Taxonomy and Diversity of Neotropical Plecoptera
Summary
Plecoptera, commonly known as stoneflies, constitute a basal order of aquatic insects with almost 4,400 described species worldwide. The Neotropical region harbours a substantial proportion of this diversity, notably within the families Perlidae and Gripopterygidae. Endemism is particularly pronounced in the Atlantic Forest and Andean foothills, where many genera exhibit narrow altitudinal and habitat preferences. Historical taxonomic efforts were dominated by European specialists in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but contemporary research has seen a surge of activity from South American institutions, combining classical morphology with molecular markers to refine species boundaries. Integrative approaches have advanced knowledge of life stages, enabled reliable association of nymphs and adults, and revealed cryptic lineages. Ongoing phylogenetic work is reshaping our understanding of genus-level relationships and biogeographical patterns, while databasing initiatives are improving access to type specimens and sequence records. Stoneflies serve as sensitive indicators of freshwater ecosystem health, underpinning conservation assessments and informing water-quality management across diverse Neotropical river systems.
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Taxonomy and Diversity of Neotropical Plecoptera publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in taxonomy and diversity of neotropical plecoptera across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Plecoptera: An order of aquatic insects known as stoneflies, with aquatic nymphs and terrestrial adults.
Integrative taxonomy: An approach combining morphological, molecular and other data to delimit and describe species.
Phylogenetic analysis: A method for reconstructing evolutionary relationships among taxa based on character data.
Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI): A mitochondrial gene commonly used as a DNA barcode for species identification.
Endemism: The state of a species being native to and restricted within a defined geographic region.
Polyphyletic: A taxonomic group that does not include the most recent common ancestor of its members, indicating a need for revision.
References
- An integrative approach to the study of Kempnyia Klapálek, 1914 (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Brazil: Support for the description of four new species and a basis for future studies. PLOS ONE (2024).
- Systematic revision and phylogeny of Paragripopteryx Enderlein, 1909 (Plecoptera: Gripopterygidae). PLOS ONE (2022).
- A Scientometric Approach to the Taxonomy of Brazilian Plecoptera: An Overview of Data. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia (2023).
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