Improved Chironomid Barcode Database Enhances Identification of Water Mite Dietary Content

Chironomids are one of the most biodiverse and abundant members freshwater ecosystems. They a food source for many organisms, including fish water mites. The accurate identification chironomids is essential applications in ecological research, determining which chironomid species present diets diverse predators. Larval adult from habitats, lakes, rivers, inland gardens, coastal vegetation, nearshore habitats Great Lakes, were collected 2012 to 2019. After morphological chironomids, DNA was extracted cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcodes PCR amplified sequenced. Here we describe an analysis larval Lakes region North America based on new collections improve by curating barcode database, thereby expanding diversity taxonomic specificity reference libraries Chironomidae family. In addition reporting novel barcodes, demonstrate here use this COI database prey liquefied identifications ingested Lebertia davidcooki L. quinquemaculosa more include Parachironomus abortivus, Cryptochironomus ponderosus. tenuicaudatus, Glyptotendipes senilis, Dicrotendipes modestus, Chironomus riparius, entis/plumosus, maturus, crassicaudatus, Endochironomus subtendens, Cricotopus sylvestris, festivellus, Orthocladius obumbratus, Tanypus punctipennis, Rheotanytarsus exiguus gr., Paratanytarsus nr. bituberculatus.