More than 100 taxa, consisting of 68 named species and at least 32 unnamed taxa, are reported from the Yukon arctic North Slope and Herschel Island in an annotated checklist. Five subfamilies, Podonominae, Tanypodinae, Diamesinae, Orthocladiinae and Chironominae, are represented with Orthocladiinae having more than 50 percent of the taxa. Most (80%) of the named species occur in both the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions, but only 15 are circumpolar. Thirty percent of the named species are restricted to the arctic zone and about one-half of these do not extend into the Arctic Archipelago. In a number of Beringian species the adult males show antennal reduction, which ranges from slight plume reduction to complete loss and female-like appearance. Résumé. Les chironomides (Diptera: Chironomidae) du versant arctique nord du Yukon et de l’île Herschel. Plus de 100 taxons, 68 espèces identifiées et au moins 32 autres taxons encore indéterminés, vivent sur le versant arctique nord du Yukon et dans l’île Herschel; on en trouvera ici une liste commentée. Cinq sous-familles, Podonominae, Tanypodinae, Diamesinae, Orthocladiinae et Chironominae, sont représentées et les Orthocladiinae composent plus de 50% de la faune. La majorité (80%) des espèces déterminées habitent les régions néarctiques et paléarctiques, mais seulement 15 ont une répartition circumpolaire. Trente pourcent des espèces déterminées sont confinées à la zone arctique, dont environ la moitié n’atteignent pas l’Archipel arctique. On note une réduction des antennes chez les mâles adultes de plusieurs espèces béringiennes; chez certains, elles sont légèrement moins plumeuses, chez d’autres, elles ont complètement perdu leur aspect plumeux et ressemblent aux antennes des femelles.

Collections of adults ofParakiefferiella nigra Brundin indicate that this chironomid occurs widely in arctic and subarctic zones. In addition, it has occasionally been collected in cool temperate and boreal forest lakes of both North America and Europe. Although widely distributed, the larva and its habitat have not previously been described. Identity of the larva ofP. nigra has been established by studying associated reared specimens. The distinctive larva, with reduced second lateral mental teeth, is stenotopic, and on the basis of modern collections appears to be most abundant in cold, oligotrophic lakes. More data is required to establish the range of thermal environments inhabited by the larva. Larval head capsule remains ofP. nigra are common in late-glacial sediments of southwestern British Columbia lakes and provide important evidence for oligotrophic conditions during late-glacial time.