The record of Ametropus fragilis Albarda, 1878 (Ephemeroptera, Ametropodidae) from Georgia

By

Memishishi, Aleksi
Bikashvili, Ani
Japoshvili, Bella
Mumladze, Levan

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023-5-2

Original Publication

Caucasiana : journal on the biodiversity of the Caucasus and the adjacent regions

Volume

2

Pages

77--82

Subjects

Alazani River , CaBOL , Faunistics , mayfly , South Caucasus , Vashlovani National Park

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

[Sofia, Bulgaria] Pensoft 2022-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.2.e102622

 

Abstract

The representatives of the genus Ametropus (Insecta, Ephemeroptera) were recorded 80 years ago in Georgia. Due to the taxonomic uncertainty, the recorded specimens were considered potentially new taxa. Since then, no other record of Ametropus has been documented from the whole South Caucasus and its nearby regions further south. In the present contribution, we provide a new record of Ametropus from the Alazani River (Kura River Basin, Georgia). Morphological and DNA barcoding of the COI gene fragment showed that the species belongs to the widespread Holarctic species A. fragilis. Morpho-anatomical characteristics also confirmed the high degree of similarity between the newly recorded specimens and those once recorded 80 years ago. In addition, the COI barcode showed a strikingly closer relationship between Caucasian A. fragilis and North American A. neavei (3.54% divergence) compared to Caucasian and European A. fragilis populations (4.3% divergence). The observed pattern clearly indicates the need for further and more thorough revision of the Ametropus species complex in the Holarctic region.