Twinnia hydroides Novák, 1956 (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Romanian Carpathians: integrative molecular and morphological data shed light on a long-standing dilemma
The genus Twinnia (family Simuliidae) has a long-debated taxonomic history in Europe, with largely outdated distribution data and a need for integrative support. A single Twinnia species, T. hydroides Novák, 1956, has been reported from Europe in periglacial areas at high elevations, with confirmed...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | The European Zoological Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/24750263.2025.2534163 |
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| Summary: | The genus Twinnia (family Simuliidae) has a long-debated taxonomic history in Europe, with largely outdated distribution data and a need for integrative support. A single Twinnia species, T. hydroides Novák, 1956, has been reported from Europe in periglacial areas at high elevations, with confirmed records in the Alps, Hercynian Mountains and Carpathians, but with limited evidence in the Romanian Carpathians. Between 2018 and 2024, seven high-elevation (1500–1850 m) sites were investigated in the Apuseni and Rodna Mts. Altogether, 171 larvae, pupae and adults of T. hydroides were collected. Morphological investigations were carried out on adult males and females and last-instar larvae. Molecular data were obtained from the barcode region of the mtCOI gene and analysed for intraspecific diversity. Our data confirm the presence of a single species, T. hydroides, in the Romanian Carpathians, with the sequences belonging to one BIN: AFL2868. The two investigated populations showed low regional genetic diversity between them, with an average p-distance of 1.9%, in concordance with more recent isolation, similar to other dipteran groups from the region. The morphometrics of males from the Apuseni Mts. show a gonostylus length-to-width ratio that covers literature values for T. hydroides and T. tatrensis, supporting the idea of a single species of Twinnia in Europe, T. hydroides. |
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| ISSN: | 2475-0263 |