DNA barcode-based survey of Trichoptera in the Crooked River reveals three new species records for British Columbia

Daniel J Erasmus; Emily A Yurkowski; Dezene P W Huber

doi:10.7717/peerj.4221

DNA barcode-based survey of Trichoptera in the Crooked River reveals three new species records for British Columbia

PeerJ. 2018 Jan 12:6:e4221. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4221. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Daniel J Erasmus^#¹, Emily A Yurkowski¹, Dezene P W Huber^#²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
² Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Anthropogenic pressures on aquatic systems have placed a renewed focus on biodiversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates. By combining classical taxonomy and DNA barcoding we identified 39 species of caddisflies from the Crooked River, a unique and sensitive system in the southernmost arctic watershed in British Columbia. Our records include three species never before recorded in British Columbia: Lepidostoma togatum (Lepidostomatidae), Ceraclea annulicornis (Leptoceridae), and possibly Cheumatopsyche harwoodi (Hydropsychidae). Three other specimens may represent new occurrence records and a number of other records seem to be substantial observed geographic range expansions within British Columbia.

Keywords: British Columbia; Caddisflies; Ceracleaannulicornis; Cheumatopsyche harwoodi; Hydropsychidae; Lepidostoma togatum; Lepidostomatidae; Leptoceridae; Trichoptera.