A NEW SPECIES OF PERLESTA (PLECOPTERA: PERLIDAE) FROM NEW YORK
Boris C. Kondratieff1 and Luke W. Myers2
1 Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins,
Colorado, U.S.A. 80523 E-mail: Boris.Kondratieff@Colostate.edu
2 Lake Champlain Research Institute, SUNY Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY, U.S.A. 12901
E-mail: myerslw@plattsburgh.edu
ABSTRACT
A new species, Perlesta mihucorum described from New York, USA, is distinguished from other regional species in the male by the characteristics of the paraprocts and aedeagus and in the female by the shape of the subgenital plate and egg.
Keywords: Plecoptera: Perlidae, Perlesta, new species, Nearctic, New York
INTRODUCTION
Stark (1989) provided the initial revision of the Nearctic members of the genus Perlesta, treating 12 species. Currently, 27 species are recognized (Stark 1989, 2004; Kondratieff et al. 2006, 2008; Grubbs and DeWalt 2008; and Grubbs and DeWalt 2011), and surprisingly Gutierrez-Fonseca and Springer (2011) reported the genus from Costa Rica. Collecting in New York by the authors revealed an additional new species, which is described below. The descriptive terminology for the adults follows Stark (1989, 2004). The Holotype is deposited at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Paratypes are deposited in the following museums and individual collections: Bill P. Stark, Clinton, Mississippi (BPSC); C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity, Colorado State University (CSUC); and the New York State Museum (NYSM).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Perlesta mihucorum sp. n. (Figs. 1-14).
Material examined. Holotype NEW YORK,
Columbia Co., Claverack Creek, Rte. 66, near Hudson, 42.2594N, 73.7534W, 27 June 2011, L. Myers. Paratypes: NEW YORK: Columbia Co., Claverack Creek, Rte. 66, near Hudson, 42.2594N, 73.7534W, 24 June 2007, L. Myers & B. Kondratieff, 1^, 1?; Taghkanic Creek, Stone Mill Rd., off Rte. 23B, 42.1917N, 73.7555'W, 18 June 2008, L. Myers, 1^, 1?; same data as Holotype, 8^, 17?; Greene Co., Hannacroix Creek, Rte. 9W, South Ravena, 42.4401N, 73.8137W, 19 June 2008, L. W. Myers, 15^, 11?; same data but 27 June 2011, L. and J. Myers, 16^, 7?; Hamilton Co., Sacandaga River, Rte. 30, near Hope, 43.2866N, 74.2347W, 25 June 2007, L. Myers & B. Kondratieff, 1^; Herkimer Co., South Branch Moose River, Rte. 28, near county line, 43.6113N, 75.1032W, 28 June 2007, L. Myers & B. Kondratieff, 1^, 1?. Male. Forewing length 10-11 mm. General body color light yellow brown. Head yellow except for brown quadrangular area over ocelli and brown triangular area forward of median ocellus, prothorax brown with pale band along median suture (Figs. 1-2). Wings amber with yellow intercostal area, more apparent in life, veins brown (Fig. 1). Femora and tibia brown dorsally (Fig. 1). Tergum 10 mesal sclerite light brown, not divided, sensilla basiconica sparse (Fig. 3).


1
Fig. 1. Perlesta mihucorum, photograph of live adult male.
Paraproct moderately long, with well-developed subapical tooth inconspicuous in lateral view (Figs. 4), in caudal view long, rounded apically (Fig. 5). Penis tube + sac long, caecum small wider than long, lateral sclerite weakly developed (Fig. 6), dorsal patch broad basally, with a thin thread of 2-3 rows of spinulae extending the length of the sac (Fig. 7). Female. Forewing length 12-14 mm. General body color lighter than male, wings not as tinted with amber. Subgenital plate, short, with large semiquadrate shaped lobes separated by deep wide V-shaped notch (Fig. 8).
Egg. Oval. Collar stalked, wide, with distinctive lip (Figs. 9-12). Chorionic surface smooth to slightly pitted (Figs. 9, 13-14). Larva. Unknown.
Etymology. We honor Drs. Janet R. Mihuc, Paul Smith's College, Paul Smiths, New York and Timothy B. Mihuc, Lake Champlain Research Institute, SUNY Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, New York, respectively for their contributions to the knowledge of the natural history of the state of New York. Diagnosis. In Stark (2004) males of P. mihucorum will key to couplet 13 if the paraprocts are considered "moderately" long using Stark (2004) terminology, but the paraprocts are not thin in lateral view (Fig. 4)
and the paraproct tips are also not acute in caudal aspect (Fig. 5) (as in P. placida (Hagen, 1861), see Stark 2004, fig. 7.266). Following the second choice of couplet 13, an impasse is reached since the paraprocts are "not short to medium", but the paraproct tips are rounded in caudal view. Couplet 16 could be reached from couplet 15 because the dorsal patch of the aedeagal sac is "long and narrow" and the "aedeagal caecum^.about as long as wide" most similar to P. lagoi Stark, 1989. The dorsal patch of the aedeagal sac of P. mihucorum consists of only 23 rows of setulae (Fig. 7), whereas in P. lagoi the patch is wider with at least >5 irregular rows of setulae (see Stark 1989, fig. 96). Additionally, the paraprocts of P. mihucorum possess a well-developed tooth that is subapical (Fig. 4) and not small and anteapical as in P. lagoi (see Stark 1989, fig. 96). The female of P. mihucorum would key to couplet 14, either P. shubuta Stark, 1989 or P. decipiens (Walsh, 1862). The wide deep V-shaped notch of the subgenital plate (Fig. 8) can usually distinguish P. mihucorum from P. decipiens. The subgenital plate of P. shubuta has a shallow V-shaped notch; similar to P. mihucorum, but the egg of P. shubuta has a short almost sessile collar (Stark 1989). The egg of P. mihucorum is similar to P. decipiens (see Stark 2004,
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7
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Figs. 2-8. Perlesta mihucorum. 2. Adult head and pronotum. 3. Male terminalia, dorsal. 4. Paraproct, lateral. 5. Paraproct, caudal. 6. Penis, lateral. 7. Penis, dorsal. 8. Female subgenital plate, ventral.
Figs. 9-14. Perlesta mihucorum, scanning electron photomicrographs. 9. Entire egg. 10. Collar pole. 11. Collar. 12. Details of collar and anchor fibers. 13. Micropylar pole. 14. Micropyles.
figs. 7.397-7.399), but apparently both species are confirmed record of P. decipiens having been reported allopatric, with the most eastern and northern from Virginia (Stark 1989, 2004).
Perlesta mihucorum appears most common in large 20-30m wide low elevation (40-55m) tributaries of the Hudson River in Greene and Columbia counties. These particular streams usually have heavy silt loads with a substrate composed of gravel and cobble. Fewer individuals were encountered in relatively pristine high gradient rivers in the foothills (250-450m) of the Adirondack Mountains in Herkimer and Hamilton counties. Stoneflies collected in association with this new species included Leuctra sibleyi Claassen, L. tenuis (Pictet), Bolotoperla rossi (Frison), Alloperla atlantica Baumann, A. idei (Ricker), A. petasata Surdick, Haploperla brevis (Banks), Agnetina capitata (Pictet), Neoperla occipitalis (Pictet), Perlesta nelsoni Stark and Isoperla orata Frison.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Funding for this research was provided in part by grants funded by the New York State Biodiversity Research Institute at the New York Museum and the New York State Wildlife Grants Program. We thank Bill P. Stark of Mississippi College for confirming the specific status of the new species and providing the SEM photomicrographs of the eggs. Lori Discoe, Fort Collins completed the illustrations. Richard Rabideau, Plattsburgh, New York provided the photograph.
Kondratieff, B.C., R.E. Zuellig, R.F. Kirchner, & D.R. Lenat. 2008. Two new species of Perlesta (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from eastern North America. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 110:668-673.
Stark, B.P. 1989. Perlesta placida (Hagen), an eastern Nearctic species complex (Plecoptera: Perlidae). Entomologica Scandinavica, 20:263-286.
Stark, B.P. 2004. Pages 61-148. Perlidae (the stones). In The stoneflies (Plecoptera) of Eastern North America. Volume II. Chloroperlidae, Perlidae, and Perlodidae (Perlodinae). Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin New Series Volume 14.
Walsh, B.D. 1862. List of the Pseudoneuroptera of Illinois contained in the cabinet of the writer, with descriptions of over forty new species, and notes on their structural affinities. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia, 13:361-402.
Received 7 August 2011, Accepted 24 August 2011, Published 15 September 2011
REFERENCES
Grubbs, S.A. & R.E. DeWalt. 2008. Taxonomic and distributional notes on Perlesta teaysia, P. golconda, and P. shawnee (Plecoptera: Perlidae). Illiesia, 4:143-149.
Grubbs, S.A. & R.E. DeWalt. 2011. Perlesta ouabache, a new species of stonefly (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Indiana, U.S.A. Aquatic Insects, 33:75-79.
Gutierrez-Fonseca, P.E. & M. Springer. 2011. Description of the final instar nymphs of seven species from Anacroneuria Klapalek (Plecoptera: Perlidae) in Costa Rica, and first record for an additional genus in Central America. Zootaxa, 2965:16-38.
Kondratieff, B.C., R.E. Zuellig, R.F. Kirchner, & D.R. Lenat. 2006. Three new species of Perlesta (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from eastern North America and notes on new state records. Illiesia, 2:31-38.