Sistemática e biogeografia de Helicopsychidae do Novo Mundo (Trichoptera): desafios no enfretamento dos déficits de conhecimento da biodiversidade

Abstract

Helicopsychidae is one of the most easily recognizable families, mainly due to the unique helical shape of the larval case, which resembles the shells of gastropod mollusks. Currently, 304 species are described in two genera, Rakiura McFarlane, monotypic and endemic to New Zealand, and Helicopsyche von Siebold. Helicopsyche has 303 species and a distribution in all biogeographic regions except Antarctica, with the greatest diversity found in the tropics. Taxonomic studies on the Helicopsychidae date back to the 19th century due to a misinterpretation of larval case. Only in 1856 the genus Helicopsyche was described based on the larval case of three species. Subsequently, Hagen transferred another four species to Helicopsyche. Misinterpretations were only resolved with the publication of Genera Insectorum by Ulmer, recognizing the genus as belong to the order Trichoptera. The phylogenetic relationships of the group were inferred by Schmid and, later, by Johanson with a large sample size. In a recent phylogenetic and biogeographic study on Sericostomatoidea, the previous hypotheses were refuted, and the relationship was proposed for the Neotropical subgenera Feropsyche Johanson and Cochliopsyche Müller. Feropsyche, the richest subgenus in species (127 species), was revised in 2002 and since then ca. 50 species have been described. However, distribution patterns, knowledge of semaphoronts and biological aspects remain poorly explored. On the other hand, Cochliopsyche, endemic to Neotropics and with only 17 species, was revised in 2003 and since then only distribution records and the description of one species have been made for the group. In this context, both groups, especially Cochliopsyche, have shortfalls in biodiversity knowledge related to species (Linnean shortfall), distribution patterns (Wallacean shortfall), knowledge of semaphoronts (Haeckelian shortfall) and knowledge of the evolution of the groups (Darwinian shortfall). In this context, this thesis aims to expand the knowledge of Helicopsychidae in the Neotropical region by describing new species and distributional patterns. In addition, a systematic revision of Cochliopsyche was performed, as well as the phylogenetic and biogeographic studies on the family. The results include the description of four new species of H. (Feropsyche) and the establishment of biogeographic patterns, potential distribution maps and the construction of a database with information on the group. The representatives of Dominican amber are removed from this subgenus based on phylogenetic results. Hypothesis are presented that the subgenus Feropsyche forms a lineage with the Australasian subgenus Saetotrichia. Cochliopsyche is resurrected to genus status based on phylogenetic and biogeographic results, and H. (Petrotrichia) as its sister group, with high support. In addition, a systematic revision of Cochliopsyche is provided, including standardized descriptions for all described species and description of five new species. In addition to Neotropical taxa, a phylogenetic proposal is presented for living and fossil species of Helicopsychidae, as well as a reconstruction of the ancestral area for the group. The legacy of this work is to be facing the shortfalls in Linnean, Wallacean and Darwinian knowledge of Neotropical taxa. The phylogenetic hypothesis presented suggests that the remaining subgenera of Helicopsyche form independent lineages, but due to the low support and taxon sampling, we are conservative and only indicate the need for more comprehensive work to test this hypothesis, preferring not to make taxonomic changes beyond the scope of this work.