Basis/Purpose - Mayflies of Central America

Campylocia anceps
Peninsula de Osa, Costa Rica (Artist: Arwin Provonsha)

The primary basis of the initial versions of The Mayflies of Central America is "Los Efemeropteros (Ephemeroptera) de la America Central" by W. P. McCafferty and C. R. Lugo-Ortiz, published in 1996 in Revista Nicaraguense de Entomologica. Important recent additions to this may be found in "The Ephemeroptera of Central America. Part 1: Guatemala" by McCafferty, Baumgardner, & Guenther (2004, Transactions of the American Entomological Society, vol. 130, pages 201-219); and in "The Ephemeroptera of Central America. Part 2: Nicaragua" by Meyer, Baumgardner, & McCafferty (2008, Transactions of the American Entomological Society, vol. 134, pages 133-146). Although the species list provided of Central American mayflies is entirely alphabetical for practical purposes, a higher classification of the Central American mayflies is also provided and represents a phylogenetic scheme as far as possible of groupings above the genus level. Generic listings under families or subfamilies remain alphabetical. Note that numerous families found in North America and outlined in the higher classification of North American mayflies are not found in Central America, including the families Acanthametropodidae, Ameletidae, Arthropleidae, Baetiscidae, Behningiidae, Ephemerellidae, Neoephemeridae, Metretopodidae, Palingeniidae, Potamanthidae, Pseudironidae, Siphlonuridae, and the subfamily Leptophlebiinae of the Leptophlebiidae. While there are no families or subfamilies in Central America that are not represented in North America, there are several Central American genera that are not found in North America, including: Atopophlebia, Hagenulopsis, Terpides, and Tikuna in the Leptophlebiidae; Cabecar, Epiphrades, and Haplohyphes in the Leptohyphidae; Guajirolus, Lugoiops, and Mayobaetis in the Baetidae; and Campylocia in the Polymitarcyidae. Information about the relationships and historical biogeography of the the North, Central and South American mayflies may be found in: "Ephemeroptera and the Great American Interchange" by McCafferty (1998, Journal of the North American Benthological Society, vol. 17, pages 1-20).

The rationale for providing such listings is essentially given under North America Purpose. In addition, however, it is well known that many habitats in Central America are threatened with deforestation. This includes both wet and dry tropical forest. It is paramount that an inventory of the mayflies be kept in an updated format as presented here so that the endangerment and fate of these species may be easily tracked.