Research Article |
Corresponding author: Pengxu Mu ( mupx927@fafu.edu.cn ) Corresponding author: Xiaolei Huang ( huangxl@fafu.edu.cn ) Academic editor: Eduardo Dominguez
© 2024 Pengxu Mu, Xiaolei Huang.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Mu P, Huang X (2024) Discovery of a new Isonychia species with distinctive characters from southwestern China, and preliminary exploration of its phylogenetic status (Ephemeroptera, Isonychiidae). ZooKeys 1218: 135-151. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1218.137110
|
The genus Isonychia Eaton, 1871 is widely distributed across the Holarctic and Oriental regions. However, no representatives of this genus have been reported from southwestern China, a region known for its high biodiversity. Here, we described and illustrated Isonychia latias sp. nov., a new species recently collected from Guizhou Province, southwestern China, across all developmental stages. The imagos of this new species exhibit some uncommon characters within Isonychia, such as brown mid- and hindlegs, and pale stripes on the thorax. To explore the phylogenetic status of this new species within Isonychia, a multigene phylogenetic analysis was conducted.
16S, COI, mayfly, molecular phylogeny, taxonomy
Isonychiidae is a monogeneric mayfly family represented by a single extant genus, Isonychia Eaton, 1871, which includes 16 species distributed in the Nearctic region and 21 species distributed in the Palaearctic and Oriental regions (
Kondratieff and Voshell (1983) conducted a comprehensive classification of the Isonychia species in North America. These authors established a new subgenus, Prionoides Kondratieff & Voshell, 1983 and divided the Isonychia s.s. into four species groups, including non-Nearctic species.
Before this study, a total of nine Isonychia species had been recognized from China (
Recently, we conducted a preliminary investigation of the mayfly fauna in Guizhou Province, southwestern China, and discovered an undescribed species of Isonychia. This species exhibits several uncommon characters within the genus. To determine its status within Isonychia, we performed a multigene phylogenetic analysis alongside adequate morphological studies.
The adults and larvae of the new species were collected from the same site in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, and were associated by DNA barcoding based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. All imagos were reared from subimagos caught using a light trap, and the larval exuviae were found on rocks in a stream. All specimens used in this study are preserved in 95% ethanol and are deposited in the State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU).
The specimens were examined and photographed using a computer-connected Nikon SMZ18 stereomicroscope. The photos were processed with Adobe Photoshop CC 2019. The SEM samples were dehydrated in 100% ethanol for 15 min and then coated with gold film in a vacuum.
To explore the status of our new species within Isonychia, we conducted a multigene phylogenetic analysis using the mitochondrial genes COI and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S). Total DNA was extracted from legs of larvae or adults using Trelief Hi-Pure Animal Genomic DNA Kit (Tsingke, Beijing, China). The mitochondrial genes COI and 16S were PCR-amplified with the primers specified in
Sequenced specimens of Isonychia latias sp. nov. (“-” indicates the same content as above).
Species | Gene | GenBank # | Reference | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
I. (Prionoides) shima | COI | LC106878 |
|
— |
I. (Prionoides) shima | 16S | LC106655 |
|
— |
I. (s.s.) japonica | COI | LC106699 |
|
As I. valida |
I. (s.s.) japonica | 16S | LC106476 |
|
As I. valida |
I. (s.s.) ignota | COI | LC114396 |
|
— |
I. (s.s.) ignota | 16S | LC114375 |
|
— |
I. (s.s.) ussurica | COI | LC114401 |
|
— |
I. (s.s.) ussurica | 16S | LC114379 |
|
— |
I. (s.s.) kiangsinensis | COI/16S | MH119135 |
|
Derived from mitogenome |
Chromarcys magnifica | COI | MG516472 |
|
— |
Chromarcys magnifica | 16S | MG516460 |
|
— |
Paegniodes cupulatus | COI/16S | MW381300 |
|
Derived from mitogenome |
The phylogenetic analysis was conducted using the integrated platform PhyloSuite v. 1.2.3 (
Terminology for egg structure followed Koss and Edmunds (1974); the term “microlepides” was used according to
Holotype: male imago, China • Guizhou Province, Zunyi City, Xishui County, China Dan Xia Valley, Sanchahe River [贵州省遵义市习水县中国丹霞谷三岔河] (28.497144N, 106.410003E, alt. 880 m), 21.V.2024, leg. Pengxu Mu; in ethanol; FAFU. Paratypes • 8 male imagos, 8 female imagos, 12 male subimagos, 15 female subimagos, 12 larvae, 22 larval exuviae, same information as holotype; in ethanol; FAFU.
Male imago. Forewing length 18.5–20.0 mm.
Coloration. General body color brown to reddish brown (Fig.
Imaginal structures of Isonychia latias sp. nov. A–C male imago A head B thorax, lateral view C thorax, ventral view D–F female imago D head E thorax, lateral view F thorax, ventral view G, H legs (fl: foreleg; ml: midleg; hl: hindleg) G male imago H female imago. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (A, D, G, H).
Legs
(Fig.
Wings
(Fig.
Genitals
(Fig.
Female imago. Forewing length 22.7–23.5 mm. Similar to male imago except the following:
Coloration. General body color reddish (Fig.
Legs
(Fig.
Wings
(Fig.
Genitalia
(Fig.
Male subimago. Similar to male imago except the following: Mesonotum with brown lateral pigmented area occupying submedioscutum and sublateroscutum back to posterior scutal protuberance (PSp); medioscutum and PSp pale. Foreleg: length ratio of femur (2.6 mm):tibia:tarsus 1.0:1.4:1.2, length ratio of tarsomeres from basal to apical 1.0:1.0:0.8:0.7:0.7. Tarsomeres of all legs covered with “U”-shape, blunt microlepides. Both claws of all legs similar and pointed. Wings brown to dark brown in general, coloration as in Fig.
Female subimago. Similar to male subimago except the following: Foreleg: length ratio of femur (2.9 mm):tibia:tarsus 1.0:1.4:0.9, length ratio of tarsomeres from basal to apical 1.0:1.1:0.9:0.7:1.1. Subgenital plate not elongated.
Larva. Body length: male 19.3–20.6 mm; female 23.7–26.1 mm.
Coloration. General body color dark brown. Head capsule dark brown, except frontal carina, and median parts of clypeus and vertex yellowish; scape and pedicel brown, flagella pale; dorsum of labrum dark brown with pale longitudinal line medially (Fig.
Larval structures of Isonychia latias sp. nov. A head, front view B labrum (left: dorsal view; right: ventral view) C mandible, dorsal view (left: left mandible right: right mandible) D hypopharynx (left: dorsal view right: ventral view) E maxilla, dorsal view F labium (left: dorsal view; right: ventral view).
Larval structures of Isonychia latias sp. nov. A right half of pronotum and mesonotum B thorax, ventral view (white arrow shows projection on basisternum of mesothorax black arrow shows projection on basisternum of metathorax) C legs (fl: foreleg ml: midleg hl: hindleg) D apical part of foreleg E ventral cleft of hindfemur. Scale bar: 1.0 mm (C).
Larval structures of Isonychia latias sp. nov. A tergalii (t1: tergalius I; t4: tergalius IV; t5: tergalius V; t7: tergalius VII) B thoracic sterna, lateral view (white arrow shows projection on basisternum of mesothorax black arrow shows projection on basisternum of metathorax) C abdominal terga I–X D abdominal sterna VIII–IX E caudalii. Scale bars: 1.0 cm (A); 2.0 mm (C, E).
Mouthparts
(Fig.
Legs
(Fig.
Thoracic sterna
(Figs
Tergalii
(Fig.
Abdominal terga and sterna
(Fig.
Egg (Fig.
Isonychia latias sp. nov. can be readily distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: For male imago: A) wings with distinct, dark brown coloration: on forewing occupying a large area of apical half as a transverse band, a small area around bifurcation point of Rs, and edges along basitornal margin and tornus, and on hindwing occupying almost whole apical part; B) mid- and hindlegs brown, nearly consistent with forefemur; C) pleura of pterothorax with three yellowish stripes formed by pale conjunctivas. For larvae: A) lamellae of all tergalii without spines on apical margin, and without distinct dots or markings; B) abdominal terga I–VII with pale median longitudinal stripes, terga II–IX with pair of pale submedian longitudinal stripes, and tergum X with pair of light spots close to anterior margin; C) caudalii brown basally and gradually paler towards apices without dark band medially. The larvae of I. latias sp. nov. resemble those of I. fuscimarginata
China: Guizhou Province (Zunyi City, Sanchahe River).
The new species is named after Latias, an alate Pokémon with red and white appearance. The specific epithet latias is treated as a noun in apposition to the generic name.
The larvae of Isonychia latias sp. nov. have so far been found only in the Sanchahe River in Guizhou Province. The collection site is located near a Danxia landform, characterized by a large amount of dark red rocks in the river (Fig.
We performed a multi‐gene phylogenetic analysis using the mitochondrial genes COI and 16S, including our new species, four Isonychia s.s. species, and one Prionoides species (Table
However, it is worth mentioning that some of the reviewed characters given by
Besides these two characters, the coloration of the legs and pleura of our new species is also uncommon in Isonychia. In most Isonychia species (at least in all well-studied Isonychia s.s. species), the mid- and hindlegs of imagos are distinctly paler than forelegs, and the coloration of pleura is relatively uniform. However, I. latias sp. nov. has brown to reddish brown mid- and hindlegs consistent with the forefemur, and its pleura of the pterothorax is more colorful. Notably, similar coloration was found in some Prionoides species, such as I. (P.) shima from Japan (
We sincerely thank Qianle Lu for the photos of the new species. We are deeply grateful to the three reviewers for their constructive suggestions and insightful comments.
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
No ethical statement was reported.
This work was supported by Special Investigation Program for National Science and Technology Basic Resources (2022FY100500).
Funding acquisition: XH. Investigation: PM. Visualization: PM. Writing - original draft: PM. Writing - review and editing: XH.
Pengxu Mu https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4906-0955
Xiaolei Huang https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6839-9922
All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text.