical chironomid biodiversity and provides a molecular baseline for future taxonomic and ecological studies of Claudiotendipes in the Andes.
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