Mitochondrial Genome of Strophopteryx fasciata (Plecoptera: Taeniopterygidae), with a Phylogenetic Analysis of Nemouroidea.

Taeniopterygidae is a medium-sized family of stoneflies. The phylogeny of Taeniopterygidae was widely accepted based on the morphological analyses. However, there are different opinions based on molecular data. To date, only two taeniopterygid mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) were available, and more sampling is needed to obtain precise phylogenetic relationships. In this research, the Strophopteryx fasciata mitogenome was sequenced and analyzed. The complete mitogenome of S. fasciata was 15,527 bp in length and contained 37 genes and a non-coding control region. Among taeniopterygid mitogenomes, the length variation was minimal in protein-coding genes (PCGs), transfer RNA genes (tRNAs) and ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), but very different in the control region. Similar to mitogenomes of other taeniopterygid species, the S. fasciata mitogenome was consistently AT biased and displayed positive AT- and negative GC-skews of the whole mitogenome. Most PCGs used ATN as the start codon and TAA/TAG as the stop codon. The stop codons were far less variable than the start codons in taeniopterygid mitogenomes. All Ka/Ks ratios were less than 1, indicating the presence of purifying selection in these genes. The secondary structures of transfer and ribosomal RNA genes of S. fasciata mitogenome are highly conserved with other taeniopterygid species. In the control region of the S. fasciata mitogenome, some essential elements (tandem repeats, stem-loop structures, and poly-N stretch, etc.) were observed. Two phylogenetic trees were inferred from Bayesian inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods generated the identical topology across the PCGR dataset. The relationships of five families in Nemouroidea were recovered as Leuctridae + ((Capniidae + Taeniopterygidae) + (Nemouridae + Notonemouridae)). These results will help us understand the mitogenome structure of taeniopterygid species and the evolutionary relationship within Plecoptera.

Taenionema (Plecoptera: Taeniopterygidae), a stonefly genus new to the fauna of China.

The taeniopterygid genus Taenionema Banks, 1905 is reported from China for the first time. A newly discovered and probable new species of this genus, Taenionema sp., is described and illustrated based on larvae from Zhejiang Province of coastal southeastern China. The species is characterized by the male larva having a bilobed post-genital plate. Adults will be necessary for a future formal species description. This contribution represents the first larval description in the family Taeniopterygidae from China.

Review of the rare and little-known Chinese species of the family Taeniopterygidae (Plecoptera), with description of two new species of Kyphopteryx.

The species of the family Taeniopterygidae (Plecoptera) are reviewed from China. Two new Kyphopteryx species, K. yangi sp. nov. and K. coniformis sp. nov. are described and illustrated from Yunnan Province of southwestern China. Additionally, a provisional key to the males of Taeniopterygidae known from China is provided.

The first two mitochondrial genomes from Taeniopterygidae (Insecta: Plecoptera): Structural features and phylogenetic implications.

The complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of Taeniopteryx ugola and Doddsia occidentalis (Plecoptera: Taeniopterygidae) were firstly sequenced from the family Taeniopterygidae. The 15,353-bp long mitogenome of T. ugola and the 16,020-bp long mitogenome of D. occidentalis each contained 37 genes including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs) and a control region (CR). The mitochondrial gene arrangement of the two taeniopterygids and other stoneflies was identical with the putative ancestral mitogenome of Drosophila yakuba. Most PCGs used standard ATN start codons and TAN termination codons. Twenty-one of the 22 tRNAs in each mitogenome could fold into the cloverleaf secondary structures, while the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm of trnSer (AGN) was reduced or absent. Stem-loop (SL) structures, poly-T stretch, poly-[AT]n stretch and tandem repeats were found in the CRs of the two mitogenomes. The phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood methods (ML) generated identical results, both supporting the monophyly of all stonefly families and the two infraorders, Systellognatha and Euholognatha. Taeniopterygidae was grouped with another two families from Euholognatha. The relationships within Plecoptera were recovered as (((Perlidae+Peltoperlidae)+((Pteronarcyidae+Chloroperlidae)+Styloperlidae))+((Capniidae+Taeniopterygidae)+Nemouridae))+Gripopterygidae.

First record of subfamily Brachypterainae (Plecoptera: Taeniopterygidae) in Baltic amber: a new genus and species.

Based on a well-preserved female specimen, a new stonefly genus and species of the family Taeniopterygidae, Balticopteryx dui gen. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated, which is also the first report of subfamily Brachypterainae from the Eocene Baltic amber. Diagnostic characters of this new genus are discussed and compared with related taxa.

A stonefly species extinct in Europe (Taeniopteryx araneoides Klapalek, 1902, Taeniopterygidae, Plecoptera) is thriving in the Irtysh River in West Siberia and North Kazakhstan.

Taeniopteryx araneoides Klápalek, 1902, a stonefly species with brachypterous males, known historically from the Danube, Elbe, and Dniester rivers, but considered to be extinct at least in Europe for more than a century. This species has also been doubtfully reported from Krasnoyarsk, Central Siberia. However, we report this species to be still thriving in the Irtysh River at the cities of Omsk (West Siberia, Russia) and Pavlodar (North Kazakhstan). The occurrence of this species reported least fifty years ago from the Yenisey River at Krasnoyarsk, Russia is considered possible. Unlike the widespread Palaearctic T. nebulosa (Linnaeus, 1758) that occurs in a broad range of stream types, T. araneoides is a potomon species, apparently confined to large rivers. In this habitat, it appears vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts and may be unable to compete with T. nebulosa. The construction of dams and reservoirs has apparently extirpated T. araneoides from most of its former geographical range.

A new species of Leuctra from Turkey, and notes on Anatolian Rhabdiopteryx (Plecoptera: Leuctridae & Taeniopterygidae).

In the recent annotated catalogue of the Turkish Plecoptera, the fauna of Anatolia are considered remarkably rich with 32 micro-endemic species currently recorded (Darilmaz et al. 2016). The major hot spot is the Pontus, the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. Nearly half of these micro-endemic stonefly species are only known from this region. The eastern subregion of the Pontus has a direct connection with the Caucasian stonefly fauna. This subregion even has an endemic species group of Leuctra Stephens, 1836, presently including four known species (Vinçon & Sivec 2001).