Isoperla nelsoni Szczytko & Kondratieff 2015

Isoperla nelsoni Szczytko & Kondratieff, 2015

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Plecoptera.speciesfile.org: TaxonName:468741

Nelson Stripetail

Isoperla nelsoni Szczytko & Kondratieff, 2015:174.

Holotype ♂ (USNM), Clear Creek, Morgan Co., Tennessee.

Isoperla smithi Szczytko & Kondratieff, 2015:250.

Holotype ♂ (USNM), 3 mi. NE Mathias, 38°55’N, 78°49’W, Hardy Co., West Virginia. Syn. n.

Material examined. U.S.A. – Georgia: Dade Co., [Daniel Creek], Rt. 136, 9.1 mi. W jct. 176/193, just past entrance Cloudland State Park, [N 34.816158, W 85.491197], 8 May 1980, C.H. Nelson, 3♂, ♀ (CSUIC, paratypes) . North Carolina: Macon Co., Bridal Veil Falls, nr. Highlands, [N 35.071766, W 83.229483], 8 May 2000, B. Stark, B. Bryan, ♂ (CSUIC, paratype). Tennessee: Hamilton Co., Shoal Creek, Shoal Creek Rd. off Rt. 127, Signal Mountain, [N 35.117311, W 85.353965], 29 May 1981, C.H. Nelson, 3♂, 3♀ (CSUIC, paratypes). Sequatchie Co., Brush Creek, N Dunlap, [N 35.404253, W 85.369517], 12 May 2000, B.C. Kondratieff, R.F. Kirchner, ♂ (CSUIC, paratype). Virginia: Montgomery Co., small trib. Craig Creek, 0.6 mi. E Hwy 460, [N 37.29070, W 80.45221, 1 May 1992, B.C. Kondratieff, 4♂, 7♀ (CSUIC, paratypes, I. smithi); spring-fed stream, Rte 621, ~0.5 off State Rte 460, [N 37.29070, W 80.45221], 29 May 1979, B.C. Kondratieff, 5♂ (CSUIC). Tazewell Co., springs into Station Spring Creek, Burkes Garden, [N 37.097691, W 81.373222], 18 May 1979, B.C. Kondratieff, 2♂ (CSUIC, paratypes); West Virginia: Hardy Co., Lower Cove Run, 3 mi. NE of Mathias, N 38.916667, W 78.816667, 16–31 May 2000, D. Smith, 4♂, 7♀ (CSUIC, paratypes, I. smithi). Kanawha Co., Buzzard Branch, I-64/77, [N 38.11827, W 81.38546], 16 May 1994, B.C. Kondratieff, R.F. Kirchner, 2♀ (CSUIC, paratypes, I. smithi).

New Records. Kentucky: Rowan Co., Triplett Creek, 0.4 mi. N of I-64, Conley Rd., (No GPS), 25 May 1994, B.C. Kondratieff, R.F. Kirchner, 1♂ (CSUIC). Tennessee: Cumberland Co., 3 mi. N of Adams Bridge Obed River, N 36.10321, W 84.94164, 22 May 1994, B. C. Kondratieff, R.F. Kirchner, 2♂ (CSUIC, paratypes). Franklin Co., seeps on Hwy 64, 4 mi. E Cowan, [N 35.167581, W 86.074139], 28 May 1994, B. Stark, ♂, ♀ (CSUIC). Virginia: Bland Co., Wolf Creek, Rte 614, Stephen Levitt Property, N 37.14702, W 81.26314, 25 May 2017, C. Verdone, D. Fuller, ♂, ♀ (CSUIC). Giles Co., spring, Rte 613 NE side of Mountain Lake, N 37.37012, W 80.52918, 28 May 2016, C. Verdone, B.C. Kondratieff, ♂, ♀ (CSUIC). Scott Co., Laurel Branch, FR 700,> 1km from FR 701, N 36.87556, W 82.48100, 6 May 2017, C. Verdone, B.C. Kondratieff, S. Roble, ♂ (CSUIC); Laurel Branch and trib., FR 700, N 36.87844, W 82.46630, 6 May 2017, C. Verdone, B.C. Kondratieff, S. Roble, 4♂ (CSUIC). Tazewell Co., Station Spring Creek, MBC Ranch Rd., Burkes Garden, [N 37.100362, W 81.370206], 17 May 1994, B.C. Kondratieff, R.F. Kirchner, 2♂ (CSUIC). West Virginia: Tucker Co., Fernow Experimental Forest, [N 39.054807, W 79.669890], 20 June 1990, emergence trap, DPE, 4♂, 4♀ (CSUIC); Same location, 16–23 May 1990, emergence trap DPE, 2♀ (CSUIC); Same location, 20–26 July 1990, emergence trap, DPE, 1♂ 2♀ (CSUIC); Same location, 21 May–5 June 1990, emergence trap, DPE, 1♂ (CSUIC).

Distribution. U.S.A. – AL, GA, KY, NC, TN, VA, WV (Szczytko & Kondratieff 2015).

Biological notes. The paratype series of I. smithi from the type locality included a male with the aedeagus everted and females with mature ova, which was previously unknown. These specimens were examined and were determined to be conspecific with I. nelsoni based on details of the aedeagus, female subgenital plate and ova, which were examined using SEM (Figs. 23–25). With the synonymy of these species the range of I. nelsoni is extended northward to include locations in Hardy, Kanawha, and Tucker counties, West Virginia. Isoperla nelsoni occurs in pristine springs to medium–large streams from the Interior Low Plateau of south central Tennessee, east to the Blue Ridge in North Carolina and north to the Appalachian Plateau of West Virginia. Although uncommonly collected, I. nelsoni may be more common than records indicate given the wide range of habitats this species can occur.