Description of <i>Parakiefferiella ferringtoni </i>with discussion of relationships within the <i>Parakiefferiella </i>group (Diptera, Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae)

Parakiefferiella ferringtoni sp. n., previously recorded as the provisional taxon Orthocladiinae Genus 5 sensu Coffman and Ferrington (2008), is described based on larval, pupal, pharate male and female material. This species resides in the Pacific Northwest region of the Nearctic. The morphology of P. ferringtoni sp. n. blurs the lines between genera of the Parakiefferiella group. We review the state of generic taxonomy of the Parakiefferiella group, with an emphasis on providing explicit morphological synapomorphies to delineate each genus, although Parakiefferiella Thienemann and Lappokiefferiella Tuiskunen have no unambiguous synapomorphies.