Zealeuctra cherokee Stark & Stewart

Grubbs, Scott A., Kondratieff, Boris C., Stark, Bill P. & DeWalt, R. Edward, 2013, A review of the Nearctic genus Zealeuctra Ricker (Plecoptera, Leuctridae), with the description of a new species from the Cumberland Plateau region of eastern North America, ZooKeys 344, pp. 17-47 : 21-22

Zealeuctra cherokee Stark & Stewart Figs 2, 14

Zealeuctra cherokee Stark & Stewart, 1973: 192. Holotype ♂ (USNM), 2 mi W Vian, Sequoyah Co., Oklahoma

Description.

Male - abdominal tergal cleft. Anterior portion U-shaped and very broadly rounded, posterior portion narrowing distally to a pair of medial projections, the terminal projection larger, subtruncate, and thumb-like, the subterminal projection smaller and subtriangular (Fig. 2A). Crenulations absent from inner margins of cleft.

Male - epiproct. Broad at base, extending posteriorly along one plane then extended abruptly and dorsally at a ca. 90 degree angle (Fig. 2B), spine tip slightly recurved anteriorly. No accessory spine or cusp present.

Female - 7th sternum. Seventh sternum with a small, subtriangular lobe nested in a distinct central notch (Fig. 2C).

Material examined.

USA, Arkansas: Perry Co., Greathouse Creek, Hwy 216, 3 mi NE Thornburg, 34.9574, -92.7545, 7.IV.1984, B.C. Poulton, ♂ (CSUC); Sebastian Co., tributary to Sugar Creek, 5 mi SW Hartford, 17.II.1985, B.C. Poulton, ♂, ♀ (BYUC). Oklahoma: Adair Co., 9 mi S Stillwell, Hwy 59, 35.6917, -94.6691, 20.II.1972, B.P. Stark, 4♂, 5♀ (Paratypes, BPSC).

Distribution.

USA: AR, OK ( DeWalt et al. 2012)

Remarks.

The cleft and epiproct spine of the male of this species are very similar to that of Zealeuctra narfi . The major difference for Zealeuctra cherokee is the presence of the posterior thickening along the recurved portion of the epiproct spine, and additionally, the subtruncate terminal medial processes at the posterior end of the cleft. The ranges of these two species broadly overlap in Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma (Fig. 14; Poulton and Stewart 1991).