Zealeuctra ukayodi Grubbs

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 : 37-39

Zealeuctra ukayodi Grubbs sp. n. Figs 8, 13

Description.

Male. Forewing length 6.5-7.0 mm; body length 5.0-5.5 mm. General body color brown.

Anterior portion of male abdominal tergal cleft is narrowly U-shaped, and rounded along the anterior terminus. The posterior portion is widest anteriorly with crenulations present along inner margins. Overall shape of cleft ranges from either V-shaped to somewhat sinuous (Figs 8 A–B, I). Epiproct base very broad and subquadrate in shape, narrowing to anteriorly-recurved and broadly tapering terminal spine, no accessory spine present (Figs 8 C–E). Subquadrate base varies in from rounded broadly to right angular in shape. No accessory spine or cusp present. Cerci sclerotized mainly along outer margin and bearing a small dorsomedial hump and a subapical, triangular sclerotized tooth (Figs 8 G–I). Length of vesicle ca. 1.5 × width.

Female. Forewing length 7.5-8.0 mm; body length 6.0-8.0 mm. General body color brown. Seventh sternum with a quadrate sclerotized region, convex posteriorly, and scarcely projecting over the anterior portion of the eighth sternum (Fig. 8I); posteromedial portion unpigmented and very slightly notched, bearing a lightly-pigmented lobe that is convex posteriorly (Figs 8F, I).

Nymph. Unknown.

Material examined.

Holotype ♂, in 95% ethyl alcohol, USA, Alabama, Jackson Co., Poplar Spring, 6 km SW Hytop, 34.8779, -86.1283, 19.II.2007, S.A. Grubbs (INHS). Paratypes: same as Holotype, 19.II.2007, S.A. Grubbs, 4♂, 7♀ (WKUC); same as Holotype but 16.III.2008, S.A. Grubbs, 13♂, 30♀ (INHS, WKUC). Tennessee: Cumberland Co., North Fork Elmore Creek, TN Rte. 298, 36.1037, -84.9414, 9.II.1998, B.C. Kondratieff and R.F. Kirchner, 2♂, 4♀ (CSUC); Grundy Co., tributary to Elk River, Rte. 50, 14 km N Monteagle, 35.3578, -85.8363, 12.II.2007, S.A. Grubbs, ♂, 2♀ (WKUC); Marion Co., tributary to Cross Creek, 17 km NW South Pittsburg, Franklin-Marion State Forest, 35.0847, -85.8673, 12.II.2007, S.A. Grubbs, ♂ (WKUC); tributary to Sweeten Creek, 15 km NW South Pittsburg, Franklin-Marion State Forest, 35.0827, -85.8391, 12.II.2007, S.A. Grubbs, 2♀ (WKUC); tributary to Sweeten Creek, 15 km NW South Pittsburg, Franklin-Marion State Forest, 35.0942, -85.8600, 8.II.2013, S.A. Grubbs, 3♂, 17♀ (WKUC); Cave Springs Creek, Franklin-Marion State Forest, 35.0764, -85.8427, 25.II.2007, A.L. Sheldon, ♂, ♀ (WKUC).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a Cherokee word for “dry”, a figurative reference to the temporary stream habitat characteristic of this species. Cherokee Native Americans formerly inhabited the southern Cumberland Plateau region.

Diagnosis.

The species is similar only to the cognate Zealeuctra talladega , and these two species can be separated mainly by characteristics of the male cleft. In Zealeuctra talladega , the cleft is highly sinuous or hourglass in shape and lacks the large crenulations along the inner margins. In Zealeuctra ukayodi , the cleft ranges from broadly V-shaped to somewhat sinuous, with large, conspicuous crenulations present along the inner margins of the posterior portion. Variation in the shape of the epiproct, namely the anterior quadrate or subquadrate shelf, overlaps between the two species. There is also a minute, medially-positioned hump present along the anterior, recurved portion of epiproct in Zealeuctra talladega (Figs 7 D–F) that is lacking entirely in Zealeuctra ukayodi (Figs 8 C–E). The fused subanal plates-anal probe of Zealeuctra talladega and Zealeuctra ukayodi appears to be highly similar in structure.

Remarks.

Zealeuctra ukayodi appears to be restricted to the southern portion of the Cumberland Plateau, known at present from central Tennessee south to the type locality in northeastern Alabama (Fig. 13). The range of only one other Zealeuctra species, Zealeuctra fraxina , extends south and eastward into the Cumberland Plateau region in northeastern Alabama ( Grubbs 2006). No other stonefly species have been collected at the type locality. Allocapnia unzickeri Ross & Yamamoto, Oemopteryx contorta (Needham & Claassen), and Taeniopteryx ugola Ricker & Ross have been obtained with Zealeuctra ukayodi at some of the paratype localities in Tennessee. The common name, Cumberland Needlefly, is proposed for this species ( Stark et al. 2012).