Claudioperla tigrina (Klapálek)

Stark, Bill P., Kondratieff, Boris C. & Gill, Brian, 2012, Notes On Claudioperla Tigrina (Klapálek) In Ecuador (Plecoptera: Gripopterygidae), Illiesia 8 (14), pp. 141-146 : 143-145

Claudioperla tigrina (Klapálek)

( Figs. 1-9 )

Gripopteryx tigrina Klapálek 1904:11 .

Holotype ♂ (Hamburg), Callonga, Republic of Peru, apparently lost (Froehlich, i.l.)

Gripopteryx enderleini Froehlich 1960:4 .

Holotype ♂ (California Academy of Sciences), 60 km N Puno , Republic of Peru, missing (Lee, i.l.), syn. Illies, 1963

Material examined. Republic of Ecuador: Chimborazo Province, near La Magdalena, 10,425 feet, 11 May 1976, Langley, 1 larva (USNM). Cotopaxi Province, 34 km W Pujili, 3650 m, 15 January 1978, P.J. Spangler, J. Anderson, 1 larva (USNM). Napo Province, 4 km W Papallacta, 3220 m, 18 January 1978, P.J. Spangler, J. Anderson, 1♂, 1 larva (USNM). Napo Province, 12.11 km NW Papallacta, Hwy E20, 3900 m, 17 January 2012, B.C. Kondratieff, B. Gill, 1♂ (CSUC). Napo Province, 2.73 km SW Papallacta, Hwy E20, 25 January 2012, 3296 m, B.C. Kondratieff, B. Gill, 3♂, 3♀ (CSUC). Napo Province, Jatunhuayen Stream, E Volcán Antisana, 3911 m, 28 January 2012, B.C. Kondratieff, B. Gill, 17♂, 3♀ (CSUC). Napo Province, Micahuayon Stream, 3982 m, 27 January 2012, B.C. Kondratieff, B. Gill, 3♂, 2♀ (CSUC). Napo Province, spring, Humboldt Home near Volcán Antisana, 28 January 2012, B.C. Kondratieff, B. Gill, 9♂, 9♀ (CSUC). Napo Province, tributary Oyacachi River, ca. 2.4 miles W Oyacachi, 25 February 2012, B. Gill, 16♂, 8♀ (CSUC). Napo Province, tributary Rio Oyacachi, about 2.5 miles E Oyacachi, 25 February 2012, B. Gill, 1♀ (CSUC). Napo Province, tributary Río Papallacta, park road between Papallacta and Oyacachi, 4 mi N Papallacta, 6 March 2012, B. Gill, 1♀ (CSUC). Napo Province, tributary Río Papallacta, park road between Papallacta and Oyacachi, 3.6 miles N Papallacta, 6 March 2012, B. Gill, 1♂, 1♀. Napo Province, tributary Río Papallacta, park road between Papallacta and Oyacachi, 3.5 miles N Papallacta, 20 January 2012, B.C. Kondratieff, B. Gill, 1♂ (CSUC). Napo Province, Paso de Guamani, stream in Paramo E of Quito, 12,500’, 19 May 1982, H. Frania, 2♀ (ROM). Pichincha Province, 20.5 km E Pifo, 3700 m, 26-28 September 1990, O.S. Flint, 2♂, 2♀ (USNM). Pichincha Province, 7 km E Pifo, 2950 m, 26-28 September 1990, O.S. Flint, 12 larvae (USNM). Pichincha Province, 41 km E Quito, 11,250 feet, 15 May 1975, Spangler, Langley, Cohen, 1♀ (USNM).

Male. Forewing length 7-9 mm. Forewings patterned with diffuse brown spots. Tergum 10 terminal process ca. 300 μm long, narrow at base (ca. 310 μm), wider subapically (ca. 380 μm) and narrowed at the apex; apex of process almost truncate with lateral margins forming a blunt thorn-like, downturned point ( Figs. 1-2, 4 , 7-9 ). Epiproct curved upward forming a U-shaped configuration, sclerotized along anterior margin, ca. 33 μm wide at apex, and membranous along posterior margin and apex; projecting portion with a narrow subapical notch visible in lateral aspect; anterior margin with ca. 4 inconspicuous teeth clustered near apex and ca. 3 smaller ones set on a low mound proximal to apex ( Figs. 3-4 , 6 ). Paraprocts scythe shaped, darkly sclerotized along dorsal margin; apex bluntly rounded ( Figs. 1, 4 ).

Female. Forewing length 11 mm. Subgenital plate covers most of sternum 9; posterior margin slightly emarginate mesally ( Fig. 5 ). Paraprocts typically straight at apex, but twisted in one specimen.

Comments. Males from our material are similar to C. tigrina ( Froehlich 1960, as G. enderleini ) but the epiproct in lateral aspect is truncate at the apex, notched subapically and armed along the anterior margin with a few small teeth. These features are apparent in Figs. 3-4 , drawn from light microscopy, however it was difficult to obtain clear evidence of these teeth in the SEM images ( Fig. 6 ). The process of tergum 10 is less constricted at the base, and bears a narrow tab-like apex without the apparent concavity shown in Froehlich’s (1960) figure; the process appears shorter and more expanded subapically than the structure illustrated by Klapálek (1904). These subtleties require the examination of specimens from throughout the reported range of Claudioperla before these populations can be considered specifically distinct. One female from 41 km E Quito appears distinct by virtue of twisted paraproct apices, but this may represent individual variation.

Claudioperla specimens are now known from 22 Ecuadorian localities representing the provinces of Azuay, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Napo and Pichincha. All sites where the elevation is known are at 2,900 m or higher, and enter the Río Esmeraldas drainage basin, or headwaters of Río Quijo which enter the Río Amazonas basin. Adult specimens are typically collected from shrubby páramo vegetation and grasses adjacent to stream riffles ( Figs. 10-13 ). Often adults are found deep among both dead and live plants, or in sheltered areas under the stream bank close to the water surface. Adults of Claudioperla are easily collected using a beating sheet, but are apparently not attracted to light traps ( Zúñiga et al. 2009).

Figures

Figs. 1-5. Claudioperla tigrina genitalic structures. 1. Male terminalia, dorsal. 2. Male process of tergum 10, dorsal. 3. Male epiproct, lateral. 4. Male terminalia, lateral. 5. Female terminalia, ventral.

Figs. 6-9. Scanning electron micrographs of Claudioperla tigrina male genitalic structures. 6. Epiproct, lateral, apex concealed, paraprocts removed. 7. Tergum 10 process, dorsal. 8. Tergum 10 process, lateral. 9. Apex of tergum 10 process, caudal.

Figs. 10-13. Claudioperla habitat, Republic of Ecuador, Napo Province. 10. Tributary of Oyacachi River, Hwy E20, 2.4 miles W Oyacachi, - 0.385893°, -78.143530°, February 2012. 11. Tributary of Papallacta River, Hwy E20, 12.11 km NW Papallacta, - 0.346555°, - 78.199776°, January 2012. 12. Tributary of Papallacta River, Park road 3.5 miles N of Papallacta, - 0.332655°, - 78.147178°, January 2012. 13. General features of area near Volcán Antisana where collections were made in 2012.