Search Results (22)

Kempnyia Klapálek, 1914 (Plecoptera: Perlidae) is the only genus within its family endemic to Brazil, being present in the Atlantic Forest and sections of the Cerrado. Taxonomic knowledge of the genus is incomplete, especially for nymphs. An integrative approach to the description of species and semaphoronts is essential for further studies. We describe a new species of Kempnyia based on morphological and molecular data, associate and describe the nymphs of both the new species and Kempnyia umbrina Froehlich, 1988, as well as expand its distribution and correct past mistakes in identification of K. umbrina. Specimens were identified morphologically and sequenced for the barcode region of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene, resulting in eight new sequences for three species of the genus. Both morphological and molecular analyses revealed a new species, Kempnyia krenaki sp. nov. Its nymph and that of K. umbrina are also described. With our additions, the number of known Kempnyia species rises to 41, of which 26 have COI sequences available in GenBank. Although only 11 nymphs have been associated and described for the genus so far, as the Kempnyia sequence database continues to grow, studies associating and describing nymphs will become more common, gradually reducing the Haeckelian deficit. Full article

The article presents integrative research of the perlodid genus Perlodinella in Qinghai Province, northwestern China. P. tatunga Wu, 1973 is considered a junior synonym of P. kozlovi Klapálek, 1912, with a further description of intraspecific morphological variability, while P. unimacula Klapálek, 1912 is considered to be nomen dubium. The COI barcodes of the three valid species in Qinghai, P. epiproctalis (Zwick, 1997), P. kozlovi Klapálek, 1912, and P. microlobata Wu, 1938 are firstly sequenced, enabling adult–larva matching and the analysis of genetic diversity. The larval morphology of P. kozlovi and P. microlobata is described for the first time. Additionally, the biology, ecological adaptability, and fungal infections of Perlodinella are firstly recorded with an environment-related comparison. The discussion of the origin and immigration of the genus is also provided. Full article

The mitochondrial genomes of three stoneflies, e.g., Tibetisoperla wangluyui Huo and Du, 2021, Perlodinella kozlovi Klapálek, 1912 and Perlodinella epiproctalis (Zwick, 1997), were sequenced in this study, with lengths 16,043 bp, 16,024 bp, and 16,071 bp, respectively. Each mitogenome contained 37 genes including 22 tRNAs, two ribosomal RNAs, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), and a noncoding control region (CR). In general, standard ATN start and TAN termination codons were evident in the PCGs. Meanwhile, in this paper, three newly published mitochondrial genomes and 11 existing mitochondrial genomes of the Perlodidae from NCBI were analyzed. Among the 13 PCGs in the mitochondrial genome of Perlodidae, the lengths of atp6, atp8, cox2, cox3, cytb, nad1, nad2, nad3, and nad4 are exactly the same, and the length of cox1 is 1536–1569 bp. The length of nad4L is 297, but the length of Arcynopteryx dichroa is 300. The length of nad5 ranges from 1732 bp to 1752 bp, while that of nad6 ranges from 525 bp to 534 bp. The length of rrnL is between 1292 and 391 bp, and the length of rrnS is between 793 and 869 bp. In addition, we found that atp8 in Isoperlinae started with GTG as a start codon but in Perlodinae, it started with ATG. Despite these advances, mitochondrial genome data from the Perlodidae are still needed. Full article

Rhopalopsole sinensis Yang and Yang, 1993 is one of the most widely distributed stoneflies in southern China. In this study, the genetic structure of nine different geographical populations of R. sinensis was studied based on three datasets of the 18S, COI and ITS2 genes. The phylogenetic trees showed that there had been a great degree of genetic differentiation among its nine geographical populations, but the hypothesis of random mating did not support the formation of reproductive isolation among different geographical populations, indicating that R. sinensis did not form cryptic species. The establishment of the 18S gene and ITS2 gene supports the population of (Guangdong + Shaanxi + Sichuan + Guizhou + Fujian) as independent branches, while the population of (Anhui + Zhejiang + Hunan) is another branch. The establishment of COI gene tree supports (Shaanxi + Sichuan + Guizhou + Fujian) as one branch, while the other independent branch is composed of (Anhui + Zhejiang + Guangxi + Hunan + Guangdong) groups. The possible reasons for this situation based on geography and biology are discussed. Our results provide the first reference for the genetic differentiation in Chinese Rhopalopsole stoneflies. Full article

Protected areas are relatively free of human disturbance, are especially common in montane regions, and provide opportunities to study native fauna and flora. Stoneflies are model organisms to assess present and future environmental changes. While stoneflies inhabit cold lakes and a wide size range of lotic systems, diversity is greatest in streams draining mountain landscapes. This study addressed seasonal and elevation patterns of a stonefly fauna inhabiting a protected landscape draining the eastern flank of Mount Mitchell, the highest point of the Appalachian Mountains, USA. In total, 58 species were collected with estimated richness values ranging from 63 to 65. Species determinations were assisted with an integrative molecular approach using the mitochondrial barcode gene. Sampling during spring yielded the most species seasonally. Although certain species were only found at lower or higher sites, several were collected from across a broad range of elevations. Roughly 1/3 (21 = 36%) of the fauna present is known only from the southern Appalachian Highlands region, including one species described as new during this study. The assemblage reported here, however, did not closely align with other Appalachian fauna. Overall, well-structured faunal research continues to be important in light of continuing habitat modifications and climate change. Full article

Capniidae are a family of stoneflies, also known as snow flies, who emerge in winter. The phylogeny of Capniidae is widely accepted to be based on morphological analysis. Until now, only five Capniidae mitochondrial genomes have been sequenced so far. In addition, sampling is required to determine an accurate phylogenetic association because the generic classification of this family is still controversial and needs to be investigated further. In this study, the first mitogenome of genus Isocapnia was sequenced with a length of 16,200 bp and contained 37 genes, including a control region, two rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, and 13 PCGs, respectively. Twelve PCGs originated with the common start codon ATN (ATG, ATA, or ATT), while nad5 used GTG. Eleven PCGs had TAN (TAA or TAG) as their last codon; however, cox1 and nad5 had T as their final codon due to a shortened termination codon. All tRNA genes demonstrated the cloverleaf structure, which is distinctive for metazoans excluding the tRNASer1 (AGN) that missed the dihydrouridine arm. A Phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily Nemouroidea was constructed using thirteen PCGs from 32 formerly sequenced Plecoptera species. The Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood phylogeny tree structures derived similar results across the thirteen PCGs. Our findings strongly supported Leuctridae + ((Capniidae + Taeniopterygidae) + (Nemouridae + Notonemouridae)). Ultimately, the best well-supported generic phylogenetic relationship within Capniidae is as follows; (Isocapnia + (Capnia + Zwicknia) + (Apteroperla + Mesocapnia)). These findings will enable us to better understand the evolutionary relationships within the superfamily Nemouroidea and the generic classification and mitogenome structure of the family Capniidae. Full article

Stoneflies are a globally threatened aquatic insect order. In Arkansas, a diverse group of winter stonefly (Capniidae: Allocapnia) have not been surveyed since the 1980s, likely because species-level identification requires the rarely-collected adult form. Allocapnia mohri, a regional endemic, was previously commonly found in mountainous, intermittent streams from the Ouachita Mountains ecoregion north to the Ozark Highlands, but no species distributional models including land use or climate variables exist to our knowledge. We collected adults from 71 stream reaches from the historic Arkansas range from November to April 2020 and 2021. We modeled distributions using random forest (RF) models populated with landscape, climate, and both data to determine which were most predictive of species presence. Correlations between landscape or climate variables and presence were examined using multiple logistic regression. The landscape RF models performed better than the climate or landscape + climate RF models. A. mohri presence sites tended to have a greater elevation, a lower mean July temperature, and a greater percentage of very slow infiltration soils in the watershed, compared to absence sites. A. mohri was absent at the Ouachita Mountains sites and may be experiencing a range contraction or migration northward. Full article

Currently, information on the biology of Plecoptera from China is scarce, particularly on mating behavior. In this paper, the existence of mating mistakes (erroneous mating attempts) involving 13 Chinese stonefly species (belonging to nine genera and three families) is reported. These erroneous mating behaviors can be included into three different categories: mating attempts between conspecific males (including the formation of erroneous mating balls), mating attempts between different taxa (including displacement attempts during copulation), and mating-related behaviors with non-living objects. From these behaviors, some aspects of stoneflies during mating, such as the physical competition between males, the sensorial mechanisms implied in triggering a mating behavior, the conditions favoring the mating mistakes, and the possible consequences of interspecific mating in the hybrid production, are discussed. Full article

Faunistic studies of regional biodiversity of aquatic insects are increasing in importance as declines are noted globally. Federal and state government conservation attempts for rare and threatened species are predicated upon the initial research of specialized taxonomists and trained field biologists. The reporting of aquatic insect occurrence data provides a baseline for conservation agencies to compare water quality monitoring studies. Updated field work, literature reviews, and database queries for stoneflies from the mid-Atlantic United States of America state of Maryland necessitated an assessment of species diversity for the state. Seven new state records and one new literature record are presented, bringing the total number of species to 122. Chao1 estimates of species richness are presented for diversity hotspots and the state as a whole, indicating that increased sampling is still necessary to fully understand diversity patterns. Accompanying are assessments of elevation trends and adult presence patterns within nine families. Collections are predominantly restricted to the Appalachian region. Herein, we direct future efforts to focus on understudied regions. An outline of distribution knowledge for species is presented to inform upcoming State Wildlife Action Plans. Full article

Taeniopterygidae is a medium-sized family of stoneflies. The phylogeny of Taeniopterygidae was widely accepted based on the morphological analyses. However, there are different opinions based on molecular data. To date, only two taeniopterygid mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) were available, and more sampling is needed to obtain precise phylogenetic relationships. In this research, the Strophopteryx fasciata mitogenome was sequenced and analyzed. The complete mitogenome of S. fasciata was 15,527 bp in length and contained 37 genes and a non-coding control region. Among taeniopterygid mitogenomes, the length variation was minimal in protein-coding genes (PCGs), transfer RNA genes (tRNAs) and ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), but very different in the control region. Similar to mitogenomes of other taeniopterygid species, the S. fasciata mitogenome was consistently AT biased and displayed positive AT- and negative GC-skews of the whole mitogenome. Most PCGs used ATN as the start codon and TAA/TAG as the stop codon. The stop codons were far less variable than the start codons in taeniopterygid mitogenomes. All Ka/Ks ratios were less than 1, indicating the presence of purifying selection in these genes. The secondary structures of transfer and ribosomal RNA genes of S. fasciata mitogenome are highly conserved with other taeniopterygid species. In the control region of the S. fasciata mitogenome, some essential elements (tandem repeats, stem–loop structures, and poly−N stretch, etc.) were observed. Two phylogenetic trees were inferred from Bayesian inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods generated the identical topology across the PCGR dataset. The relationships of five families in Nemouroidea were recovered as Leuctridae + ((Capniidae + Taeniopterygidae) + (Nemouridae + Notonemouridae)). These results will help us understand the mitogenome structure of taeniopterygid species and the evolutionary relationship within Plecoptera. Full article

The genus-level relationships within the subfamily Amphinemurinae have been controversial, although attempts have been made based on morphology and limited molecular data. With the establishment of two new genera, the phylogenetic relationships within Amphinemurinae should be re-examined. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Malenka flexura of the genus Malenka was firstly sequenced and analyzed. The phylogeny of Amphinemurinae was also reconstructed using 13 proteincoding genes (PCGs) from previously published stoneflies. This mitogenome was 15,744 bp long and encoded the typical 37 genes, as well as a putative control region. The gene arrangement of M. flexura mitogenome is identical with the putative ancestral mitogenome in Drosophila yakuba. Most PCGs used standard ATN as start codons and TAA/TAG as termination codons. All tRNA genes exhibited the typical cloverleaf secondary structure, except for tRNA^Ser(AGN), whose dihydrouridine (DHU) arm was lacking. Some structural elements in the control region were founded, such as tandem repeat regions, stemloop structures, polyN stretch and microsatellite structure, etc. Phylogenetic analyses of sequenced Amphinemurinae mitogenomes unsupported the sister relationship of Amphinemura and Malenka. Finally, the phylogenetic analyses inferred a relationship within Amphinemurinae: Amphinemura + (Malenka + (Protonemura + (Indonemoura + (Sphaeronemoura + Mesonemoura)))). Full article

Abundances of EPT larvae sampled in a Central European locality affected by mining and smelting, as well as by the continual inflow of treated communal wastewaters (WWs), were recorded. High concentrations of trace metals in water (maximum 1200 µg·L^–1 for zinc) and sediments (maximum 140,000 mg·kg^–1 in dry weight for lead) were found at the most contaminated sites. The highest loads of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and illegal drugs were found under the WW effluent. Other associated factors such as the physicochemical parameters of the water and alterations to microhabitats were also evaluated and taken into account. Although EPT richness was lower at affected sites, abundances did not fall. Stoneflies were dominant at unaffected sites, while caddisflies dominated at affected sites. Only baetid mayflies were detected at the sites contaminated by trace metals and WWs; ephemerellid, heptageniid, and leptophlebiid mayflies were absent from these sites. The site contaminated by trace metals was also inhabited by numerous limnephilid caddisflies, in which limb malformations were detected in up to 11.8% of all specimens of a single taxon. Downstream from the entrance of the WWs, the locality was dominated by hydropsychid caddisflies. The increasing prevalence of predator or passive filter-feeding strategies in these EPT communities was significantly related to increasing water conductivity and acute ecosystemic exposure to ‘poorly treated’ WWs. Full article

Of the more than 3900 described species worldwide, stoneflies (order Plecoptera) are represented in Israel, a semi-arid country, by as few as five species. As a group of highly sensitive aquatic insects, they are restricted to the northernmost watershed of the Sea of Galilee, where the most pristine streams in Israel are found. The Israeli stoneflies are not often collected in the field, and they have not been recorded in the literature in the last 30 years. In order to provide an up-to-date picture, I gathered the available historical records of the local fauna, as well as all verified data from the last decade, and compared the two datasets. Despite the unprecedented efforts that have recently been invested in studying freshwater macroinvertebrates in Israel, a sharp decrease in stonefly occurrence is evident. Whilst the populations of three species have dramatically declined (Protonemura zernyi, Leuctra hippopus, and L. kopetdaghi), the remaining two have not been collected at all in over four decades and are considered locally extinct (Brachyptera galeata and Marthamea beraudi). These findings highlight the joint impact of multiple stressors on the stream system in the Sea of Galilee Watershed—namely, stream pollution and water diversion on the local level and climate change on the global level. If the current trends continue, there is a great concern that the entire local stonefly fauna will become extinct, and many stream-dwelling taxa may follow soon after. Full article

Plecoptera, an environmentally sensitive order of aquatic insects commonly used in water quality monitoring is experiencing decline across the globe. This study addresses the landscape factors that impact the species richness of stoneflies using the US Geological Survey Hierarchical Unit Code 8 drainage scale (HUC8) in the state of Indiana. Over 6300 specimen records from regional museums, literature, and recent efforts were assigned to HUC8 drainages. A total of 93 species were recorded from the state. The three richest of 38 HUC8s were the Lower East Fork White (66 species), the Blue-Sinking (58), and the Lower White (51) drainages, all concentrated in the southern unglaciated part of the state. Richness was predicted using nine variables, reduced from 116 and subjected to AICc importance and hierarchical partitioning. AICc importance revealed four variables associated with Plecoptera species richness, topographic wetness index, HUC8 area, % soil hydrolgroup C/D, and % historic wetland ecosystem. Hierarchical partitioning indicated topographic wetness index, HUC8 area, and % cherty red clay surface geology as significantly important to predicting species richness. This analysis highlights the importance of hydrology and glacial history in species richness of Plecoptera. The accumulated data are primed to be used for monograph production, niche modeling, and conservation status assessment for an entire assemblage in a large geographic area. Full article

Mitochondrial genomes of three stoneflies, e.g., Claassenia magna Wu, 1948, Claassenia sp. 2 and Claassenia xucheni Chen, 2019 were sequenced in this study with 15,774, 15,777 and 15,746 bp in length, respectively. Each mitogenome contained 37 genes including 22 tRNAs, two ribosomal RNAs, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), and a noncoding control region (CR). In general, standard ATN start and TAN termination codons were evident in the PCGs. Although the dihydrouridine arm was absent in trnSer, the remaining 21 tRNAs displayed the characteristic cloverleaf secondary structure. Stem-loop structures were identified in the CRs of all three mitogenomes, but tandem repeats were only apparent in Claassenia xucheni. The mitogenomes of three Claassenia species were analyzed and compared with mitogenomes in 21 other stoneflies from the Perlidae and three Euholognatha species (Rhopalopsole bulbifera, Capnia zijinshana and Amphinemura longispina) as outgroups. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. Phylogenetic analysis supported that Claassenia was recovered as the sister group of other Perlinae and Claassenia+Perlinae emerged from the paraphyletic Acroneuriinae. The final results supported that Claassenia was classified into subfamily Perlinae and proposed Claassenia represent a transitional group of the subfamilies Acroneuriinae and Perlinae. This study provided new molecular evidence for exploring the debatable taxonomic position of the genus Claassenia in Perlidae. Full article