IREM - Danube Delta blossoms again: the importance of pontic refugia in the recovery of the most endangered mayfly in the European large rivers-population genetic approach on Palingenia longicauda Olivier

Grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS - UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2019-0829

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About

Palingenia longicauda is probably the best-known mayfly in Europe and an iconic species for conservation of large and medium sized river ecosystems in hilly and plain regions. The project aims to assess the molecular genetic diversity and the phylogeographic pattern of Palingenia longicauda in the remaining distribution area, and to discover other still unknown populations in some large rivers in Romania.

The Researchers

Dr. Dénes Avar-Lehel

Main interests: phylogeography, molecular taxonomy.

Dr. Keresztes Lujza

Main interests: aquatic biodiversity.

Drd. Romina Tintelecan

Main interests: aquatic biodiversity.

Drd. Szabó Emerencia

Main interests: phylogeography, molecular taxonomy.

Objectives

Objective 1

Identification of potential refugia of the studied species.

Objective 2

Identification of the colonization routes - gene flow for the studied species.

Objective 3

Identification of the colonization routes - gene flow for the studied species.

Objective 4

Changing the species conservation status in Romania.

Results

  • We have identified, collected and processed with population genetics methods several populations from Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia, confirming the presence of the P. longicauda species with viable populations in South-Eastern Europe.
  • The genetic differences based on the studied mitochondrial sequences show a significant differentiation between the populations from the Tisa River basin and the Rába River compared to the populations of the Danube Delta and the Prut River, suggesting that this species had at least one refugia in the Pontic area.
  • The observed genetic differentiation confirms that the populations rediscovered after the 2000s in Romania are autochthonous, and survived as small cryptic populations in the Danube Delta and the Prut River, and are not the result of a recent migration from the Tisa basin.
  • The morphometric and molecular genetic results show the presence of only one species of Palingenia in the studied area, confirming that the identification of the P. fuliginosa species from Ukraine and Slovakia is the result of erroneous identification of the high variability represented by the individuals of the P. longicauda species.
  • The surveys carried out confirm the continuous presence of the species in the Danube Delta and on the Mureș and Prut rivers, showing that it is widespread in the lower and middle courses of the studied rivers.
  • The identification of new distribution areas and the reporting of viable populations in these areas, show a low degree of endangerment based on the IUCN Red List standards, however P. longicauda will be introduced in the Least Concern category due to the efforts made by this project.

Articles

  1. Dénes AL, Vaida RM, Szabó E, Martynov AV, Váncsa É, Ujvárosi B, Keresztes L (2022) Cryptic survival and an unexpected recovery of the long-tailed mayfly Palingenia longicauda (Olivier, 1791) (Ephemeroptera: Palingeniidae) in Southeastern Europe. Predat la: Journal of Insect Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-022-00425-z
  2. Manko P, Vaida RM, Szabó E, Baranová B, Martynov AV, Kis B, Váncsa É, Keresztes L, Dénes AL (2022) Dilemma lasting decades solved? Integrative taxonomy supports one instead more Palingenia species in South-Eastern Europe (Insecta, Ephemeroptera, Palingeniidae). In prep
  3. Vaida RM, Dénes AL (corresponding author), Macadam C, Pereira L, Keresztes L (2022) Palingenia longicauda (Olivier, 1791) (Ephemeroptera: Palingeniidae) - Long-tailed mayfly. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Conferences

  1. Keresztes L, Dénes AL, Szabó E, Vaida R. Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of Palingenia longicauda (Olivier, 1791) (Insecta, Ephemeroptera) and its consequent taxonomic implications. Biogeography of the Carpathians; 3rd Interdisciplinarry Symposium, 12 – 14 September 2022.
  2. Dénes Anna, Dénes AL, Keresztes L. Plecoptera (Insecta) from the Carpathians, Romania: barcoding dark taxa in a biodiversity hotspot from Europe. Biogeography of the Carpathians; 3rd Interdisciplinarry Symposium, 12 – 14 September 2022.
  3. Dénes AL, Vaida R , Szabó E, Keresztes L. Cryptic survival of Palingenia longicauda (Ephemeroptera: Palingeniidae) in South-eastern Europe. Symposium for European Freshwater Sciences (SEFS 12 - VIRTUAL CONFERENCE), 25 – 30 July 2021.
  4. Dénes AL, Vaida R , Szabó E, Keresztes L. Recovery of the long tailed mayfly, Palingenia longicauda (Olivier, 1791) (Ephemeroptera: Palingeniidae) in South-eastern Europe. 21th Biology Days, 16 – 17 April 2021, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Let's Get In Touch!

Dénes Avar-Lehel

E-mail: avar.lehel@gmail.com

Institute for Interdisciplinary Experimental Research in Bio-Nano-Science

Str. Treboniu Laurian 42, 400271, Cluj-Napoca