Abstract
Cloeon perkinsi was described from South Africa in 1932 by Barnard. Despite being relatively common in Africa, it was mentioned in the literature quite rarely, and its known distribution to date includes most of sub-Saharan Africa. Material collected recently in Ethiopia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen extends its distribution in East Africa, Arabian Peninsula and the Levant. We examined this material, and provide a re-description of adults (females and males) and nymphs of the species. It represents a much-needed urge mainly due to inconsistencies in literature reports regarding colouration, and sometimes incomplete morphological description of all stages. We demonstrate the intraspecific morphological variability that we have witnessed, and provide information regarding the range of habitats colonised by C. perkinsi. Based on geological and climatic history of the studied region, taken together with among countries genetic distances of the mitochondrial barcoding gene COI, we propose colonisation mechanisms for the north-easternmost limit of distribution. The fragmented distribution pattern of the species highlights the conservation importance of isolated aquatic habitats in the region, as well as current knowledge gaps.
Highlights
Cloeon perkinsi Barnard, 1932 was described based on a specimen(s) collected in the town of Worcester, South Africa, on April 1931, by A.C
No information is given regarding type material or where it is deposited. It was reported from further localities in South Africa (Barnard 1940), Malawi (Kimmins 1955), Uganda and Tanzania (Kimmins 1960), Kenya (Demoulin 1965 as Cloeon sp. no. 1), Ghana (Thomas 1966), Gambia, and Nigeria (Gillies 1980)
Cloeon species can be gathered in groups based on the pattern of the costal and subcostal fields on the female wing
Summary
Cloeon perkinsi Barnard, 1932 was described based on a specimen(s) collected in the town of Worcester, South Africa, on April 1931, by A.C. No information is given regarding type material or where it is deposited Following its description, it was reported from further localities in South Africa (Barnard 1940), Malawi (Kimmins 1955), Uganda and Tanzania (Kimmins 1960), Kenya It was reported from further localities in South Africa (Barnard 1940), Malawi (Kimmins 1955), Uganda and Tanzania (Kimmins 1960), Kenya The male form was described from East Africa (Kimmins 1960), a distance of thousands of kilometers from the species’ type locality in South Africa (Fig. 2). It is reasonable to believe that the species mentioned from East and West Africa are the same, since they were studied by the same author (Gillies 1980, 1985), but whether they are the same as Barnard’s species from South Africa remains unverified
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