Tortopsis

Molineri, 2010

Species Guides

2

Tortopsis is a of burrowing mayflies in the Polymitarcyidae, Campsurinae, established in 2010 to accommodate nine previously classified in Tortopus. The genus is distinguished from Tortopus by several synapomorphic characters, most notably the presence of a single subapical on mandibular tusks in nymphs (versus two in Tortopus), C or V-shaped female parastyli receptors with sockets opening toward the line, and male genitalia with penes separated from the base and a claw-like structure associated with the . The genus occurs in the Neotropical region and currently includes at least eleven described species.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Tortopsis: /tɔɹˈtɒpsɪs/

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Identification

Tortopsis is distinguished from Tortopus by: nymphs with one subapical on mandibular tusks (versus two in Tortopus); female parastyli receptors C or V-shaped with sockets opening toward line (versus long furrows to sockets in Tortopus); male penes separated from the base (versus entirely flattened in Tortopus); male with associated claw-like structure; and parastyli more than five times length of pedestals and curved in lateral view. Keys to and nymphs of Polymitarcyidae and to of both Tortopus and Tortopsis are available in the primary taxonomic literature.

Distribution

Neotropical region. Documented from Colombia (including new descriptions and first records), Ecuador, and Argentina. Species have been recorded from various localities including the type localities of constituent species originally described from Argentina, the United States, and other regions.

Similar Taxa

  • TortopusTortopus is the most similar , from which Tortopsis was separated based on multiple morphological synapomorphies. Tortopus nymphs have two subapical on mandibular tusks versus one in Tortopsis; Tortopus females have parastyli receptors with long furrows to sockets versus C or V-shaped receptors in Tortopsis; Tortopus males have penes entirely flattened and contiguous with the base versus separated from the base in Tortopsis; and Tortopus lacks the claw-like structure associated with the male present in Tortopsis.

More Details

Taxonomic history

Tortopsis was erected by Molineri in 2010 based on a cladistic revision of Tortopus. The currently includes at least eleven : T. bruchianus (Navás), T. limoncocha Molineri, T. obscuripennis (Domínguez), T. parishi (Banks), T. primus (McDunnough), T. puella (Pictet), T. sarae (Domínguez), T. spatula Molineri, T. unguiculatus (Ulmer), T. toro, and T. andaki. Two additional species, T. toro and T. andaki, were described from Colombia in 2021.

Phylogenetic relationships

Tortopsis and Tortopus together form a clade within the Campsurinae of Polymitarcyidae. Cladistic analyses using external morphological characters of and support the monophyly of both .

Sources and further reading