A comprehensive DNA barcoding reference database for Plecoptera of Switzerland.

DNA barcoding is an essential tool in modern biodiversity sciences. Despite considerable work to barcode the tree of life, many groups, including insects, remain partially or totally unreferenced, preventing barcoding from reaching its full potential. Aquatic insects, especially the three orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT), are key freshwater quality indicators worldwide. Among them, Plecoptera (stoneflies), which are among the most sensitive aquatic insects to habitat modification, play a central role in river monitoring surveys. Here, we present an update of the Plecoptera reference database for (meta)barcoding in Switzerland, now covering all 118 species known from this country. Fresh specimens, mostly from rare or localized species, were collected, and 151 new CO1 barcodes were generated. These were merged with the 422 previously published sequences, resulting in a dataset of 573 barcoded specimens. Our CO1 dataset was delimited in 115 CO1 clusters based on a priori morphological identifications, of which 17% are newly reported for Switzerland, and 4% are newly reported globally. Among the 115 CO1 clusters, 85% showed complete congruence with morphology. Distance-based analysis indicated local barcoding gaps in 97% of the CO1 clusters. This study significantly improves the Swiss reference database for stoneflies, enhancing future species identification accuracy and biodiversity monitoring. Additionally, this work reveals cryptic diversity and incongruence between morphology and barcodes, both presenting valuable opportunities for future integrative taxonomic studies. Voucher specimens, DNA extractions and reference barcodes are available for future developments, including metabarcoding and environmental DNA surveys.

Notes on Leuctra signifera Kempny, 1899 and Leuctra austriaca Aubert, 1954 (Plecoptera: Leuctridae), with the description of a new species.

Leuctra signifera Kempny, 1899 and Leuctra austriaca Aubert, 1954 are re-described and their taxonomical status is discussed. New country records are reported for L. austriaca from Hungary and L. signifera from Italy, Slovenia, and Hungary. A new species, Leuctra papukensis sp. n., from Croatia, is described and illustrated. The subspecies Leuctra signifera jahorinensis Kacanski, 1972 is raised to species level.

Review and contribution to the stonefly (Insecta: Plecoptera) fauna of Azerbaijan.

Known Plecoptera data published from Azerbaijan are critically reviewed. New records of 28 species are enumerated on the basis of specimens collected between 2017 and 2019, among them 16 are new for the fauna of Azerbaijan. Nemoura irani Aubert, 1964 is new for the whole Caucasian region, Leuctra sanainica Zhiltzova, 1960 and Plesioperla sakartvella (Zhiltzova, 1956) are new for the Greater Caucasus. The female and larva of an unknown Protonemura Kempny, 1898 species, collected in the Talysh Mts, are illustrated and described under temporary name Protonemura sp. AZE-1. A new species of Protonemura, collected both in the Azerbaijan and Georgian areas of the Greater Caucasus, will be formally described in a further paper. A male Protonemura specimen was found to be infected by mermithid worms, morphological lesions are illustrated and commented; this is the second documented case of mermithid infection in stoneflies. Subspecies level identity of Azerbaijani populations of Leuctra fusca (Linnaeus, 1758) proved to be problematic, morphological characters of the specimens are illustrated. Synonymy of Isoperla caucasica Balinsky, 1950 and I. pulchra Balinsky, 1950 under I. bithynica (Kempny, 1908) is disputed, the two names are combined under I. grammatica (Poda, 1761) sensu lato.

Two new species of Protonemura Kempny, 1898 (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from the Italian Alps.

Two new species of Protonemura Kempny, 1898, P. bispina sp. n. and P. pennina sp. n., from the Eastern and Western Italian Alps, respectively, are described and illustrated. Further information on distribution and ecological preferences of these new species is provided. The species Protonemura auberti Illies, 1954 is re-described from topotypical material.

Marthamea bayae, a new species of stonefly from Algeria (Plecoptera: Perlidae).

A new species of the perlid genus Marthamea Klapálek, M. bayae sp. n. from Algeria is described and illustrated based on the morphology of adults and larvae. This is the first known record for the genus from North Africa.

Zwicknia gattolliati, a new species of stonefly from Italy (Plecoptera: Capniidae).

A new species of Zwicknia Murányi, Z. gattolliati, from northern Italy and from the Italian Abruzzo Region is described and illustrated on the basis of the morphology of male and female adults and previous molecular and drumming studies.

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).

A new species of Zwicknia Murányi (Plecoptera, Capniidae) from the French and Swiss Jura Mountains, the French Massif Central, and the French Middle Rhône Region.

A new species of Zwicknia Murányi, Z. ledoarei sp. n., from the Jura Mountains of France and Switzerland, the French Massif Central, and the French Middle Rhône Region, is described on the basis of morphology and molecular methods. Information on the distribution and the ecological preferences of this new species is also provided.

Contribution to the knowledge of Turkish stoneflies with annotated catalogue (Insecta: Plecoptera).

The stoneflies of Turkey are reviewed providing all known distributions and including new records. Additionally, ecological and biogeographical notes are given. The genus Taeniopteryx Pictet 1841 is reported from Turkey for the first time and 12 species new for the Turkish fauna: Leuctra joosti Braasch 1970, L. kopetdaghi Zhiltzova 1972, Protonemura rauschi Theischinger 1975, P. strandschaensis Braasch & Joost 1972, Nemoura asceta Murányi 2007, N. cambrica Stephens 1836, N. uncinata Despax 1934, Taeniopteryx caucasica Zhiltzova 1981, Brachyptera risi (Morton 1896), Pontoperla katherinae (Balinsky 1950), Siphonoperla neglecta (Rostock 1881), and Bulgaroperla mirabilis nigrita Zwick 1978.          Protonemura bithynica Aubert 1964 and Nemoura turcica Zwick 1972 are recognized as full species. The previously unknown female of Leuctra marilouae Vinçon & Sivec 2001 is described. The type locality is also given for each species located in Turkey.          The distributions of several rare endemic species are augmented by additional new records (Leuctra aculeata Zwick 1982, L. brachyptera Kazanci 1985, L. karcali Vinçon & Sivec 2001, L. kurui Kazanci 1983, L. marilouae Vinçon & Sivec 2001, L. sipahilerae Vinçon & Sivec 2001, L. theischingeri Vinçon & Sivec 2001, Protonemura bacurianica bacurianica Zhiltzova 1957, P. oreas Martynov 1928, P. spinulata Martynov 1928 (first confirmed records from Anatolia), P. triangulata Martynov 1928, Nemoura dromokeryx Theischinger 1976, N. martynovia Claassen 1936, and Brachyptera berkii Kazanci 2001.          Several species previously reported only from females are excluded from the Turkish fauna: Leuctra minuta minuta Zhiltzova 1960, L. svanetica Zhiltzova 1960, P. dilatata Martynov 1928. Other species are also excluded from the Turkish fauna: L. fusca fusca (Linnaeus 1758), N. carpathica Illies 1963, Siphonoperla burmeisteri (Pictet 1841), and S. libanica Alouf, 1992.          According to literature and our new faunistic data, 117 stonefly taxa representing 7 families and 24 genera are known from Turkey. Among them, 44 are endemic species from Anatolia.

Contribution to the knowledge of Moroccan and Maghrebin stoneflies (Plecoptera).

An overview of Moroccan stoneflies is presented as an annotated summary of published and unpublished records from 115 localities. These records have resulted in an updated species list reflecting taxonomic corrections and noteworthy range extensions for several species. A total of 28 species, belonging to 15 genera and seven families, is now known from Morocco with the greatest diversity found in the Rif Mountains (23 species) and the lowest in eastern Morocco with three species. The majority of Moroccan stoneflies are typical Mediterranean species (86%). The Moroccan endemics comprise nine species (32% of the Moroccan fauna). The Plecoptera fauna of Morocco is compared to that of Algeria and Tunisia. Thirty-eight stonefly species are reported from the entire Maghreb region. Protonemura khroumiriensis Béjaoui & Boumaïza, 2009 is considered a synonym of P. drahamensis Vinçon & Pardo, 2006.