Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist Volume 1 Article 2 11-25-2002 Stoneflies (Plecoptera) of southern Utah with an updated checklist of Utah species Ronald G. Call Richard W. Baumann Brigham Young University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mwnan Recommended Citation Call, Ronald G. and Baumann, Richard W. (2002) "Stoneflies (Plecoptera) of southern Utah with an updated checklist of Utah species," Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 1 , Article 2. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mwnan/vol1/iss1/2 This Monograph 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 Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist 1, © 2002, pp. 65–89 STONEFLIES (PLECOPTERA) OF SOUTHERN UTAH WITH AN UPDATED CHECKLIST OF UTAH SPECIES Ronald G. Call1,4 and Richard W. Baumann2,3 ABSTRACT.—Southern Utah comprises 4 major physiographic divisions: the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, Central Rocky Mountains, and Southern Rocky Mountains, which have been partitioned into faunal regions. We discuss the uniqueness of southern Utah and the amount of land set aside for recreation and preservation, and we encourage the study and preservation of its water resources. The stonefly (Plecoptera) fauna of 13 counties in southern Utah was sur- veyed. We found 58 species representing 34 genera and 8 families. Three new state records for Utah and many new county records for southern Utah are presented, along with a discussion of distribution patterns and faunal affinities of each species. Distribution patterns indicate a historical connection between the Sevier River and the Colorado drainage and a separation of faunal areas within the Central Rocky Mountains at boundaries between the Wasatch Mountains, Wasatch Plateau, and the Southern High Plateau. The uniqueness of the isolated Abajo and LaSal Mountains, the Virgin River valley, and other faunal areas in southern Utah is presented. Key words: Plecoptera, stoneflies, aquatic insects, Utah, species inventory. Southern Utah is famous for its spectacular population growth. Washington County, in the outdoor scenery. The area has long been southwestern corner of the state, experienced appreciated and grows in popularity each year. the largest increase in population. St. George, Tourism in southern Utah is increasing, as are the largest city of Washington County, had the conservation efforts in the region. The designa- 2nd largest percentage population increase of tion of the 1.7-million-acre Grand Staircase– any city in the state for the past 6 years, over Escalante National Monument in southern 36% (Governor’s Office of Planning and Bud- Utah in 1997 (Maurer and Beath 1997) is per- get 1998). haps the greatest evidence of growing interest Utah is a treasure trove of natural beauty. in the preservation of the area. Greater under- Southern Utah contains all 5 of the state’s na- standing of southern Utah’s living resources is tional parks, 5 of its 7 national monuments, 4 of essential to wise management decisions in the the state’s 8 national forests, 1 national recre- face of increasing tourism and population ation area, 7 designated wilderness areas, and growth. 20 state parks (Utah Travel Council 1999). With Utah has the 2nd highest birth rate and the approximately 69% of its land federally owned 2nd lowest death rate of any state in the nation, (U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of which together contribute significantly to Land Management, Utah State Office 1997), Utah’s high population growth. With the addi- Utah ranks 2nd among states in amount of tion of a high rate of in-migration, Utah has federally owned land, next to Nevada, which one of the fastest growing populations of any lists 77% of its land as federally owned (U.S. state. Although currently about 77% of Utah’s Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land population lives along the Wasatch Mountain Management 1999). However, nearly 4.5% of Range in northern Utah, this condition is chang- Nevada’s land is federally managed under the ing. From 1980 to 1996, northern Utah, which Department of Defense (Nevada Division of includes the urban centers of the Wasatch State Lands 1995), while in Utah a higher per- Mountain Range, experienced an average annual centage of federal land is set aside as national population growth of 1.67%, while southern parks, national monuments, national recreation Utah experienced a 1.74% average annual areas, and national forests. Utah ranks highest 1Richfield High School, Richfield, UT 84701. 2Department of Integrative Biology, and Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602. 3Author to whom reprint requests should be sent. 4Present address: Madison High School, Rexburg, ID 83460. 65 66 MONOGRAPHS OF THE WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN NATURALIST [No. 1 among the continental states in the proportion such as stoneflies. Stoneflies typically inhabit of its land designated for public recreation and cool streams and rivers. They are excellent in- preservation. While it is true that more feder- dicators of changing water conditions and qual- ally owned land, over 50 million acres, is spec- ity and can aid in understanding the diversity ified for preservation and recreation in Alaska and uniqueness of areas. Information relative than in Utah, which has approximately 11.7 to stonefly species inhabiting the area may be million acres, nearly 9 million visits are made useful in helping determine which areas are to public recreation sites in Utah annually com- most critical to preserve and in making man- pared to approximately 2 million annual visits agement decisions involving the use of water in Alaska. Utah ranks 8th among the states for resources. number of annual visits to recreational sites The species composition and distribution of managed by the National Park Service (U.S. stoneflies in Utah is perhaps the best known Department of the Interior, National Park Ser- of any state in the western United States (Tan- vice 1998). Southern Utah, in particular, is ner 1940, Gaufin et al. 1966, Baumann 1975, unique. Nearly 7.7 million of approximately 30 Baumann et al. 1977). Previous knowledge of million acres of land in southern Utah is pub- Plecoptera in Utah is primarily the result of licly owned as national parks, national monu- the work of the late Arden R. Gaufin and his ments, national recreation areas, national forests, students at the University of Utah. In 1966, and state parks. That is over 25% of the area of Gaufin listed 71 species, 18 genera, and 5 fam- southern Utah (U.S. Department of the Inte- ilies of Plecoptera as occurring in Utah. Since rior, Bureau of Land Management, Utah State that time many subgenera have been raised to Office 1997; U.S. Department of the Interior, generic status, and several subfamilies have National Park Service 1998; Utah Travel Coun- been elevated to family status (Illies 1966). cil 1999). No other area in the country has The most recent publication providing a state such a large proportion of land allocated for list of species occurring in Utah listed 75 species preservation and recreation by both state and in 34 genera and 8 families (Baumann 1973). federal agencies. These facts are presented to New records were added in 1977, document- emphasize that Utah has both a large amount ing the occurrence in Utah of 77 stonefly spe- of land designated for recreation and preser- cies in 35 genera and 8 families (Baumann et vation and an increasing number of people al. 1977). Stanger and Baumann (1993) de- visiting these unique sites. Despite these facts, scribed a new species from the state, Surdick little research has been done regarding the (1995) included the description of a near chlor- biological components of the varied ecosys- operlid from southeastern Utah, and House- tems of southern Utah. man and Baumann (1997) recorded 5 species Arid conditions throughout southern Utah previously unrecorded from the state. place a premium on freshwater. Virtually all Most knowledge of stoneflies in Utah comes municipal waterworks systems in Utah tap from sites in the Central Rocky Mountain, groundwater resources through springs and Uintah Basin, Columbia Plateau, and Great wells. Expanding human population and agri- Basin areas in the northern part of the state culture will place even greater demands on (Gaufin et al. 1966, Baumann and Gaufin 1969, southern Utah’s freshwater supplies in the Baumann et al. 1977, Houseman and Baumann future, groundwater as well as streams and 1997). The southern Utah stonefly fauna is rivers. The city of St. George, southern Utah’s poorly known compared to that of northern largest city, already pays the highest price for Utah. This has resulted from the major univer- water in the state (Governor’s Office of Plan- sities in Utah all being located in the northern ning and Budget 1998). A large proportion of part of the state: University of Utah, Salt Lake precipitation in southern Utah is received in City; Brigham Young University, Provo; and the form of winter snows, which form the largest Utah State University, Logan. These 3 institu- freshwater reserve in the area (Harper et al. tions have all been instrumental in providing 1994). Because of the importance and relative researchers and facilities to house insect col- rarity of freshwater in this area, it is important lections. Consequently, due to both time and to gain a greater understanding of all aspects budget constraints, much more research has of the area’s aquatic resources. One method of been conducted in northern Utah than in south- gaining this insight is by studying aquatic insects ern Utah.