First record of Thienemanniola ploenensis Kieffer, 1921 in Slovakia: A unique chironomid find in a running water habitat

Abstract Samples of aquatic macroinvertebrates were collected at the Slovak bankside of the Morava River, between the village of Devínska Nová Ves and its downstream confluence with the Danube. In these samples, a rare Chironomidae species, Thienemanniola ploenensis Kieffer, 1921, was recorded for the first time in Slovakia. This species is neither common nor widely distributed in the Palearctic, and little is known about its ecology or feeding habits. Moreover, previous findings indicate taxa preference of lentic habitats, thus our discovery is broadening current knowledge on habitat preferences. Detritus and sand particles found in the larva’s digestive tract, along with phytobentos and wood fragments, suggest its detriovorous feeding habit.