Leuctra tenella Provancher 1878

Broad-lobed Needlefly

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Plecoptera .specie sfile.org:TaxonName:460049

(Figs. 19–22)

Leuctra tenella Provancher 1878:126 . No type designation, vicinity of Quebec City

Leuctra tenuis Provancher 1876:218 . Not L. tenuis Pictet

Leuctra hamula Claassen 1923:261 . Syn. Ricker 1952 Leuctra hamula: Needham and Claassen 1925:229 Leuctra (Leuctra) tenella: Ricker 1952:171. Lectotype ♂ designated.

Leuctra tenella: Illies 1966:109

Male. The 7th abdominal dorsal process bears a simple, broadly-subtriangular lobe (Fig. 19); subtle anterolateral lobes present on some specimens. The specilla are broad basally, overall shape subtriangular and bearing prominent, laterallydirected tubercles distally (Figs. 20–22). The subanal lobes are subequal in length to the specilla; near uniformly-narrow through length, tapering little but recurved anteriorly in the distal half, especially at tips (Figs. 21–22).

Material examined. Canada, New Brunswick, Carleton Co., Gibson Creek, Hwy 105, Northampton, 15 June 1993, R. W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 1♂ (BYUC) ; Kent Co., South Fork, Coal Branch River, Hwy 126, Coal Branch, 12 June 1998, R. W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 1♂ (BYUC) . USA, Maryland, Frederick Co., tributary to Tuscarora Creek, 39.5601, -77.4827, 3 June 1997, S.A. Grubbs, 7♂, 2♀ (WKUC) ; Garrett Co., Black Lick Run, Savage River State Forest, 39.6098, - 79.0827, 17 May 1995, S.A. Grubbs, 1♂ (WKUC) ; Poplar Lick Run, Poplar Lick ORV Trail, Savage River State Forest, 39.6124, -79.1494, 24 May 1996, S.A. Grubbs, 4♂ (WKUC) . New Hampshire, Grafton Co., headwaters, Hubbard Brook, at road, 25 June 1974, S.B. Fiance, 17♂ (BYUC) . New York, Oswego Co., Little Sandy Creek, Hwy. 13, east of Lacona, 17 June 1997, R. W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 12♂, 8♀ (BYUC) . North Carolina, Haywood Co., tributary to Flat Laurel Creek, Little Sam Trail, Pisgah National Forest, 35.3167, - 82.8918, 22 July 2015, A.L. Sheldon, 2♂ (WKUC) ; tributary to Flat Laurel Creek, Pisgah National Forest, 35.3230, -82.8982, 22 July 2015, A.L. Sheldon, 1♂ (WKUC) ; Flat Laurel Creek, Pisgah National Forest, 35.3244, -82.8960, 22 July 2015, A.L. Sheldon, 1♂ (WKUC) ; Macon Co., Wine Spring Creek, Nantahala National Forest, 35.8791, - 83.5979, 28 May 2014, A.L. Sheldon, 1♂ (WKUC) . Ohio, Hocking Co., tributary to Pine Creek, Hocking State Forest, 39.4468, -82.5850, 26 May 2010, S.A. Grubbs, 2♂ (WKUC) . Pennsylvania, Bedford Co., Bear Gap Run, 7 km ESE Centerville, Buchanan State Forest, 39.8111, -78.5669, 14 May 1999, S.A. Grubbs, 1♂ (WKUC) ; Westmoreland Co., spring into Powdermill Run, Powdermill Nature Reserve, 3 June 1993, S.A. Grubbs, 24♂, 24♀ (WKUC) . Vermont, Lamoille Co., Big Spring, Hwy 108, south of Smugglers Notch, 15 July 1998, R. W. Baumann, 3♂ (BYUC) . Virginia, Giles Co., Big Stony Creek, Hwy 635, 24 May 1990, S.W. Szczytko, 1♂, 1♀ (BYUC) . West Virginia, Tucker Co., seep below Watershed 3, Fernow Experimental Forest, 2 June 1991, S.A. Grubbs, 2♂ (WKUC) .

Distribution. Canada: LB, NB, NS, ON, PQ. USA: CT, MA, MD, ME, MN, NJ, NY, OH, PA, WI, WV (DeWalt et al. 2015), NC, NH, VA, VT (new state records).

Remarks. The dorsal abdominal process of this species is most similar to L. carolinensis . The specilla of L. tenella are distally truncate (Figs. 21– 22) compared to the distally-subtriangular tips of L. carolinensis (Figs. 4, 7, 9). The subanal lobes of L. tenella are sharply-recurved at the tips (Figs. 21–22), contrasting with the gradually-recurved lobes in the distal half on L. carolinensis (Figs. 4, 6‒9).