The Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) are among a number of aquatic invertebrate groups which have received scant attention in Panama. This paper brings together information from the published literature, personal comments by colleagues, and current research to produce a first benchmark of knowledge about this dipteran family. To date, we have discovered 57 named species in 31 genera distributed among five chironomid subfamilies. In addition, 22 unassociated genera/subgenera (without identified species) are listed. The majority of the taxa recorded belong to the subfamily Chironominae (40 named species in 17 genera, plus 11 unassociated genera/subgenera). Of the 79 total number of species and unassociated taxa of the genus or subgenus rank presented in this paper, 43 are new country records for Panama.

Petalocladius dominiensis Andersen & Baranov sp. n. is described and figured based on an adult male collected in the Ebano Verde Scientific Reserve in the Dominican Republic. The new species can be separated from its only congener, P. setosus Sublette & Wirth, 1972 from Jamaica, as it is slightly smaller with about 115 dorsocentrals compared to 56 in P. setosus. The inferior volsella is broadly subtriangular, while more lingulate in P. setosus, and the gonostylus has a small, but distinct megaseta and a subapical brush of spine-like seta, which apparently lack in P. setosus. The generic diagnosis is emended including the new species, and the systematic position is briefly discussed.

An updated checklist of Mexican non-biting midges (Chironomidae) is presented. A total of 110 species of Chironomidae are known for Mexico: 52 species in 25 genera belong to the subfamily Chironominae, 30 species in 13 genera to Orthocladiinae, 21 species in nine genera to Tanypodinae, five species in two genera to Telmatogetoninae, and two species in one genus to Diamesinae. In addition, 41 genera without identified species are listed. The highest number of species (29) is recorded from the state of Campeche, while 19 species have been found in Veracruz and 15 in Nuevo León. Few or no records exist for states in Central and Northern Mexico, or those on the Pacific coast. The type localities for 34 species are in Mexico; of these, 27 species (25% of the total number of species recorded in the country) are endemic. Twenty-nine species recorded in Mexico have a Neotropical distribution, 15 a Nearctic distribution, and 39 species are distributed in both the Neotropical and Nearctic regions or more widely. It has been suggested that as many as 1000 species might occur in Mexico; so only a little more than 10% of the expected diversity has so far been recorded.

Two new species of Riethia Kieffer, 1917, R. chilensis sp. nov. (Chile) and R. ecuadoriensis sp. nov. (Ecuador) are described and figured as adult males. The two species differ from the presumable closest relative, R. truncatocaudata (Edwards, 1931), by uniformly coloured legs, without bands, and stout curved hypopygial superior volsellae; they can be separated from all other Riethia by the shape and setation pattern of the inferior volsella. The two new species differ from each other in body colouration, including abdomen, and in the presence/absence of microtrichia on superior volsellae.

Chironomus fumeus Walley in Curran, 1934 was described based on a single male from British Guyana. When reviewing the type specimens of Chironomidae (Diptera) in the American Museum of Natural History, Sublette erected the monotypic genus Psilochironomus Sublette, 1966 based on the species. Subsequently, Sæther included the genus when he suggested the new tribe Pseudochironomini Sæther, 1977. However, the type specimen’s hypopygium has been missing since before Sublette’s examination; thus, Spies & Reiss in 1996 considered both C. fumeus and Psilochironomus to be nomina dubia. Below we redescribe C. fumeus based on four males collected by E.J. Fittkau in Pará State in northern Brazil and give an emended diagnosis for Psilochironomus. An updated key to the genera of Pseudochironomini is included.

A new species of Pseudochironomus Malloch, 1915 is described and figured as adult male and female based on material from Chiapas (Mexico) and Heredia (Costa Rica). Pseudochironomus seipi sp. n. can be distinguished from all other species of Pseudochironomus as it has two dark bands across the wing and a small tubercle in mid scutum; all other described species have wings without dark spots or bands, and they all lack scutal tubercle. It can also be separated from other Neotropical species by having 25-30 dorsocentrals in double to triple row; all other described Neotropical species have dorsocentrals in a single row. Including this new species, 10 Pseudochironomus species are described from the Neotropical Region.

Poxyaibamberus Andersen & Dantas, gen. nov. is erected based on the males of two species, P.jamanximensis Andersen & Dantas, sp. nov. from Jamanxim National Park, Pará State, Brazil, and P.ubajarensis Andersen & Dantas, sp. nov. from Ubajara National Park, Ceará State, Brazil. Both species have a comparatively short and wide head, with large eyes and short, five-segmented palps; a strong subapical seta on the ultimate flagellomere; scalpellate acrostichals; no setae on the wing veins except for one seta on the brachiolum; a long costal extension; and a large triangular anal point and a very long heel on the gonostylus. The systematic position of the new genus is briefly discussed.

Two species of the genus Tanytarsus van der Wulp, 1874 are described: T. deimos Giłka, Dantas et Andersen, sp. nov. (Mexico, Panama) and T. phobos Dantas, Giłka et Andersen, sp. nov. (Peru). Small adult males having wings with a high venarum ratio, unpaired tibial spurs on mid and hind legs, a hypopygial anal point lanceolate without spinulae or bars, a digitus with a well-developed basal tubercle bearing a long seta, a stout median volsella, and a gonostylus distinctly shorter than the gonocoxite, are a set of characters common to the two close species for which a new group is here proposed.

BackgroundPseudochironomini is a relatively small and poorly-studied tribe of subfamily Chironominae (Diptera, Chironomidae).New informationPseudochironomus ruthae Andersen & Baranov sp. nov. is described and figured, based on a single male collected in a light trap at Matadero, Dominican Republic. The species can be separated from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: wing without dark bands, dorsocentrals in partly double row and apex of superior volsella rounded. The species is the first Pseudochironomus species to be formally recorded and described from the Caribbean. In addition, a new record of Manoa pahayokeensis Jacobsen & Perry, 2002 from the Dominican Republic is given. One specimen was DNA-barcoded and the barcode is given

This is the first study focused on Eocene dipterans of the tribe Pseudochironomini (subfamily Chironominae, family Chironomidae), based on unique materials from Baltic amber. Two new genera and three new species: Eomicromimus gen. nov. with Eomicromimus polliciformis sp. nov. and Eomicromimus serpens sp. nov., and Eoriethia gen. nov. with Eoriethia ursipes sp. nov. are presented. The systematic position of the new taxa is discussed, and an amended key to the identification of adult males of extinct and extant Pseudochironomini genera is provided. The presented analysis of the morphology of the tribe's fossil members allowed us to verify the concepts regarding the origin/homology of male diagnostic structures crucial in defining new taxa, their phylogeny, and to consolidate the terminology used in chironomid research. A new habitual name for Chironomidae, "mime midges", is also proposed.

The female, larva and pupa of Rheocricotopus (Psilocricotopus) sirventorum Andersen & Mendes, 2012, are described based on specimens collected in southern Brazil. The species is the sole described species of Rheocricotopus Brundin, 1956 from the Neotropical region. The subgeneric placement is confirmed, based on the morphology of the female, larva and pupa. The species belongs in the chalybeatus species group, and a key to the pupae of the group is presented.