Isoperla grammatica ( Poda, 1761 )

Murányi, Dávid, Manko, Peter, Kovács, Tibor, Vinçon, Gilles, Žiak, Matej, Kerimova, Ilhama G., Snegovaya, Nataly Yurievna & Oboňa, Jozef, 2021, Review and contribution to the stonefly (Insecta: Plecoptera) fauna of Azerbaijan, Zootaxa 4975 (1), pp. 58-80 : 74

Isoperla grammatica ( Poda, 1761) sensu lato

Şəki-Zaqatala region: 20: 1♂ 1♀, 6 larvae (HNHM), 2♂ (LMEE); 22: 1♂ 2♀ (LMEE); 23: 1♂ 8♀ (HNHM), 1♂ (LMEE); 24: 1 larva (HNHM), 1♂ (LMEE); 26: 1 exuviae (HNHM); 27: 1♀ (LMEE); 30: 1♀ (LMEE); 32: 3 exuviae (HNHM); 33: 1 larva (HNHM).

Remarks. These Azerbaijan specimens probably belong to Isoperla caucasica . This species, together with I. pulchra , were considered as synonyms of I. bithynica by Zwick (1971). However, the identity of I. bithynica is questionable, since only female paratypes exist in the NHMW. The paratypes were recently studied by DM who found it unlikely they are conspecific with any of the known Caucasian species, being rather big and pale insects. The types of I. caucasica and I. pulchra are also lost ( Zwick 1971). Their original description, and the numerous specimens we recently collected in both Georgian and Azerbaijani areas of the Greater Caucasus, suggest that these taxa belong to the I. grammatica species complex sensu Berthélemy (1979). But the variability of the specimens is rather confusing, as already noted by Balinsky (1950) in the original description of I. caucasica and I. pulchra . None of the Caucasian specimens can be conspecific with I. grammatica sensu stricto, as defined by Rupprecht (1984) on the basis of neotype designation. Further research, especially molecular studies, are needed to clarify the species status of I. caucasica , I. pulchra and I. bithynica . Thus, we enumerate our specimens herein as I. grammatica sensu lato. Isoperla grammatica (probably also in a sensu lato approach) were reported from the whole of Anatolia, northern part of the Greater Caucasus, and the Alborz of Iran ( Aubert 1964, Cherchesova & Zhiltzova 2013, Darilmaz et al. 2016). Isoperla caucasica (as I. bithynica ) was reported from both the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, while I. pulchra had never been reported outside of the Greater Caucasus ( Zhiltzova 1961, 1964b). Azerbaijan specimens were caught at diverse habitats of the Greater Caucasus, but mostly in medium-high elevations. These are the first exact data from Azerbaijan, after Kasymov (1996) noted occurrence of both I. grammatica and I. caucasica , as well as of I. pulchra in the country without locality.