Leptohyphes musseri Allen 1967

Baumgardner, D. E. & Mccafferty, W. P., 2010, Revision of the genus Leptohyphes Eaton (Ephemeroptera: Leptohyphidae) in North and Central America, Zootaxa 2360 (1), pp. 1-33 : 20-21

Leptohyphes musseri Allen 1967

Leptohyphes musseri Allen, 1967:353 ; Allen, 1978; McCafferty et al., 2004.

Leptohyphes brunneus Allen and Brusca, 1973:353 new synonym

Diagnosis: The following combination of characters will distinguish L. musseri larvae from other species in North and Central America: (1) abdominal terga yellow to pale yellowish-brown, with distinct sublateral, submedian and median black macula; (2) frons often with large median brown (usually black) macula between compound eyes; (3) middle and hind femora usually with distinctive black maculation distally, contrasting with the yellow to yellowish-brown coloration of the leg.

Description: Male Adult: Unknown. Larva: Length. Body, 5.0–7.0 mm; caudal filaments, 6.0–7.0 mm. General coloration yellow to light brown with reddish-brown and black maculation. Head: yellow to light brown; often with large brown or black macula between lateral ocelli ( Fig. 47 ), or think black line between compound eyes ( Fig. 28 ); antennae pale to yellowish-brown. Thorax: yellow to light brown; pronotum with extensive black maculation laterally and anterolaterally ( Fig. 48 ); mesonotum with longitudinal black maculation medially, and scattered black maculation laterally; pro- and mesonota without anterolateral projections or median tubercles. Legs. Proleg ( Fig. 49 ): femur with transverse row of elongate setae along dorsal surface; large, black macula present distally; anterior margin with scattered robust setae, mostly along basally margin; posterior margin with robust setae along distal margin; tibia with filiform and elongate setae along anterior margin, and row of robust setae along anterioventral surface; posterior margin with few, scattered filiform setae; tarsus with row of elongate setae along anterior margin, and few, scattered filiform setae along posterior margin. Meso- and metalegs ( Fig. 50 ): femora with few robust setae on dorsal surface or none; large, black macula present distally; anterior margin with stout setae along most of margin; posterior margin with fairly regularly spaced elongate setae along distal half of margin; tibiae with few elongate setae along anterior margin; posterior margin with elongate setae along most of margin; tarsus with elongate setae along anterior margins; posterior margin with few, scattered filiform setae, often in pairs. Claws of all legs with three to seven marginal, and a single submarginal denticle ( Fig. 51 ). Abdomen: terga yellow to light brown, often with black maculation along posterior half of tergite, and on sublateral margins; operculate gill pale to light brown; gill formula 2/5/5/5/1.

Distribution: This species was previously known from Guatemala ( Allen, 1978; McCafferty et al., 2004), Honduras ( Allen, 1978), and Mexico ( Allen and Brusca, 1973; Allen, 1978), and is newly reported from Costa Rica.

Discussion: Leptohyphes brunneus was described by Allen and Brusca (1973) on the basis of a small series of larvae from several locations in southern Mexico. The presence of a “large brown to reddish brown macula on the frons between the lateral ocelli” was considered distinctive for this species. It was also described as having abdominal terga that were light brown in color with reddish brown markings, and numerous scattered spines. All specimens of the type series were examined and found to be badly faded to pale yellow, with none of the specimens having a brown maculation between the lateral ocelli. Other non-type material identified by Allen as L. brunneus , which is in excellent condition and unfaded, also does not possess the large median brown macula between the lateral ocelli.

Leptohyphes musseri was described from Guatemala based upon three larvae ( Allen, 1967). In his key to the Leptohyphes larvae of North and Central America, Allen (1978) distinguished L. musseri from L. brunneus based upon differences in abdominal terga maculations and coloration as well as markings on the legs and head. Specifically, L. musseri possessed sublateral, submedian, and median black maculae on abdominal terga 6 -9, while L. brunneus lacked this maculation and had brown terga instead of yellow. The head of L. musseri was reported to have a thin black line between the lateral ocelli, and black maculation on the meso- and meta femora, while L. brunneus lacked the thin black line and black maculation on the femora. Recent collections of larvae from Guatemala show numerous individuals (from the same location) with both the black maculation leg characters of L. musseri and the large brown macula between the compound eyes characteristic of L. brunneus . It appears both these characters, in addition to the abdominal terga characteristics described previously, are highly variable, and often dependent on gender and maturity of individual larvae. In addition, some individual larvae possessed a variety of combinations of these characteristics. Since no other morphological features can be found that distinguish L. brunneus from L. musseri , L. brunneus is placed as a junior synonym of Leptohyphes musseri .

Type material examined: Leptohyphes musseri Allen , HOLOTYPE (larva): GUATEMALA: Soloa; Panajachel, 1500m, 21.viii.1962, G.G. Musser [ FSCA ( FAMU) E2020.1 T]. PARATYPES: GUATEMALA: Soloa; Panajachel, 1500m, 21.viii.1962, 16 L, G.G. Musser [ FAMU]; same but, 2L [ CAS]. Leptohyphes brunneus : HOLOTYPE (larva): MEXICO: Oaxaca; stream 15 mi. N. Ayoquezco, Elev. 6,700', 20.x.68, RKA [ CAS #11971 ]. PARATYPES: Same data as holotype, 8 larvae [ CAS]; Jalisco; Rio La Pasion at Tizapan El Alto , 16.x.68, R. K. Allen, 3 larvae [ CAS]; Chiapas; stream 7 mi. N. Arriaga on Hwy. 190, 23.x.68, elev. 1400', RKA , 1L [ CAS]; Morelos; Amacuzuc at Huajintlan on hwy. 95, Elev 3,200', 29/30.vii.66, R . K. Allen, 6L [ CAS] .

Other material examined: COSTA RICA: Puntarenas; 1 Km S Coloradito Norte, Rio Coloradito at Hwy. 2, (N08°36’10:; W82°54’07”), 17.vi.2000, 4L, WDS [ TAMU] . San Jose; Río Pedregoso at Hwy. 243, ca. 4 Km S. San Isidro de El General (N09°21’15”; W83°43’35”, elev. 2000 ft), 22.vi.2001, 6L, DEB [ TAMU]; NE Dominical, unnamed stream (N09°16’48”; W83°49’22”, elev. 200 m), 19.vi.2000, 15L, WDS [ TAMU] . GUATEMALA: Puerta Parada, 20.ii.1991, 1L, M. Esther Gonzalez [ TAMU]; Río Latoma at KM . 182 on Hwy. #2, Elev. 2300', Temp 82F, 24-x-68, R . K.A., 1 larva ( CAS) ; Alta Verapaz; Río Cahabon at Hwy. 7E, San Julian (N15°19’09”; W90°19’06”, elev. 1500 m), 14.vii.2001, 30L, DEB [ TAMU]; Río Polochic , 2 Km W. Tucuru, 5.iv.1995, 4L, Bryan Yates [ TAMU] ; Baja Verapaz; Río San Jeronimo at San Jeronimo (N15°03’52”; W90°14’03”, elev. 1050 m), 13.vii.2001, 4L, DEB [ TAMU] . HONDURAS: Comayagua, 5 mi. So. Comayagua on Hwy. #1 at bridge, stream., 17.x.1964, 3 L, J.S. Packer [ CAS] . El Paraiso; 38 km. E. Zamorano on Hwy. #4, stream., 31.x.1964, 7 L, J.S. Packer [ CAS]. Francisco; Morazan, 10 mi. E. Guaimaca on Hwy. #3, Small stream, 6.xi.1964, 4 L, J.S. Packer [ FAMU] . Olancho; 6 mi. E. Juticalpa on Hwy. #3, Río Telica, 6.xi.1964, 1 L, J.S. Packer [ CAS]; 10 mi. W. Juticalpa , Río Juticalpa. , 6.xi.1964, 1 L, J.S. Packer [ CAS] . MEXICO: Queretaro; MP10 : Pinal de Amoles, Agua Fria (UTM 2338413), 28.viii.1997, 3L, R . Jones [ TAMU]; Neblinas, Río Verdito (N21°15’56”; W99°03’25”), 13.vii.2000, 1L, WDS [ TAMU] .

Figures

FIGURES 44–51. Characteristics of larval structures of Leptohyphes murdochi. 44, foreleg (dorsal) [scale bar C]. 45, hindleg (dorsal) [E]. 46, hind claw (ventrolaeral) [B]. FIGURES 47–51. Characteristics of larval structures of Leptohyphes musseri. 47, head (anterior) [A]. 48, pro- and mesothorax (dorsal) [A]. 49, foreleg (dorsal) [C]. 50, hindleg [D]. 51, hindclaw (ventrolateral) [F]. Scale bars (mm): A = 0.05; B, F = 0.10; C = 0.40; D, E = 0.50.

FIGURES 26–31. Characteristics of adults and larvae of Leptohyphes ferruginus. 26, forewing, female adult [A]. 27, head and prothorax (dorsal) [scale bar C]. 28, head (dorsal) [B]. 29, foreleg [E]. 30, hindleg [D]. 31, hind claw (ventrolateral) [F]. Scale bars (mm): A = 1.5; B = 0.025; C, F = 0.05; D, E = 0.5.