Epeorus (Caucasiron) guttatus ( Braasch & Soldán, 1979 )

Hrivniak, Ľuboš, Sroka, Pavel, Godunko, Roman J., Martynov, Alexander V., Palatov, Dmitry M. & Bojková, Jindřiška, 2025, Discovering diversity of Central Asian and Himalayan Epeorus (Caucasiron) mayflies (Ephemeroptera, Heptageniidae) using DNA barcoding and morphology, ZooKeys 1234, pp. 89-125 : 89-125

Epeorus (Caucasiron) guttatus ( Braasch & Soldán, 1979)

Figs 13 , 14

Iron guttatus Braasch & Soldán, 1979 .

Epeorus (Iron) guttatus ( Braasch & Soldán, 1979) : Kluge 1988: 296.

Epeorus (Caucasiron) guttatus ( Braasch & Soldán, 1979): Kluge 1997: 234.

Iron (Caucasiron) guttatus ( Braasch & Soldán, 1979): Braasch 2006 b: 87.

Type locality.

Kazakhstan: Issyk River near Alma-Ata.

Examined material

(deposited in IECA). • 1 larva: paratype from type locality. • 1 larva (barcoded specimen: GU 3): Kyrgyzstan: Chuy Region, left tributary of Ala-Archa River , 1717 m a. s. l., 42°37.743'N, 74°29.293'E (code: 1 Kyrgyz), 26. 05. 2016, Palatov D. M. leg. • 6 larvae (barcoded specimen: GU 71 K): Kyrgyzstan: Osh Region, right tributary of Kulun River , 2060 m a. s. l., 40°29.516'N, 74°09.077'E (code: 71 Kyrgyz), 01. 05. 2017, Palatov D. M. leg. • 3 larvae (barcoded specimen: GU 1): Kyrgyzstan: Osh Region Kara-Bel River , 2135 m. a. s. l., 40°30.300'N, 74°10.621'E (code: 73 Kyrgyz), 01. 05. 2017, Palatov D. M. leg.

Distribution, habitat, and biology.

Tian Shan: Kazakhstan ( Braasch and Soldán 1979; Kluge 2015), Kyrgyzstan; Pamir: Tajikistan ( Kluge 2015) (Fig. 1 ). The species inhabits mountain streams with rapid turbulent flow and bed substrate formed by stones and boulders ( Kluge 2015). The altitude of our sampling sites ranged between 1717 and 2135 m a. s. l. Adults were recorded from May to September ( Kluge 2015).

Main morphological diagnostics of the larva.

i) femora with a median spot (Fig. 13 I ), ii) abdominal sterna with a pair of oblique stripes and a large median macula (Fig. 13 H ), iii) coloration of abdominal terga as on Fig. 13 F, G, iv ) tergum X with a well-developed posterolateral projection (Fig. 14 L , arrow), v) dorsal surface of femora with rounded spatulate setae (Fig. 14 D ), vi) abdominal terga with elongated (sporadically rounded) spatulate setae (Fig. 14 E, F ), vii) gill plates VII wide (in natural position from ventral view) (Figs 13 J , 14 J ), viii) projection on gill plates III well-developed (Fig. 14 H ), ix) denticles along posterior margin of abdominal terga dense, irregular, and pointed (Fig. 14 F ).

Remarks.

Morphology. Description of adult stages in Kluge (2015).

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution of studied Epeorus spp. across Asian mountains. Triangles refer to localities in the literature; our sampling sites are marked with red dots. A species name marked with an asterisk indicates the unclear systematic position of the species within the genus Epeorus. Dashed line represents the frame of the detailed map in Fig. 2. Boundaries of mountain ranges were adopted from Snethlage et al. (2022).

Figure 13. Epeorus (Caucasiron) guttatus, larva A habitus in dorsal view B habitus in ventral view C habitus in lateral view D head of male in dorsal view E head of female in dorsal view F, G coloration of abdominal terga H coloration of abdominal sterna II – VI I middle leg in dorsal view J distal part of abdomen in ventral view.

Figure 14. Epeorus (Caucasiron) guttatus, larva A labrum, left half in dorsal view, right half in ventral view (black dots correspond to setae along antero-lateral margin) B incisors of left mandible C incisors of right mandible (both flattened on slide; dashed polygons correspond to area covered by setae) D setae on dorsal surface of femora E setae on surface of tergum VII F surface and posterior margin of abdominal tergum VII (paratype) G gill I H gill III (arrow shows projection on costal margin) I gill plate VI in dorsal view J gill plate VII in ventral view K gill VII (flattened on slide) L abdominal segments VIII – X in lateral view (arrow shows posterolateral projection of tergum X) M sternum IX of female. Drawn from late instar larvae.