Search

Leuctra signifera Kempny, 1899 and Leuctra austriaca Aubert, 1954 are re-described and their taxonomical status is discussed. New country records are reported for L. austriaca from Hungary and L. signifera from Italy, Slovenia, and Hungary. A new species, Leuctra papukensis sp. n., from Croatia, is described and illustrated. The subspecies Leuctra signifera jahorinensis Kaćanski, 1972 is raised to species level.

This paper gives a description of the hitherto unknown larva of Chaetopteryx rugulosa Kolenati 1848 (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). Information on the morphology of the larva is given, and the most important diagnostic features are figured. In the context of the known European Chaetopterygini and Stenophylacini species, the larva of C. rugulosa can be separated from morphologically close species by metanotal sclerite morphology, setation, the extension of the lateral fringe, and by case morphology.

This paper describes the previously unknown larva of Plectrocnemia scruposa McLachlan 1880. Information on the morphology of the 5th larval instar is given, and the most important diagnostic features are illustrated. In the context of existing identification keys, P. scruposa keys together with P. brevis McLachlan 1871, P. conspersa (Curtis 1834), and P. laetabilis McLachlan 1880. These species can be separated by the length of the outermost seta of the posterolateral trio on the last abdominal tergum and by presence/absence of a central pigmented mark on the posterior margin of the labrum. According to mandible morphology, the larva of this species appears to be mainly a predator and passive filter feeder of particulate organic matter.

A new Drusinae species, Drusus katagelastos sp. nov., of the Drusus chapmani Species Complex, is described based on a male and associated larvae. Adult-larval association was achieved through DNA barcoding. The male of the new species differ from that of its congeners in the formation of the intermediate appendages and parameres. Information on the morphology of the larva is given, and important diagnostic features are discussed. In the context of filtering carnivore Drusinae, the larva of the new species can be separated from other filtering carnivore species by the dense cover of long translucent bristles within the frontal cavity surrounded by a circular corona of long bristles. Drusus katagelastos sp. nov. is known from only northwestern Italy (Piemonte).

This contribution describes the previously unknown larva of Adicella cremisa Malicky 1972. Information on the morphology of the 5th larval instar is given and the important diagnostic features are highlighted on micrographs. Within the genus Adicella the hitherto known larvae differ in color patterns of the head capsule, the morphology of the posterior process of abdominal segment I, and in setation patterns on the metanotum, metasternum, abdominal segment IX, and anal prolegs. With respect to zoogeography, A. filicornis and A. reducta are widespread throughout Europe whereas A. cremisa is restricted to European Ecoregions 3 (Italian Mainland), 5 (Dinaric Western Balkan: Slovenia, Croatia), 9 (Central Highlands: Austria) and 11 (Hungarian Plains; Vienna). Based on mandible morphology, A. cremisa is likely a collector-gatherer and shredder.

In this contribution, we describe Isoperla vjosae sp. nov. from Albania. We characterize males, females, and larvae of the new species collected at the Vjosa River using morphological and molecular approaches. Isoperla vjosae sp.nov. is a member of the I. tripartita group, which is widely distributed in the Balkans. This new endemic species is being threatened by a proposed hydroelectric power dam on the Vjosa River impacting the type locality - a large, shifting gravel, low altitude River - an atypical habitat for larvae of the I. tripartita group. For the first time we use molecular tools to delineate Isoperla species from the Balkans.

Background: Taxonomy offers precise species identification and delimitation and thus provides basic information for biological research, e.g. through assessment of species richness. The importance of molecular taxonomy, i.e., the identification and delimitation of taxa based on molecular markers, has increased in the past decade. Recently developed exploratory tools now allow estimating species-level diversity in multi-locus molecular datasets., Results: Here we use molecular species delimitation tools that either quantify differences in intra- and interspecific variability of loci, or divergence times within and between species, or perform coalescent species tree inference to estimate species-level entities in molecular genetic datasets. We benchmark results from these methods against 14 morphologically readily differentiable species of a well-defined subgroup of the diverse Drusinae subfamily (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae). Using a 3798 bp (6 loci) molecular data set we aim to corroborate a geographically isolated new species by integrating comparative morphological studies and molecular taxonomy., Conclusions: Our results indicate that only multi-locus species delimitation provides taxonomically relevant information. The data further corroborate the new species Drusus zivici sp. nov. We provide differential diagnostic characters and describe the male, female and larva of this new species and discuss diversity patterns of Drusinae in the Balkans. We further discuss potential and significance of molecular species delimitation. Finally we argue that enhancing collaborative integrative taxonomy will accelerate assessment of global diversity and completion of reference libraries for applied fields, e.g., conservation and biomonitoring.

Drusinae (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae) are highland caddisflies inhabiting high-gradient, turbulent running water and spring habitats. They are disjunctly distributed over the Eurasian mountain ranges, and the majority of species is endemic to particular mountain areas. The most diverse of three main groups of the Drusinae, the grazer clade, consists of species in which larvae feed on epiltihic biofilm and algae. In this paper we describe three previously unknown grazer-clade Drusinae larvae: Drusus krusniki Malicky 1981 (endemic to the Dinaric western Balkans), D. vernonensis Malicky 1989 (endemic to the Hellenic western Balkans), and D. vespertinus Marinković 1976 (endemic to the Dinaric western Balkans). The larvae of these species have toothless mandibles typical of the Drusinae grazer clade. Larvae and adults were unambiguously associated using molecular genetic data, i.e., the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene fragment (mtCOI3-P). Morphological characteristics of the larvae are described and the diagnostic features enabling species-level identification are illustrated. We further discuss the ecology and distribution of three Western Balkan endemic species.

The previously unknown larva of Rhyacophila balcanica Radovanovic 1953 is described. The diagnostic features of the species are listed and illustrated and some information on its ecology and distribution is included. In addition, diagnostic characters for larvae of the known Greek Rhyacophila species are provided.

The caddisfly subfamily Drusinae BANKS comprises roughly 100 species inhabiting mountain ranges in Europe, Asia Minor and the Caucasus. A 3-gene phylogeny of the subfamily previously identified three major clades that were corroborated by larval morphology and feeding ecologies: scraping grazers, omnivorous shredders and filtering carnivores. Larvae of filtering carnivores exhibit unique head capsule complexities, unknown from other caddisfly larvae. Here we assess the species-level relationships within filtering carnivores, hypothesizing that head capsule complexity is derived from simple shapes observed in the other feeding groups. We summarize the current systematics and taxonomy of the group, clarify the systematic position of Cryptothrix nebulicola, and present a larval key to filtering carnivorous Drusinae. We infer relationships of all known filtering carnivorous Drusinae and 34 additional Drusinae species using Bayesian species tree analysis and concatenated Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of 3805bp of sequence data from six gene regions (mtCOI5-P, mtCOI3-P, 16S mrDNA, CADH, WG, 28S nrDNA), morphological cladistics from 308 characters, and a total evidence analysis. All analyses support monophyly of the three feeding ecology groups but fail to fully resolve internal relationships. Within filtering carnivores, variation in head setation and frontoclypeus structure may be associated with progressive niche adaptation, with less complex species recovered at a basal position. We propose that diversification of complex setation and frontoclypeus shape represents a recent evolutionary development, hypothetically enforcing speciation and niche specificity within filtering carnivorous Drusinae., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Balkan Peninsula is one of the most important European hotspots of freshwater biodiversity. The region is, however, to a large extent insufficiently investigated. Here we present data on distribution of caddisflies in one particularly understudied area, the Republic of Kosovo. Our data include the first records of Adicella altandroconia Botosaneanu & Novak and Halesus tessellatus (Rambur) for the Kosovo caddisfly fauna, and a new locality for the recently described Ecclisopteryx keroveci Previšić, Graf, & Vitecek. Further, we describe the new caddisfly species Drusus dardanicus sp. nov. from the Kopaonik Mountains. The new species belongs to the D. discophorus Species Group and differs morphologically from its most similar congeners (D. discophorus Radovanović, D. balcanicus Kumanski, and D. bureschi Kumanski) mainly in exhibiting (1) subtrianglar superior appendages; (2) a narrow, dorsal spinate area of tergite VIII; and (3) evenly rounded tips of intermediate appendages in caudal view. In phylogenetic analysis, D. dardanicus sp. nov. is well delineated and recovered as a sister taxon to D. osogovicus Kumanski, a species recorded from Bulgaria. The recent discovery of a new species and other rare or microendemic species presents important contributions to the knowledge on the rich freshwater biodiversity in Kosovo. These species face increasing anthropogenic pressure and threats to their conservation.

In this study we present morphological, molecular and ecological features of the last instar larvae of Drusus bosnicus with data about distribution of this species in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We also included  the most important diagnostic features enabling separation of larvae of D. bosnicus from larvae of the other European Drusinae and Trichoptera species.

New species are described from the genera Consorophylax and Anisogamus (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae, Limnephilinae, Stenophylacini). Additionally the larva of the genus Anisogamus, and the larval stages of Anisogamus waringeri sp. nov. and A. difformis (McLachlan 1867) are described. The new species Consorophylax vinconi sp. nov. is a microendemic from the Southern Alps and differs from its congeners in the shape of the parameres, which are distinctly straitened in the distal quarter in the new species. The new species Anisogamus waringeri sp. nov. represents the second species in the hitherto monospecific genus Anisogamus. Compared to Anisogamus difformis, the male of A. waringeri sp. nov. has more-slender superior appendages; a more-rounded basal plate of the intermediate appendages, lacking pointed protuberances; and parameres shorter than the aedaegus, proximally with one dorsal and several ventral tines. Further, the two species are disjunctly distributed in the European mountain ranges (A. difformis: Alps, A. waringeri sp. nov.: Pyrenees). Larvae of species in the genus Anisogamus are characterized by the lack of a dorsal protuberance on abdominal segment I, a unique feature among Eurasian Limnephilidae. Anisogamus difformis and A. waringeri sp. nov. larvae differ in pronotum shape. The discovery of two new species demonstrates the significance of taxonomic studies in Europe, and the importance of adequate training for young scientists in order to assess an incompletely described biodiversity under threat of extinction.

This paper describes the previously unknown larva of Athripsodes genei (Rambur 1842). Information on the morphology of the 5th larval instar is given and the most important diagnostic features are illustrated. In the context of existing identification keys the larva of A. genei keys together with A. albifrons (Linnaeus 1758), A. commutatus (Rostock 1874), A. leucophaeus (Rambur 1842) and Athripsodes tavaresi (Navás 1916). These species differ in the number of ventral edge setae at the 1st tibia and in the shape and colour of the submentum. With respect to zoogeography, Athripsodes genei is a (micro-)endemic of the collin and planar regions of Sardinia and Corsica (Graf et al. 2008). According to mandible morphology, A. genei is a collector-gatherer, shredder and, to a minor extent, also a predator.

The paper gives a description of the hitherto unknown larvae of Stenophylax mitis McLachlan 1875 and Allogamus hilaris (McLachlan 1876a) (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae: Limnephilini; Vshivkova et al. 2007). Information on the morphology of the larvae is given and the most important diagnostic features are illustrated. In the context of published keys, the larva of Stenophylax mitis keys together with Stenophylax permistus McLachlan 1895, S. vibex (Curtis 1834), Stenophylax crossotus McLachlan 1884, Platyphylax frauenfeldi (Brauer, in Brauer & Löw 1857), Micropterna lateralis (Stephens 1837) and M. sequax McLachlan 1875. These species are easily separated by a combination of the following features: spatial extent of the head spinule areas, setation on femora and on the 9th abdominal dorsum, and on the number of posterior sclerites behind each lateral protuberance. Allogamus hilaris keys with Allogamus uncatus (Brauer, in Brauer & Löw 1857), A. mendax (McLachlan 1876a) and Alpopsyche ucenorum (McLachlan 1876b). These species are very similar except in head width which is < 1.50 mm in A. mendax and A. ucenorum and > 1.61 mm in A. hilaris and A. uncatus; the two species in each of the pairs are not separable. With respect to distribution, S. mitis ranges from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkan Peninsula and from southern Italy and Greece to the Central European Highlands. Allogamus hilaris is restricted to the Western Alps and the northern half of the Apennine Peninsula. In addition, ecological characteristics are briefly discussed.

The paper gives a description of the hitherto unknown larva of Psilopteryx psorosa (Kolenati 1860), subspecies bohemosaxonica Mey & Botosaneanu 1985 (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae: Limnephilini, Chaetopterygina; Vshivkova et al. 2007). Information on the morphology of the larva is given and the most important diagnostic features are illustrated. In the context of already available keys, the larva of P psorosa bohemosaxonica keys together with Pseudopsilopteryx zimmeri (McLachlan 1876), Chaetopteryxfusca Brauer 1857 and C. villosa (Fabricius 1798). Psilopteryxpsorosa is not yet separable from P zimmeri but may be easily separated from the two Chaetopteryx species by the median fusion of setal groups sal at the first abdominal sternum in P psorosa which is lacking in C. fusca and C. villosa. With respect to distribution, P. psorosa bohemosaxonica is present in the Bohemian Forest and the Erzgebirge (Upper Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany). In addition, ecological characteristics are briefly discussed.

Water quality monitoring is greatly dependent on identification tools for aquatic and semi-aquatic insects. Species-level identification improves resolution and precision of water quality assessment and requires comprehensive keys. With the aim of increasing the suitability of Drusinae for such applications, this paper gives a description of the hitherto unknown larvae of Drusus franzressli Malicky 1974 and Drusus spelaeus (Ulmer 1920). Information on the morphology of the larvae is given and the most important diagnostic features are illustrated. In the context of already available keys, the larvae of D. franzressli and D. spelaeus key together with Metanoea flavipennis (Pictet 1834), M. rhaetica Schmid 1956, D. improvisus McLachlan 1884, D. nigrescens Meyer-Dür 1875 and Ecclisopteryx malickyi Moretti 1991. These species are easily separated by differences in larval morphology (dorsal outline and sculpturing of pronotum, presence/absence of lateral gills at 2nd and 3rd abdominal segments, start of lateral fringe) and their distribution ranges. Drusus franzressli is endemic to the Hellenic western Balkans whereas D. spelaeus is endemic to the western Alps (Grenoble area). In addition, ecological characteristics are briefly discussed.

We examined the phylogenetic relationships between species and genera within the caddisfly subfamily Drusinae (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) using sequence data from two mitochondrial loci (cytochrome oxidase 1, large subunit rRNA) and one nuclear gene (wingless). Sequence data were analysed for 28 species from five genera from the subfamily. We analysed individual and combined data sets using a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo and a maximum parsimony approach and compared the performance of each partition for resolving phylogenetic relationships at this level. In terms of resolution and phylogenetic utility wingless outperformed the two mitochondrial gene partitions. Using both Shimodaira-Hasegawa and expected likelihood weights tests we tested several hypotheses of relationships previously inferred based on adult morphological characters. The data did not support the generic concept, or many previously proposed species groupings, based on adult morphology. In contrast, the molecular data correlated with the morphology and feeding ecology of larvae. Using Bayesian ancestral character state reconstructions we inferred the evolution of feeding ecology and relevant larval morphological characters. Our analyses showed that within the subfamily Drusinae two derived feeding types evolved. One of these--grazing epilithic algae--is otherwise unusual in the Limnephilidae and may have promoted the high degree of diversity in the Drusinae.