Abstract
BackgroundLeptoceridae are among the three largest families of Trichoptera (caddisflies). The current classification is founded on a phylogenetic work from the 1980's, based on morphological characters from adult males, i.e. wing venation, tibial spur formula and genital morphology. In order to get a new opinion about the relationships within the family, we undertook a molecular study of the family based on sequences from five genes, mitochondrial COI and the four nuclear genes CAD, EF-1α, IDH and POL.ResultsThe resulting phylogenetic hypotheses are more or less congruent with the morphologically based classification, with most genera and tribes recovered as monophyletic, but with some major differences. For monophyly of the two subfamilies Triplectidinae and Leptocerinae, one tribe of each was removed and elevated to subfamily status; however monophyly of some genera and tribes is in question. All clades except Leptocerinae, were stable across different analysis methods.ConclusionsWe elevate the tribes Grumichellini and Leptorussini to subfamily status, Grumichellinae and Leptorussinae, respectively. We also propose the synonymies of Ptochoecetis with Oecetis and Condocerus with Hudsonema.
Highlights
Leptoceridae are among the three largest families of Trichoptera
The analyses are based on sequences from five different genes; comprising the mitochondrial Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and the four nuclear markers Cadherin-like gene (CAD), Elongation factor-1a (Ef-1a), RNA polymerase II (POL) and Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), with the latter successfully used for resolving phylogenies within Lepidoptera [43] but not for Trichoptera
Condocerus paludosus Neboiss was consistently found as sistergroup to Hudsonema flaminii Navás, within Hudsonema, which in the separate analyses of IDH, COI and CAD included Notalina
Summary
Leptoceridae are among the three largest families of Trichoptera (caddisflies). Being one of the three largest Trichoptera families, the long-horned caddisflies, Leptoceridae Leach, have received great interest since they were first described. In 1815, Leach [1] described the group as a tribe, Leptocerides, into which he included several Phryganea Linnaeus species from Systema Naturae [2]. Before the twentieth century the family included the recognised individual families Beraeidae Wallengren, Calamoceratidae Ulmer, Molannidae Wallengren and Odontoceridae Wallengren [3]. Taxonomic work on this family has until now resulted in about 1,800 described species classified into 46 extant genera within two recognized subfamilies, Leptocerinae Leach and Triplectidinae Ulmer. Representatives of Leptocerinae can be found worldwide, while species of Triplectidinae occur mainly in the Australasian and Neotropical regions
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