Phylogeny and biogeography of Asthenopodinae with a revision of Asthenopus, reinstatement of Asthenopodes, and the description of the new genera Hubbardipes and Priasthenopus (Ephemeroptera, Polymitarcyidae)

Abstract

The Neotropical species of Asthenopodinae are revised in a formal phylogenetic context. The five known species of Asthenopus Eaton, 1871, together with other five new species were included in a cladistic analysis using morphological characters (continuous and discretes). Representatives of the Afro-Oriental group of the subfamily (Povilla Navás, 1912 and Languidipes Hubbard, 1984) were also included to test the monophyletic hypothesis traditionally accepted for the group. Additional taxa representing the other subfamilies of Polymitarcyidae were incorparated: Ephoron Williamson, 1802 (Polymitarcyinae) and Campsurus Eaton, 1868, Tortopus Needham & Murphy, 1924 and Tortopsis Molineri, 2010 (Campsurinae). A matrix of 17 taxa and 72 characters was analyzed under parsimony resulting in a single tree supporting the monophyly of the subfamily Asthenopodinae. Other results include the monophyly of the Afro-Oriental taxa (Povilla and Languidipes), the paraphyletic nature of Neotropical Asthenopodinae, and the recognition of four South American genera: Asthenopus (including Asthenopus curtus (Hagen), 1861, Asthenopus angelae de Souza & Molineri, 2012, Asthenopus magnus sp. n., Asthenopus hubbardi sp. n., Asthenopus guarani sp. n.), Asthenopodes Ulmer, 1924, stat. n. (including Asthenopus picteti Hubbard, 1975, stat. n., Asthenopodes traverae sp. n., Asthenopodes chumuco sp. n.), Priasthenopus gen. n. (including Priasthenopus gilliesi (Domínguez), 1988, comb. n.), and Hubbardipes gen. n. (including Hubbardipes crenulatus (Molineri et al.), 2011, comb. n.). Descriptions, diagnoses, illustrations and keys are presented for all Neotropical taxa of Asthenopodinae (adults of both sexes, eggs and nymphs). Additionally a key to the subfamilies and genera of Polymitarcyidae is included. A quantitative biogeographic analysis of vicariance is presented and discussed through the study of the “taxon history” of the group.

Capítulo 14: Ephemeroptera Hyatt & Arms, 1891

“…Ninfas de Asthenopodinae são conhecidas por fazer galerias em madeiras submersas. Chaves para gêneros e espécies podem ser encontradas em Molineri (2010), Molineri et al (2015Molineri et al ( , 2017.…”

Mayfly taxonomy (Arthropoda: Hexapoda: Ephemeroptera) during the first two decades of the twenty-first century and the concentration of taxonomic publishing

“…The first paper in ZooKeys dealing with mayflies involved a fossil identified to the family level (Prokop & Nel 2011). The first paper with a focus on recent mayflies appeared in 2013 (Boonsoong & Braasch, 2013), and the first new genera and new species described in ZooKeys appeared on the same day in 2015 (Molineri et al 2015, Shi & Tong, 2015. The two most-cited papers (according to Google Scholar) are by Vilenica et al (2015) and Salur et al (2016), with about 20 citations each.…”

“…About one-third of all new genera during the time periods detailed above have been published in Zootaxa (Table 1). Just the two genera mentioned previously (Molineri et al 2015) have been described in ZooKeys.…”

A new species of Languidipes Hubbard (Ephemeroptera, Polymitarcyidae) from Borneo

“…Polymitarcyidae (Ephemeroptera), with a worldwide distribution, includes large to medium-sized mayflies with burrowing nymphs ( Kluge, 2004 ; McCafferty, 2004 ). The mandibular tusks of the immature forms are used to dig tunnels in a variety of underwater sediments, including mud, clay and even siliceous rocks ( Molineri, Salles & Peters, 2015 ; Bolotov et al, 2022 ). In addition they produce silk from the malpighian ducts, allowing them to coat their tunnels with a thin mesh of this material ( Sattler, 1967 ), or even to construct silk cases where tunnels are impossible to dig ( Molineri & Emmerich, 2010 ; Pai et al, 2023 ).…”