Tomáš Derka

Massartella devani, a New Mayfly Species from Venezuela's Highlands (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae: Atalophlebiinae)

Description and figures of the nymph and egg of Massartella devanii sp. nov. (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) are presented. The genus Massartella Lestage revised by Pescador and Peters (1990) contains three species, two of whom are known from eastern Brazil while the third was collected in the northern part of the Guayana region of Venezuela. Nymphs of an undescribed species of Massartella have been collected in the SE of this region in a stream originating on the Mt. Roraima plateau. Nymphs are available of three species, distinctive diagnostic characters are presented. Some diagnostic characters of the genus are discussed.

Massartella hirsuta sp. nov. (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae: Atalophlebiinae) and new data on mayflies of Guyana Highlands

Description and figures of the larva and egg of Massartella hirsuta sp. nov. (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) from the south-eastern part of Grand Sabana region (Venezuela) are presented. Diagnostic characters distinguishing the larvae of this species from other known Massartella species include a heavy row of setae along the entire outer margin of the mandibles. This character, among others, will also distinguish the new species from undescribed species of Massartella from the sandstone table mountains. Two well-defined species groups of the genus Massartella can be distinguished in the Guyana Highlands: (1) M. venezuelensis group including M. venezuelensis and M. hirsuta sp. nov., and (2) M. devani group containing M. devani and undescribed taxa from Mt. Roraima and Mt. Chimantá plateaus. The first group seems to be distributed in uplands (∼1000 m a.s.l.), while the second group appeared to be restricted to the thermal refugia above 2000 m a.s.l. The origin of Massartella species in Guyana Highlands is discussed.

The adult diet of Xanthoperla apicalis and Siphonoperla torrentium (Plecoptera, Chloroperlidae) in the Danube basin (Slovakia)

The gut contents of adult Xanthoperla apicalis and Siphonoperla torrentium were analysed. X. apicalis females eat mainly pollen, while males feed principally on detritus and pollen. Adults of S. torrentium, regardless of sex, eat mainly pollen. The presence of animal remains (claws and leg and antennae segments of Arthropoda) in the gut of several individuals of both species was observed and discussed.

Description of Jolyelmis spangleri a new species from Churí-tepui (Chimantá Massif, Venezuela), with a description of the larva of J. spangleri and J. reitmaieri (Insecta: Coleoptera: Elmidae)

Four species have been recognized in the genus Jolyelmis Spangler & Faitoute; all collected at isolated table mountains,mostly in cool stenothermal hypocrenal streams. The known distribution of the genus is confined to Venezuela, and eachspecies is here reported as endemic for the respective table mountain where it has been found. Samples from Churi-tepuiand Mount Roraima in south-eastern Venezuela contained numerous adults and larvae of Elmidae among which is a newspecies, Jolyelmis spangleri, which is here described. The new species is illustrated and keyed with all other Jolyelmis, and new distributional data for J. reitmaieri Ciampor, Jr. & Kodada are included. Molecular analysis of partial cytochromeoxidase subunit I (cox1) confirmed conspecific life stages for two species: J. spangleri and J. reitmaieri. The larva of eachspecies is described and illustrated, and the generic diagnosis for Jolyelmis larvae is provided. Among the known larvaeof South American Elmidae, larvae of the genus Xenelmis Hinton appear to be the most similar. Morphological similarities are discussed. Habitats of adults and larvae are briefly described and illustrated by photographs.

Torleya nazarita sp. n., a New Species from Southern Spain (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae)

After an intensive study, we concluded that the species described by Alba-Tercedor and Sánchez-Ortega (1982) from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Southern Spain as Torleya cf. belgica, actually belongs to a new species which we name Torleya nazarita sp. n. The new species is closely related to Torleya major (Klapálek, 1905), which up to now was considered to be the only European representative of the genus. Description and figures of the nymph and imago and the features distinguishing the new species from other species of the genus are given.

Life Cycle and Secondary Production of Mayflies and Stoneflies in a Karstic Spring in the West Carpathians

This study focused on life strategies of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera species found in a karstic spring stream at the Malé Karpaty Mts. (West Carpathians, Slovakia), which is characterized by low thermal fluctuations throughout the year (6–10 °C). We examined the life cycle and secondary production of three mayfly species (Baetis alpinus, Baetis rhodani and Rhithrogena semicolorata) and three stonefly species (Protonemura nitida, Protonemura hrabei and Nemurella pictetii). We found an unusually slow univoltine cycle for P. nitida and an asynchronous life cycle for B. alpinus, with first-stage nymphs occurring almost all year round. Uncommonly low abundances of B. rhodani were found, which indicates that the population lives at its ecological limit. Moreover, for the first time we acquired and analysed the data on secondary production of P. nitida, which reached the highest values (3335 mg DW m-2 y-1) among all investigated species. In summary, the total annual secondary production of the mayfly community (889 mg DW m-2 y-1) was seven times lower than the annual secondary production of the stonefly community (6233 mg DW m-2 y-1).

The Status of Knowledge of the Genus Ecdyonurus in the Iberian Peninsula, with Description of Two New Species of the E. venosus Group from Spain (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae)

As a result of studies of material of Ecdyonurus from Spain, nymphs and adults of two new species, E. baeticus sp. n. and E. olgae sp. n., are described. Three species described by Navás must be considered as nomina dubia (E. diversus Navás, 1923, E. excelsus Navás, 1927 and E. fluminum var. speciosus Navás, 1915). Variability in adults of E. venosus is figured and discussed.

A new species of Cryptonympha Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae) from Cerro Duida (Venezuela)

The genus Cryptonympha includes three species: C. copiosa Lugo-Ortiz McCafferty, 1998; C. dasilvai Salles Francischetti, 2004 and C. genevievae Thomas, Manchon Glémet, 2013, known only from the nymphal stage. A description of the nymph of a fourth representative, Cryptonympha tracheata sp. n. is provided here, based on material collected in a blackwater stream on the slopes of the Cerro Duida mountain in south-western Venezuela. The nymph of the new species can be easily distinguished from the other species of the genus by very long tracheal gills II-VII, 2.5 times the length of each tergum, gill I small, nearly half length of gill IV and by posterior margin of terga with rounded spines. A complete description of the new species and a key for nymphs of all known Cryptonympha species are provided.

A survey on murine gammaherpesvirus 68 in ticks collected in Slovakia

Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) is a natural pathogen that infects murid rodents which serve as hosts for Dermacentor reticulatus and Ixodes ricinus ticks. For the first time, MHV-68 was detected in immature I. ricinus ticks feeding on lizards trapped in Slovakia. Later on, MHV-68 infection was detected in D. reticulatus and Haemaphysalis concinna ticks collected on vegetation, which supported the idea that ticks can acquire the virus from feeding on infected hosts. Here, we report MHV-68 infection, which was detected by nested PCR, in D. reticulatus and I. ricinus adult ticks and I. ricinus nymphs collected in five geographically isolated localities, in west, southwest, south and central Slovakia. Viral incidence in ticks was 46.7% (121/259) without considering the season, site of collection and tick species and their life stage. MHV-68 infection was detected in all five localities investigated and in both tick species. Here, for the first time, we report MHV-68 infection in I. ricinus nymphs collected from the vegetation. The finding of virus in ticks from five separated localities suggested that ticks became infected with MHV-68 via feeding on infected rodents; thus, this virus might be a newfound natural pathogen in ticks.

Four new species and new records of Atopsyche Banks (Trichoptera: Hydrobiosidae) from Pantepui biogeographical region (Venezuela)

Four new species of the genus Atopsyche Banks (Hydrobiosidae) from Pantepui biogeographical region (Venezuela) are described and illustrated: Atopsyche (Atopsaura) inmae n. sp., Atopsyche (Atopsaura) cristinae n. sp., Atopsyche (Atopsaura) svitoki n. sp., and Atopsyche (Atopsaura) carmenae n. sp. Molecular analyses (cox1 sequences) allowed larva-adult associations and the morphological description of larvae of two of the new species (A. inmae and A. cristinae). A phylogenetic tree is performed to assess the molecular validity of the species, establish evolutionary relation among them and interpret historical biogeography of tepuis. Finally, two new distributional records for A. (Atopsaura) atahuallpa are included, which up to now was known only from the type locality.