Epeorus (Caucasiron?) suspicatus (Braasch, 2006)

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?) suspicatus (Braasch, 2006)

Figs 15 , 16

Iron suspicatus Braasch, 2006 .

Epeorus (Caucasiron) suspicatus (Braasch, 2006): Vasanth et al. 2021: 519.

Type locality.

Nepal: Tal, Marshyangdi River (orig. Marsyandi-Tal, Thangja) (2400 m a. s. l.).

Examined material

(deposited in SMNS). • 2 larvae: holotype and paratype from type locality. • 1 larva (paratype): Nepal: Marsyandi-Tal, Bagarchap , ca. 2100 m a. s. l., 21. 05. 1980, leg. Sivec .

Distribution, habitat, and biology.

Himalayas: Nepal and India (Fig. 1 ). The species inhabits rhithral zones of mountain streams. The altitude of the sampling sites ranged between 2000 and 2400 m a. s. l. Late-instar larvae were recorded in May ( Braasch 2006 a).

Main morphological diagnostics of the larva.

i) abdominal sterna with a pair of oblique stripes and a posterio-median macula (Fig. 15 I ), ii) coloration of abdominal terga as on Fig. 15 G, H, iii ) posterior margin of abdominal terga with sparse larger denticles separated by shorter denticles (Fig. 16 F ), iv) tergum X with a short posterolateral projection (Fig. 16 L , arrow), v) gill plates VII narrow (in natural position from ventral view) (Figs 15 K, L , 16 K ), vi) projection on gill plates III well-developed (Fig. 16 H , arrow), vii) femora with a median spot (Fig. 15 F ), viii) dorsal surface of femora with rounded spatulate setae (Fig. 16 D ), ix) abdominal terga with elongated (oval) and rounded spatulate setae (Fig. 16 E, F ).

Remarks.

Morphology. Adult stages undescribed.

Taxonomy. The attribution of the species to the subgenus E. (Caucasiron) by Vasanth et al. (2021) was not confirmed by male genitalia or molecular data and hence remains unclear.

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

Figure 16. Epeorus (Caucasiron?) suspicatus, 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 G gill I H gill III (arrow shows projection on costal margin) I gill plate VI in dorsal view J gill plate VII (flattened on slide) K gill plate VII in ventral view L abdominal segments VIII – X in lateral view (arrow shows indistinct posterolateral projection of tergum X) M sternum IX of female. Drawn from late instar larvae.