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

• Main Authors: Anna E. Hjalmarsson, Wolfram Graf, Sonja C. Jähnig, Simon Vitecek, Steffen U. Pauls
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pensoft Publishers 2018-07-01
• Series: ZooKeys
• Online Access: https://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=24319

Himalopsyche Banks, 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 of Himalopsyche (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 of Himalopsyche are uncovered, and these are defined as the phryganea type, japonica type, tibetana type, and gigantea type 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.