Careospina hespera sierramaestrae (Kluge, 1994)

L, Carlos Naranjo, Peters, Janice G., del, Pedro López & Castillo, 2019, Ephemeroptera (Insecta) in Cuba, Insecta Mundi 2019 (736), pp. 1-52 : 14

A.20b. Careospina hespera sierramaestrae (Kluge, 1994)

Figures 10 , 46 , 52 .

Hagenulus (Careospina) hespera sierramaestrae Kluge 1994:274 (male and female imagos, nymph).

Holotype. Male imago, Province Santiago de Cuba, Arroyo Paco ( Río Palma Mocha ), 25-II-1989, N. Kluge.

This subspecies was described from the Sierra Maestra based on morphological variations. Kluge (1994) separated C. hespera sierramaestrae from C. hespera hespera because the male eyes of C. hespera sierramaestrae are contiguous and those of C. hespera hespera are slightly separated. The tarsi of the nymphal legs of C. hespera sierramaestrae are darker than the tibiae and the hind tibiae are strongly flattened; these characters are the opposite of C. hespera hespera where the tarsi are paler than the tibiae and the hind tibiae are slightly flattened. The undescribed species of Careospina mentioned by Peters (1971) from various localities in Oriente is this subspecies.

Ecology. In collections made by researchers on aquatic fauna at the Universidad de Oriente, this was one of the most abundant species at high and low elevations. About 75% of the specimens were collected from rapids and 25% from backwaters, showing a preference for lotic streams with sandy bottoms. It has been collected up to 1750 m, although it is encountered most frequently at altitudes below 500 m. The nymphs were collected throughout the year, so it is supposed that the adults can emerge at any time of the year.

Geographic distribution. These subspecies can also be distinguished by their separate geographic ranges ( Fig. 10 ). Careospina hespera sierramaestrae is reported only from the Eastern Region where it is abundant and the Central-East Region ( Benítez 2007), while C. hespera hespera is recorded in the Western and Central Regions, especially in Sierra de los Órganos (abundant) and the mountain massif of Topes de Collantes (Kluge 1994, Naranjo and González-Lazo 2005c). According to Naranjo (1986), C. hespera sierramaestrae is homogenously distributed in the rivers of the Sierra Maestra at a low density. It has been recorded from 21 localities in the Eastern Region.

Figures

Figures 10–13. Distribution records for Ephemeroptera in Cuba.10) Careospina hespera hespera, C.h. sierramaestrae, C. minuta. 11) Careospina baconaoi, C. evanescens. 12) Traverina cubensis, T. oriente. 13) Mesoplocia inaccessibile.

Figures 41–46. Leptophlebiidae. 41) Poecilophlebia pacoi. 41a) Lateral margins of abdominal terga.41b) Habitus. 41c) Abdominal color pattern. 41d) Gill. 41e) Labrum with detail of anteromedian margin. 42) Turquinophlebia grandis. 42a) Color pattern of abdominal tergum 5. 42b) Labrum with detail of anteromedian margin.43) Hagenulus caligatus. 44) Hagenulus morrisonae. 44a) Head. 44b) Head. 44c) Head (variation, Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa Massif). 45) Careospina baconaoi, head. 46) Careospina hespera sierramaestrae, head. Figures 41d–42 after Kluge 1994; 43–44a after Peters 1971.

Figures 47–52. Leptophlebiidae. 47) Labial palpi comparing segmentation ratios of Careospina hespera hespera and Borinquena sexta. 48) Borinquena sexta. 48a) Terga 6–10. 48b) Habitus. 49) Careospina evanescens, terga 3–10. 50) Careospina baconaoi. 50a) Male, terga 5–10. 50b) Female, terga 6–9. 51) Careospina hespera hespera, terga 5–10. 52) Careospina hespera sierramaestrae. 52a) Terga 3–10. 52b) Gill. 52c) Foreclaw. 52d) Habitus. Figure 51 after Peters 1971.