Character state‐based taxa erected to accommodate fossil and extant needle stoneflies (Leuctridae – Leuctrida tax.n.) and close relatives

Abstract

AbstractIn order to accommodate a newly discovered fossil specimen related to a subset of extant needle stoneflies (Leuctridae sensu Zwick, 2000), we provide a comparative analysis of the wing venation of these insects, and of their close relatives, primarily based on extant material. A number of character states potentially supporting monophyletic taxa are identified, and are used to erect taxon names under the cladotypic nomenclatural procedure. We introduce a new standard definition in which the mention of the antonym of the defining character state is applied. The proposed taxa, and taxa inclusiveness, are as follows: Nemouromorpha > Capniida/Leuctrida/‘Nemouridae s.l.’, and Leuctrida > Exeleuctrida > Mioleuctrida & Eleuctrida > Collaleuctrida. This scheme allowed us to tentatively accommodate several fossil species described earlier and the new specimen, left undetermined at the genus and species levels, but assigned to Collaleuctrida. To optimize retrieval of hierarchical information, we introduce the use of ‘nec’ (Latin for ‘but not’) into the taxonomic address to indicate exclusion from a taxon. For example, Mioleuctrida nec Collaleuctrida †yehae indicates that †yehae can be assigned to Mioleuctrida but can also be conclusively excluded from Collaleuctrida. Based on the investigated case, it is finally argued that the cladotypic nomenclatural procedure is optimal regarding name use and numbers, and allows adequate treatment of homoplasy.