Capniidae Klapalek, 1905

Teslenko, Valentina A., Palatov, Dmitry M. & Semenchenko, Alexander A., 2019, Description of new apterous winter species of Leuctra (Plecoptera: Leuctridae) based morphology and DNA barcoding and further records to stonefly fauna of the Caucasus, Georgia, Zootaxa 4585 (3), pp. 546-560 : 557-559

Capniidae Klapalek, 1905

Capnioneura gouanerae Vinçon & Sivec, 2011b

Capnioneura veronicae Vinçon & Sivec, 2011a

( Figs 29–34 )

Material examined. 1♂, 2♀. Georgia. Adjaria. Kintrishi River , 16 km upstream from Kobuleti and 4 km upstream from Tchakhati Village, 41°47.192 N 41°57.390 E, 0 6.02.2017, coll. D. Palatov ( FSC EATB FEB RAS) .

Capnioenura gouanerae is reported for the first time for the Caucasian stonefly fauna. Vinçon & Sivec (2011b) did not designate a holotype for C. veronicae ( Vinçon & Sivec 2011a) . Later Vinçon & Sivec (2011b) proposed the replacement name C. gouanerae . This species was described from Turkey, Far Eastern Pontic Mountains, Gorgit Yaylası Plateau, District of Borçka, Camili Village, and Province of Artvin. This area is close to the Georgian border ( Fig. 25 ). Capnioneura gouanerae is considered as relict or as micro-endemic species ( Vinçon & Sivec 2011a, Darilmaz et al. 2016) restricted to the Artvin Region (Eastern Pontus). It is a crenophilic and stenothermal coldwater species, occurring in mountain springs and brooklets (1350–1600 m) with emergence in October. From a geographical aspect, the Eastern Pontic Mountains are considered as a western extension of the Lesser Caucasus ( Vinçon & Sivec 2001). Therefore, the record of C. gouanerae in Georgia bordered to the south by the Turkish Province Artvin, the type locality of C. gouanerae , our new record for C. gouanerae was predictable. Capnioneura gouanerae was collected in Adjaria along the Kintrishi River on the snow in February ( Figs. 27, 28 ). This record suggests an extended period of emergence for this species in autumn and winter.

Structure of genitalia of C. gouanerae from Adjaria agrees with description by Vinçon & Sivec (2011a), except for a few details. Specimens from Adjaria are smaller than from Artvin ( Fig. 29 ), sexual dimorphism pronounced, the body length of male 3.6 mm, females 5.2¯ 5.6 mm. Palpi longer, 1.4X than the male body length and 1.2X than the female body length. Legs long and stout, femur and tibia brown, tarsus dark brown ( Fig. 29 ). Anterior margin of male hind tibia covered with conspicuous short and stout black spines and thin brownish setae ( Figs. 34 ). Tergum X of male with a heart-shaped median membraneous field ( Fig. 30 ). Epiproct regularly curved and narrowing towards the tip, the apex is obliquely truncate ( Fig. 31 ). Specillum regularly curved, ending into a pointed tip and hidden between paraprocts ( Fig. 31 ).

The tergum I of the female membranous with an oval dorsal sclerite. Terga II-VIII sclerotized, each tergum with paired paramedian membranous spots, forming V-shaped transversal band narrowed to tergum VIII. Tergum IX-X fully sclerotized. Sternum VI with trapezoid heavily sclerotized ventral sclerite ( Fig. 32 ). Sternum VII convex, anteromedian half heavily sclerotized, posteromedian half membranous; a pair of small narrow oblique black spots posterolaterally. Subgenital plate forms by the fusion of the medial membranous part of posterior margin of sternum VII and medial membranous triangular part of anterior margin of sternum VIII. Sternum VIII slightly sclerotized; median area partly crossed by membranous triangular top of subgenital plate; posterior margin bears thin threadlike sclerite medially scarcely visible; a pair of dark belt-shaped spots anterolaterally connected with pair of small round black spots closely to posterolateral margin ( Fig. 32 ). The subgenital plate ( Fig. 33 ) of a second female specimen from the same collecting site was not as heavily sclerotized.

Remarks. The ecological characteristics of the type locality of L. adjariae , L. georgiae and C. gouanerae is uncommon for other known Palearctic apterous leuctrid and capniid species. The new leuctrids and the capniid were collected in the metharhitral zone of the Kintrishi River, whereas previously known apterous Leuctra species are considered mostly crenophilic, occurring in small brooks or brooklets at elevations higher than 800 m a.s.l. The apterous C. gouanerae collected at the same site, is considered a "crenophylic, stenothermic, cold water species, inhabiting mountain springs and brooklets (1350–1600 m)" (Vinçon & Sivec 2011). It is not excluded that there is a possibility that our specimens of these species could have emerged not from the Kintrishi River but from inlet brooks or springs nearby.

The Meskhleti Range serves as a barrier to moist air masses from the Black Sea. Most of the precipitation in the form of rain and snow falls in the autumn and winter, with a maximum of snowfall occurring in January–February. The height of the snow cover in the belt of 1000–2500 m a.s.l. can reach 1– 3 m. In subtropical conditions, the cyclones are accompanied by extensive thaws, causing melting of snow and resulting flood events. The Kintrishi River flows through a canyon with smaller mountain tributary streams. It is certainly possible that drifting of mature stonefly larvae from other biotopes, especially headwater streams of this drainage may have occurred during snow melt. During adult emergence, larvae usually stay on the surface of the substrate, and are often dispersed by flood waters downstream. Mature larvae of all three species may have been transported from small drainages of peripheral valleys into the river.

Figures

FIGURES 29‒34. 31. Capnioneura gouanerae. 29. Male, habitus, lateral view. 30. Male abdominal tip, IX-X terga, dorsal. 31. Male abdominal tip, lateral. 32. Female abdominal tip, subgenital plate. 33. Variation of sclotization of female subgenital plate. 34. Hind leg, tibia, lateral.

FIGURES 25–28. 25. Collecting place of Plecoptera in Adjaria, Georgia (black dot). Square shows the nearest collecting site of Capnioneura gouanerae in Artvin, Turkey. 26. Female of Leuctra adjariae sp. n. on the snow. 27 & 28. The Kintrishi River, Meskheti Range, the type locality of Leuctra adjariae sp. n. and Leuctra georgiae sp. n. Photo by D. Palatov.