Review of the genus Camelobaetidius Demoulin (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) with reduced terminal filament

Abstract

The genus Camelobaetidius has 38 valid species distributed throughout the Neotropical and Neartic Regions. The incomplete descriptions of some species of the genus, and the vast morphological variation among some specimens, makes the identification at specific level difficult in some cases. Currently there are eight species of the genus in which the nymphs possess the terminal filament reduced, all of them restricted to South America. The aim of this study was to review these species of Camelobaetidius. Camelobaetidius apis is considered a junior synonym of C. billi. The nymphs of six species are redescribed: C. billi, C. francischettii, C. ipaye, C. leentvaari, C. maranhensis and C. rufiventris. No specimen of Camelobaetidius mantis was studied, and the male imago of C. billi is redescribed. A key for the species of Camelobaetidius with reduced terminal filament is presented.

Keywords:

• taxonomy
• Macroinvertebrate
• review
• South America
• mayfly

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to FAPES (Fundação de Apoio à Ciência e Tecnologia do Espírito Santo, process number 3632763/07, 45429502/09), CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, processes number 313117/2009–8, 470731/2009–5), and PRONEX CNPq (MCT)-FAPEAM and INPA (MCT) for financial support. We would also like to thank Dr Carolina Nieto (INSUE-Tucuman) for providing paratypes of Camelobaetidius apis and Camelobaetidius ipaye. This paper was partially developed while the authors were at the Laboratório de Insetos Aquáticos, INPA; the support from its staff, especially from Dr Neusa Hamada, is greatly acknowledged.