Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5716 No. 3: 31 Oct. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-10-31
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5716.3.5
Page range: 382-396
Abstract views: 51
PDF downloaded: 2

A new Drusinae from Iran: Drusus iani sp. nov. and molecular insights into the Drusus simplex Species Complex (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae)

University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, Prishtinë, Republic of Kosovo
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Zagreb, Croatia
University of Kurdistan, Faculty of Natural Resources, Department of Fisheries Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
University of Innsbruck; Department of Ecology; Innsbruck; Austria.
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Zagreb, Croatia
Trichoptera Middle East caddisfly Drusus caucasicus Species Group microscale endemism species delimitation

Abstract

A new species of the Drusinae subfamily, Drusus iani sp. nov., is described using an integrative approach that combines evidence from male and female morphology with molecular data. Morphologically, the new species is most similar to Drusus aranos Oláh 2017 (from Teberda, Russia), Drusus iranicus Oláh & Chvojka 2017 (from Central Elburz, Iran), Drusus polur Oláh 2017 (from Polour, Iran), and Drusus simplex Martynov 1927 (from Verchnij Sadon, Russia). The new species can be diagnosed from its congeners by a unique combination of morphological characters, primarily involving segment IX, the inferior appendages, and the parameres in males, as well as segment X, the vulvar scale, and the supragenital plate in females.

To elucidate phylogenetic and taxonomic relationships and to corroborate the distinctiveness of the newly described species, Drusus iani sp. nov., we applied two phylogenetic inference methods and two species delimitation frameworks. Molecular analyses of various populations previously identified as Drusus simplex, collected from regions in Russia, Georgia, and Iran, indicate that this taxon represents a species complex rather than a single species. Drusus iani sp. nov., is currently known only from the Sabalan Mountains in Iran and represents the eighth documented species of the Drusus simplex Species Complex recorded in the country.

References

  1. Bilalli, A., Ibrahimi, H. & Musliu, M. (2018) First records of the caddisfly fauna (Insecta: Trichoptera) from the Karadak Mountains, Western Balkans. Natura Croatica, 27 (1), 143–151. https://doi.org/10.20302/NC.2018.27.7
  2. Cerjanec, D., Kučinić, M., Vilenica, M., Ćukušić, A., Ćuk, R., Ibrahimi, H., Vučković, I., Žalac, S. & Ruk, D. (2020) Ecological and faunistic features of caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) in different types of habitats in Dinaric karst area (Central Croatia). Ecologica Montenegrina, 36, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2020.36.2
  3. Folmer, O., Black, M., Hoeh, W. & Lutz, R. & Vrijenhoek, R. (1994) DNA primers for amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I from diverse metazoan invertebrates. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology, 3, 294–299.
  4. Gashi, A., Ibrahimi, H., Grapci-Kotori, L., Sejdiu, N. & Bislimi, K. (2015) New records of Drusus siveci Malicky, 1981 (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae, Drusinae) from the Balkan Peninsula, with ecological notes. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 67 (2), 259–264.
  5. Hinić, J., Slavevska-Stamenković, V., Ibrahimi, H., Bilalli, A., Musliu, M., Kučinić, M. & Leese, F. (2020) The first record of the Balkan endemic caddisfly Drusus osogovicus Kumanski, 1980 (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) in the Republic of North Macedonia, with DNA barcoding of the species and comments on its ecology and distribution. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 72 (3), 369–379.
  6. Hoang, D.T., Chernomor, O., Von Haeseler, A., Minh, B.Q. & Vinh, L.S. (2018) UFBoot2: improving the ultrafast bootstrap approximation. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 35 (2), 518–522. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msx281
  7. Ibrahimi, H. (2024) Trichoptera of Europe: Diversity, importance, and conservation of Trichoptera in Europe. In: Younis Ahmad Hajam, Y.A., Parey, S.H. & Bhat, R.A. (Eds.), Insect Diversity and Ecosystem Services. Vol. 1. Importance, Threats, Conservation, and Economic Perspectives. Apple Academic Press, Oakville, Ontario, pp. 159–172. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003467205-7
  8. Ibrahimi, H., Kučinić, M., Vitecek, S., Waringer, J., Graf, W., Previšić, A., Bálint, M., Keresztes, L. & Pauls, S.U. (2015) New records for the Kosovo caddisfly fauna with the description of a new species, Drusus dardanicus sp. nov. (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). Zootaxa, 4032 (5), 551–568. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4032.5.5
  9. Ibrahimi, H., Mohammadi, H., Ghaderi, E. & Karimian, E. (2023a) A new species of the genus Hydropsyche Pictet, 1834 (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) from Kurdistan Province, Iran. Aquatic Insects, 44 (1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650424.2022.2056202
  10. Ibrahimi, H., Mohammadi, H., Ghaderi, E. & Karimian, E. (2024) A new Drusinae (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) species from the Zagros Mountains in the Kurdistan Province, Iran. Zootaxa, 5406 (3), 451–460. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5406.3.4
  11. Ibrahimi, H., Mohammadi, H., Ghaderi, E., Karimian, E., Mansouri, A. & Molodi, F. (2023b) Athripsodes saral sp. n., a new Leptoceridae (Trichoptera) from the Kurdistan Province, Iran. Ecologica Montenegrina, 64, 197–202. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2023.64.4
  12. Ibrahimi, H., Mohammadi, H., Ghaderi, E., Karimian, E., Zareii, R. & Piroozi, L. (2023c) First record of Glossosoma unguiculatum Martynov, 1925 (Trichoptera, Glossosomatidae) from Iran. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics, 9 (4), 679–685. https://doi.org/10.61186/jibs.9.4.679
  13. Ibrahimi, H., Previšić, A., Vitecek, S., Graf, W., Kučinić, M., Bálint, M., Keresztes, L. & Pauls, S.U. (2016) Drusus sharrensis sp.n. (Trichoptera, Limnerphilidae) a new species from Sharr National Park in Kosovo with molecular and ecological notes. ZooKeys, 559, 107–124. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.559.6350
  14. Kalyaanamoorthy, S., Minh, B.Q., Wong, T.K., Von Haeseler, A. & Jermiin, L.S. (2017) ModelFinder: fast model selection for accurate phylogenetic estimates. Nature Methods, 14 (6), 587–589. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.4285
  15. Katoh, K., Rozewicki, J. & Yamada, K.D. (2019) MAFFT online service: Multiple sequence alignment, interactive sequence choice and visualization. Briefings in Bioinformatics, 20, 1160–1166. https://doi.org/10.1093/bib/bbx108
  16. Kumar, S., Stecher, G., Li, M., Knyaz, C. & Tamura, K. (2018) MEGA X: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis across computing platforms. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 35 (6), 1547–1549. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msy096
  17. Kučinič, M., Previšič, A., Graf, W., Šerič Jelaska, L., Stanić-Koštroman, S. & Waringer, J. (2011) Larval description, genetic and ecological features of Drusus radovanovici radovanovici Marinkovič-Gospodnetič, 1971 (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae) with some phylogenetic and taxonomic data on the bosnicus group in the Balkan Peninsula. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 58, 135–153. https://doi.org/10.1002/mmnd.201100010
  18. Kučinić, M., Previšić, A., Mihoci, I., Krpač, V., Živić, I., Stojanović, K., Mrnjavčić Vojvoda, A. & Katušić, L. (2016) Morphological features of larvae of Drusus plicatus Radovanović (Insecta, Trichoptera) from the Republic of Macedonia with molecular, ecological, ethological, and distributional notes. ZooKeys, 598, 75–97. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.598.7311
  19. Maddison, W.P. & Maddison, D.R. (2019) Mesquite: a modular system for evolutionary analysis. Available from: http://mesquiteproject.org (accessed 23 September 2025)
  20. Malicky, H. (2004) Atlas of European Trichoptera. Springer, Dordrecht, 359 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-3026-0_1
  21. Martynov, A.B. (1927) Supplementary notes on the Trichopterous fauna of the Caucasus. Revue Russe d’Entomologie, 21 (1–2), 121–127.
  22. Miller, M.A., Pfeiffer, W. & Schwartz, T. (2010) Creating the CIPRES Science Gateway for inference of large phylogenetic trees. 2010 gateway computing environments workshop (GCE), New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 2010, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1109/GCE.2010.5676129
  23. Minh, B.Q., Schmidt, H.A., Chernomor, O., Schrempf, D., Woodhams, M.D., Von Haeseler, A. & Lanfear, R. (2020) IQ-TREE 2: new models and efficient methods for phylogenetic inference in the genomic era. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 37 (5), 1530–1534. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaa015
  24. Oláh, J. (2010) New species and new records of Palearctic Trichoptera in the material of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. Annales Historico-Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici, 102, 65–117.
  25. Oláh, J. (2011) New species and records of Balkan Trichoptera. Folia Historico Naturalia Musei Matraensis, 35, 111–121.
  26. Oláh, J., Beshkov, S., Chvojka, P., Ciubuc, C., Coppa, G., Ibrahimi, H., Kovacs, T., Mey, W. & Oláh, J. Jr. (2017) Revision of Drusinae subfamily (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae): divergence by paraproct and paramere: speciation in isolation by integration. Opuscula Zoologica Budapest, 48 (1), 3–228. https://doi.org/10.18348/opzool.2017.S1.3
  27. Oláh, J. & Vinçon, G. (2024) On the Trichoptera of the Caucasus with focus on Wormaldia, Kelgena, Thremma, Martynomyia and Schizopelex genera. Opuscula Zoologica Budapest, 55 (2), 1–76. https://doi.org/10.18348/opzool.2024.S2.1
  28. Oláh, J., Vinçon, G., Kerimova, I., Kovacs, T. & Manko, P. (2020) On the Trichoptera of the Caucasus with western and eastern relatives. Opuscula Zoologica Budapest, 51 (3), 3–174. https://doi.org/10.18348/opzool.2020.S3.3
  29. Previšić, A., Schnitzler, J., Kučinić, M., Graf, W., Ibrahimi, H., Kerovec, M. & Pauls, S.U. (2014) Microscale vicariance and diversification of western Balkan caddisflies linked to karstification. Freshwater Science, 33, 250–262. https://doi.org/10.1086/674430
  30. Previšić, A., Walton, C., Kučinić, M., Mitrikeski, P.T. & Kerovec, M. (2009) Pleistocene divergence of Dinaric Drusus endemics (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae) in multiple refugia within the Balkan Peninsula. Molecular Ecology, 18 (4), 634–647. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2008.04046.x
  31. Puillandre, N., Brouillet, S. & Achaz, G. (2021) ASAP: assemble species by automatic partitioning. Molecular Ecology Resources, 21 (2), 609–620. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13281
  32. Rambaut, A., Drummond, A.J., Xie, D., Baele, G. & Suchard, M.A. (2018) Posterior summarization in Bayesian phylogenetics using Tracer 1.7. Systematic Biology, 67 (5), 901–904. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syy032
  33. Ronquist, F., Teslenko, M., Van Der Mark, P., Ayres, D.L., Darling, A., Höhna, S., Larget, B., Liu, L., Suchard, M.A. & Huelsenbeck, J.P. (2012) MrBayes 3.2: efficient Bayesian phylogenetic inference and model choice across a large model space. Systematic Biology, 61 (3), 539–542. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/sys029
  34. Slavevska-Stamenković, V., Hinić, J., Karaouzas, I., Ibrahimi, H., Mitić-Kopanja, D. & Bilalli, A. (2020) First record of Rhyacophila pubescens Pictet, 1834 (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae) in the Republic of North Macedonia with notes on its ecology and distribution. Ecologica Montenegrina, 31, 28–34. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2020.31.6
  35. Vitecek, S., Graf, W., Previšić, A., Kučinić, M., Oláh, J., Bálint, M., Keresztes, L., Pauls, S.U. & Waringer, J. (2015a) A hairy case: The evolution of filtering carnivorous Drusinae (Limnephilidae, Trichoptera). Molecular Phylogenetic and Evolution, 93, 249–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2015.07.019
  36. Vitecek, S., Kučinić, M., Oláh, J., Previšić, A., Bálint, M., Keresztes, L., Waringer, J., Pauls, S.U. & Graf, W. (2015b) Description of two new filtering carnivore Drusus species (Limnephilidae, Drusinae) from the Western Balkans. ZooKeys, 513, 79–104. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.513.9908
  37. Vitecek, S., Kučinić, M., Previšić, A., Živić, I., Stojanovic, K., Keresztes, L., Bálint, M., Hoppeler, F., Waringer, J., Graf, W. & Pauls, S.U. (2017) Integrative taxonomy by molecular species delimitation: Multi-locus data corroborate a new species of Balkan Drusinae microendemics. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 17, 129. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-017-0972-5
  38. Zhang, J., Kapli, P., Pavlidis, P. & Stamatakis, A. (2013) A general species delimitation method with applications to phylogenetic placements. Bioinformatics, 29 (22), 2869–2876. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btt499

How to Cite

Ibrahimi, H., Hlebec, D., Mohammadi, H., Vitecek, S. & Kučinić, M. (2025) A new Drusinae from Iran: Drusus iani sp. nov. and molecular insights into the Drusus simplex Species Complex (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). Zootaxa, 5716 (3), 382–396. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5716.3.5