Description of the Nymph of a Caucasian Stonefly, Taeniopteryx caucasica Zhiltzova (Plecoptera, Taeniopterygidae)

摘要

The nymph of Taeniopteryx caucasica is described and illustrated for the first time. Supplementary data on the distribution of T. caucasica in the Caucasus are given. The world fauna of the Holarctic genus Taeniopteryx comprises 16 species. Six species of this genus, T. araneoides Klapalek, T. auberti Kis et Sowa, T. hubaulti Aubert, T. kuhtreiberi Aubert, T. nebulosa Linnaeus, and T. schoenemundi Mertens, were recorded from Europe and two, T. caucasica Zhiltzova and T. nebulosa Linnaeus, from the Caucasus (Zhiltzova, 1981; Cherchesova and Zhiltzova, 2003; Cherchesova, 2004). Nymphs of the European species were described by Aubert (1950, 1959), Hynes (1941, 1957), and other authors. The Caucasian T. caucasica was described by Zhiltzova (1981) from adult male and female. The type specimens were collected in the Teberdinskii Nature Reserve in April, 1954 by L.E. Ahrens (who then worked in the reserve) from snow on banks of the rivers Dombai-Ulgen and Gonachkhir at the height of 1500-1700 m; one specimen of this species was collected by L.A. Zhiltzova in the Mamison River, at a height of about 2300 m, water temperature +3°C. The development of nymphs and metamorphosis take place at such a low temperature.