Molecular association and morphological characterisation of Himalopsyche larval types (Trichoptera, Rhyacophilidae)

By

Hjalmarsson, Anna
Graf, Wolfram
Jähnig, Sonja
Vitecek, Simon
Pauls, Steffen

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2018

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

773

Pages

79-108

Subjects

caddisfly , GMYC , Hengduan Mountains , Himalaya , life stage association , PTP

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.773.24319

 

Abstract

HimalopsycheBanks, 1940 (Trichoptera, Rhyacophilidae) is a genus of caddisflies inhabiting mountain and alpine environments in Central and East Asia and the Nearctic. Of 53 known species, only five species have been described previously in the aquatic larval stage. We perform life stage association using three strategies (GMYC, PTP, and reciprocal monophyly) based on fragments of two molecular markers: the nuclear CAD, and the mitochondrial COI gene. A total of 525 individuals from across the range ofHimalopsyche(Himalayas, Hengduan Shan, Tian Shan, South East Asia, Japan, and western North America) was analysed and 32 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in our dataset delimited. Four distinct larval types ofHimalopsycheare uncovered, and these are defined as thephryganeatype,japonicatype,tibetanatype, andgiganteatype and a comparative morphological characterisation of the larval types is presented. The larval types differ in a number of traits, most prominently in their gill configuration, as well as in other features such as setal configuration of the pronotum and presence/absence of accessory hooks of the anal prolegs.