Great Basin Naturalist Volume 57 Number 4 Article 1 10-31-1997 Mayfly fauna of New Mexico W. P. McCafferty Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana C. R. Lugo-Ortiz Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana G. Z. Jacobi New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, New Mexico Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn Recommended Citation McCafferty, W. P.; Lugo-Ortiz, C. R.; and Jacobi, G. Z. (1997) "Mayfly fauna of New Mexico," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 57 : No. 4 , Article 1. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol57/iss4/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. The Great Basin Naturalist PUBLISHED AT Pnovo, UTAH, BY BRIGHA:\1 YOUNG UNIVERSITY ISSN 0017-3614 VOLUME 57 31 OC'TOBER 1997 No.4 Great Basin Naturalist ,57(4), © 1987, pp. 28,3-314 MAYFLY FAUNA OF NEW MEXICO \\ZP McCaffertyl, GR. Lugo-Ortizl, and GZ. Jacobi2 AB.~WrRACT.-An inventory and analysis of the mayfly (Insecta, Ephemeroptera) hmna of New ~lcxico, based on the published literature and study of extensive materials from diverse collections, indicate the presence of 12 f~lmilies, 37 genera, and 81 species. Ofthese species, 25 represent new state records: Acentrella turbida, Ameletus falsus, A. sparsatus, Baelis adonis, B. hicaudatus, B. jlavislriga, Baetodes de./iciens, Caenis latipcnnis, Callibaetis jluctuans, Cinygmula par, Ephemera simulons, Hexagenia bilineata, IsoHychia sicca, Labiohaetis propinquus, Lachlania saskatchewanensis, Lepto­ phlehia bradleyi, Leucrocuta petersi, Neochoroterpes nanita, Pamleptophlehia debilis, P. hetemne(J, Procloeon conturha­ tum, Bhithrogena plana, R. rohusta, R. vitta, and Thratdodes gonzalesi. Baetodes deficiens represents a new USA record. For 37 ofthe 56 previously reported ,md confirmed species, 124 new county records are provided. With respect to conti­ nental affinities, :-;4 species are western, 27 southwestem, 13 widespread, 1 is a southern USA species, and 1 eastern. or the major drainage systems in the state, the Gila system is the most species rich with 48 species, followed hy the Rio Grande (46), Pecos (39), Canadian (28), and San Juan (2.'5). Relationships between drainage systems and between t\ew Mexico and broadly adjoining states are discllssed. Lachlania dencyannae, the only endemic species in New J'vlexieo, oecurs in the Gila system and is rare and endangered. Certain other species from the Gila system me also noted as being at risk. From other drainages, B. adonis, Ephemerella mollitia, and L petersi also are of some cuncern at the nationallevcl. Additional species that are rare in Ne',.v Mexivo and are of concern at least at the state level include AmetroTJus albrighti, C. fit/ctt/ans, II. bilineata, L. bradleyi, N. nanita, P cunturbatum, and R. hageni. [(ell words: E'phemeroptera, New Mexico, species inventory. The first report ofa mayfly fl'om New Mex­ mainly piecemeal. First reports ofspecies were ico was that of Ephernerella sp. by Needham contributed by 21 authors since the descrip­ (1905). which was taken trom the upper Pecos tion of R. undulata (Needham 1927, Traver River in San .Miguel County. This record later 19:35, Allen and Edmunds 1959, 1961, 1963, proved to be applicable to the common west­ 1965, Peters and Edmunds 1961, Koss 1966, ern mountain species Drunella grandis (Eaton). 1972, Allen 1968, 1978, Koss and Edmunds The next ,species was recorded when Banks 1970, Kilgore and Allen 1973, Allen and Chao (1924) descrihed Epeorus undulatus [now Rhith­ 1978a, 1978h, Morihara and McCafferty 1979a, ragena undulata (Banks)] from the Jemez River Pescador and Peters 1980, Allen and Murvosh in Sandoval County. The discovery ofadditional 1983, Kondratieff and Voshell 1984, Waltz and species of mayflies in New Mexico has been McCafferty 1987, Provonsha 1990, Hemy 1993, lDepilrtmenl of' Enlomology, I'LlrdLle University. W,,,t Lilbyetl", IN 47fKl7, 2E""imn",,,"hLl S"i"n"" and Mallag«",cnt, "I",," Mexim Highland, University, Las VCg:HS, NM 8770), 283 284 GREAT BASIN NATURALIST [Volume 57 Durfee and Kondratieff 1995, Lugo-Ortiz and whole with respect to faunal elements within McCafferty 1995c, Zloty 1996). Based on reports it. Importantly, our data have served as tl,e of these workers, 56 species of mayflies have bases for evaluating a number of New Mexico been known from New Mexico prior to this species that can now be seen to be at environ­ study. mental risk either within the state or nation­ Six species of mayflies were described orig­ ally. A fine account of the history of New Mex­ inally from New Mexico and thus have their ico's hydrologic setting, beginning with the type localities within the state. These species influences of the 12th-century pueblo-dwell­ are Ametropus albt'ighti Traver, Gloeodes macro­ ing Native Americans, can be found in The lameUu.> Waltz and McCafferty, Homoeoneuria Fishes of ew Mexico by Sublette et aI. (1990). alieni Pescador and Peters, Lochlania den­ cyannae Koss, Rhithrogena ,mdulata (Banks), STUDY AREA and Thraulodes bronneus Koss. Only L. den­ cyannae has proven to be endemic to New New Mexico (Fig. 1) is the 5th largest state Mexico. in the USA, covering some 195,685 km2. It OUf interests in the New Mexico mayfly possesses a diverse geologic and topographic fauna first developed in the mid-1960s when landscape, with elevations ranging from slightly one of us (WPM) became involved in exten­ less than 1050 m at Red Bluff Reservoir in the sive collecting excursions across the state with southeastern part ofthe state, where the Pecos Arwin Provonsha and Dick Koss. All of the River enters Texas, to over 4550 m at Wheeler material from those trips eventually came into Peak in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the possession ofWPM and Purdue University approximately 50 km south of the Colorado in the 1970s. Those collections and another border. Although New Mexico is the 3rd most collection made by WPM, Arwin Provonsha, arid state in the USA, it does receive 108,176 and Dan Bloodgood in the early 1980s have hectare meters ofwater annually either as pre­ contributed significantly to previous published cipitation or inflow (Harris 1984). There is sig­ revisionary studies of mayflies as well as the nificant precipitation in some higher elevations, present study. In the late 1970s another of us while lower elevations are typical of deserts (GZJ) became involved with the New Mexico (see Eisenhood 1979). For example, the eastern Environment Department and later joined the slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and faculty of New Mexico Highlands University. Jemez Mountains in the north central part of GZJ, his students, and colleagues have sampled the state receive over 180 cm of precipitation mayflies in New Mexico for several years, often per year. mainly as snow; Mount Taylor in the in association with various ecological studies. western sector, the Mogollon Mountains in the Another ofus (CRL) developed extensive exper­ southwestern sector, and the Sacramento Moun­ tise on the systematics of southwestern mayflies tains in the south central sector of the state while conducting research on the mayflies of receive 80-120 cm of precipitation; and south­ Mesoamerical and his familiarity with the Mex­ ern valleys such as the Rio Grande and Tula­ ican fauna has been invaluable in the assess­ rosa receive 40 cm or less, ment ofNew Mexico. Five major and 3 mioor drainage systems in The aforementioned collections of mayflies the southwestern USA have headwaters or along with materials loaned or donated to us near-headwater flow in New Mexico. An in­ from Brigham Young University, Colorado State depth treatment of these systems has been University, and the University of Utab have given by Suhlette et aI. (1990); howeve~ the provided a large body of material upon which following briefdiscussion will serve the imme­ we have based much of the present study. We diate purposes ofthis study. also review all published data relevant to the The Canadian River drainage system head­ New Mexico mayfly fauna, provide extensive waters are in the northern Sangre de Cristo new site records for those species previously Mountains. The Canadian River flows east­ known from New Mexico, and provide new ward through the Canadian Escarpment from state records for an additional 25 ''pecies. We the Las Vegas and Raton plateaus into the offer commentary on drainage distribution of northern panhandle ofTexas. In the same area each of the New Mexico species and synthe­ of New Mexico but north ofthe Canadian, the size all specific data and analyze the fauna as a Dry Cimarron River (not to be confused with 1997] NEW MEXICO MAYFLIES 285 I I I COL 0\ R ADO - - -'1<:---\--+-+ . , -- • .'. TA OS ,' , . COLFAX Sn/l JUlin <>,,#!, ,i. ~ ,- .... 1'--'" :e Jl:!heeler PIc. UNION SAN JUAN J RIO:.ARRIBA 1 0 \ Cimarron ~ -- • (j 1-' <\':" ~ ,. (D ~ ~. I.1- '_ a:- ,"'------c--- ".. ---..' "~,,.t(h,.,. I .,'(y' I , U : 7'l- ----, ------. ~l:G:J'=~.L._ ,'-,\'.,'<:l ..: ... ..."'11IO'" MORA l!I!;, G , .....Q' r:-'~- , " HA RDI N , .. I e .LOS, 1-.\11 __ ... ,L_ MCKI NLEY ... ·i·~..... : ~ l~~Lf s I ~~......... _------ ----\~ , ....v;~ (J 1 't-J,. '\ ,• ~\~ Concha~\ , •.• .{ I 4' \ , .....C;o~ ~: SANMIGuU:;E~L;.r ..... Res. '-I- '=\ ......,--r1. --_1_\I SANDOVAL ISANTAIIFE, " ..... __ J WeRt's. ~\--\---t---l : f- -- ---------r/ p..ivtt I \ \ BERNALI LLO 1- ..1 1 ~ $antaRosllRts. 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