ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Illiesia Jahr/Year: 2017 Band/Volume: 13 Autor(en)/Author(s): DeWalt R. Edward, Snyder Elise D. Artikel/Article: Plecoptera of Crane Hollow Nature Reserve, Ohio, comparison to similar efforts 70-81 DeWalt, R. Edward and Elise D. Snyder. 2017. Plecoptera of Crane Hollow Nature Preserve, Ohio, comparison to similar efforts. Illiesia, 13(06):70-81. https://doi.org/10.25031/2017/13.06 http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F21C9155-B536-46EF-B8F2-F9B539C3334F PLECOPTERA OF CRANE HOLLOW NATURE PRESERVE, OHIO, COMPARISON TO SIMILAR EFFORTS R. Edward DeWalt1 and Elise D. Snyder2 1 University of Illinois, Prairie Research Institute, Illinois Natural History Survey, 1816 S Oak St., Champaign, IL, 61820. U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected] 2 University of Illinois, Department of Entomology, 505 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL, 61801. U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT A nearly 800 specimen collection of stoneflies from Crane Hollow Nature Preserve (CNHP) in Hocking County, Ohio was examined. These samples revealed a rich assemblage of 41 species, 40% of the species known from the state and 57% of the species known to occur in the lower Scioto River drainage. Species represented by the greatest abundance coincided well with those that were represented by the greatest number of sampling events. Of seven similar studies CHNP had substantially higher richness than all but Powdermill Preserve of southwestern Pennsylvania with 51 species. Assemblages varied greatly such that the average Jaccard dissimilarity between locations was 76%. Additional species are predicted for the CHNP. The value of aggregating literature and specimen data for comparative analyses is discussed as a way to place results of current biomonitoring and ecological studies into historical context. Keywords: Plecoptera, Ohio, species assemblages, creeping baselines INTRODUCTION latter study also reported 102 species, though some The first statewide compilation of Ohio turnover in composition was reported. stoneflies found that 102 species were present in the Crane Hollow Nature Preserve (CHNP, state and that several landscape level features http://cranehollow.org/research.html) is a private, governed the distribution of species richness but state protected, nature preserve with restricted (DeWalt et al. 2012). A more recent study (DeWalt access (Fig. 1). This 769 hectare (1900 acre) preserve et al. 2016a) compiled all literature reporting is located in Hocking County within mixed stoneflies occurring in Ohio, mapped all species, hardwood and coniferous forest in a series of presented a phenology of adult presence, and sandstone ravines. All streams draining the summarized stream size usage for all species. The preserve are tributaries to Pine Creek of the lower Illiesia – http://illiesia.speciesfile.org Volume 13 – Number 6 – Page 70 DeWalt, R. Edward and Elise D. Snyder. 2017. Plecoptera of Crane Hollow Nature Preserve, Ohio, comparison to similar efforts. Illiesia, 13(06):70-81. https://doi.org/10.25031/2017/13.06 Fig. 1. Location of Crane Hollow Nature Preserve, Hocking County, Ohio. Inset is outline of Ohio. Scioto River drainage. The preserve is contained Coovert left behind field notes detailing his within the Allegheny Plateau physiographic area collecting efforts. Specimens resulting from his that provided access for Appalachian Mountain work were accompanied by labels with dates and fauna to disperse into the state. The preserve is field notebook numbers only, so linking of field located within the richest area for stonefly species in notebook numbers to collecting events was key to Ohio (DeWalt et al. 2016a). associating locality, date, and collection method During the work that led to the DeWalt et al. information with specimens. Coovert's methods (2016a) paper, all stonefly specimens resulting from collected only adult specimens. a decade-long insect survey within CHNP were Though most specimen data presented here are made available to the authors. This constituted just contained within DeWalt et al. (2016b), we felt it over 800 specimens, resulting from the efforts of Dr. prudent to conduct a more fine-scaled analysis, Gary A. Coovert who was employed by CHNP to given the 13 year collecting effort and the essentially conduct an all taxa biotic inventory (ATBI). This undisturbed nature of Crane Hollow. We survey began in 2002 and continued through 2015. accomplished several objectives with these Illiesia – http://illiesia.speciesfile.org Volume 13 – Number 6 – Page 71 DeWalt, R. Edward and Elise D. Snyder. 2017. Plecoptera of Crane Hollow Nature Preserve, Ohio, comparison to similar efforts. Illiesia, 13(06):70-81. https://doi.org/10.25031/2017/13.06 specimens. streams also occurred, though this often resulted in 1. Identified all specimens to the highest long transects that were difficult to georeference. taxonomic resolution possible. Those collecting event locations that could not be 2. Linked field notebook numbers found with georeferenced to a specific location were given the specimens to Coovert field notes. generalized coordinates for the middle of the 3. Compiled a species list for the preserve. preserve. Collecting occurred during all seasons of 4. Examined the frequency of stonefly collection the year. While these methods provided a events by year and month. description of what species were present in the area, 5. Examined the distribution of species with they rarely permitted association of species with families. particular streams. 6. Assessed the relative abundance and Data Analysis. The raw specimen data were frequency of occurrence of species within the exported from our INHS Insect Collection database data set. to an Excel spreadsheet. Eight additional records 7. Compared species richness of CHNP to other were exported from the Midwest Plecoptera similar efforts in the region. Database resulting from specimens loaned to RED from the Monte L. Bean Museum at Brigham Young All specimens were returned to Crane Hollow University (BYU). From these data we compiled a Nature Preserve, 18038 SR-374, Rockbridge, Ohio, stonefly species list for CHNP. This list was 43149. The preserve has tentative plans to donate compared against Grubbs et al. (2013), a list of rare their entire collection to Ohio University, Athens, stoneflies for Ohio based on the DeWalt et al. (2012) Ohio, creating a regional research collection, though data, to determine what proportion of CHNP this has not yet occurred. Loans in the near future stonefly species were rare. The distribution of may be arranged by contacting the preserve species within families for CHNP was compiled administrator through the preserve website. from the species list. To demonstrate the distribution of collecting MATERIALS AND METHODS effort, the number of unique collecting events was Collecting Methods. Stoneflies were collected for generated for months across all years, and within the CHNP ATBI between June 27, 2002 and May 9, years in the data set. The relative abundance and 2015. We digitized Coovert's field notes, normalized frequency of collection of each species within CHNP the data, and imported the location, date, and was estimated using modified rank abundance method fields into our Illinois Natural History curves constructed from the total number of Survey (INHS) Insect Collection database, thereby specimens and the number of unique collecting linking event data with the specimens. All CHNP events for each species. specimens were digitized using an INHS catalog We compared the number of species and number to represent the record. Coovert used assemblage composition with several similar several qualitative collecting techniques that sampling efforts that have occurred within the targeted adult insects. Malaise traps were placed at Midwest. Species lists were compiled from Grubbs several locations and checked approximately (1996) at Powdermill Preserve, Westmoreland weekly. Overnight UV light traps were used on a County, southwestern Pennsylvania, Fishbeck more sporadic basis at many locations, usually on (1987) at Gray's Run, Mahoning County, eastern plateaus above ravines. These two methods yielded Ohio, Tkac (1979) for a complex of tributaries of the locations that could be georeferenced, the East Fork Chagrin River in Stebbins Gulch, Lake coordinates sometimes provided by Coovert. At County, northeast Ohio, Narf & Hilsenhoff (1974) at other times text descriptions were specific enough Otter Creek in Sauk County, southern Wisconsin, to produce coordinates using ACME Mapper 2.1 Masteller (1983) at Sixmile Creek, Erie County, (http://mapper.acme.com/). Sweep netting near northwestern Pennsylvania, Frison (1935) Illiesia – http://illiesia.speciesfile.org Volume 13 – Number 6 – Page 72 DeWalt, R. Edward and Elise D. Snyder. 2017. Plecoptera of Crane Hollow Nature Preserve, Ohio, comparison to similar efforts. Illiesia, 13(06):70-81. https://doi.org/10.25031/2017/13.06 Table 1. Plecoptera species list for Crane Hollow Nature Preserve, Hocking County, Rockbridge, Ohio. *Those species considered rare by Grubbs et al. (2013). **A recently discovered rare species (DeWalt et al 2016a). Capniidae Amphinemura varshava (Ricker, 1952) Allocapnia frisoni (Ross & Ricker, 1964)* Ostrocerca albidipennis (Walker, 1852) Allocapnia illinoensis (Frison, 1935)* Ostrocerca truncata (Claassen, 1923) Allocapnia nivicola (Fitch, 1847) Prostoia similis (Hagen,