Three new Luticola species from the Andean-Amazonian transition in Colombia: taxonomy, morphology and preliminary considerations of the biogeography of the genus

Abstract

Three new species of Luticola are described from lotic ecosystems in Andakí Municipal Natural Park, located in the Andean-Amazon region on the eastern flank of the eastern Andes mountain range in Colombia. Size and morphological features of the three new species, L. caquetensis Kociolek, Simonato & Núñez-Avellaneda sp. nov., L. andakiesiorum Simonato, Kociolek & Plata Díaz sp. nov., and L. sinchii Sala, Kociolek & Simonato sp. nov. are provided, based on light and scanning electron microscopical observations, and compared with similar congeners. Species of the genus are organized into groups depending upon whether they possess or lack marginal channels and/or pseudosepta. All the new species possess pseudosepta and L. caquetensis and L. andakiesiorum lack marginal channels. The two latter species share this combination of features with Luticola affinis Levkov et al., a species described from Brazil. These species thus form a unique group within the genus, offering additional evidence for the unique biodiversity found in this region.