Preliminar study of the distribution and composition of chironomid communities (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Laguna San Rafael National Park (46°S), Chile

Abstract

At present, the Chironomidae fauna that has been described from southern Chile and Patagonia makes up a small percentage of the total composition of this family in southern South America. There are many studies of the group that have not been published or which appear in international taxonomic revisions. In this work we have studied the chironomids from 21 aquatic localities in the Laguna San Rafael National Park (LSRNP), XI region, Chile, with the aim of improving information about the composition and distribution of this important group of insects in this region. The results of this report constitute the first taxonomic summary of chironomids in the southern region o f Chile, and underlines the potential o f future similar studies. From a biogeographical point of view, the data show interesting similarities between the chironomid fauna o f South America and Australia, and provide more evidence of the Gondwana connections between both continents. However, this work is preliminar. The lack o f taxonomic resolution indicates that further taxonomic studies should be considered as a principal part of future investigations on chironomids in the southern zone of South America.