Isopera holochlora dark-form A Biologist’s Handbook For the Identification of Stonefly Nymphs With Standard Taxonomic Effort Levels Steven R. Beaty Biological Assessment Branch Division of Water Resources North Carolina Department of Environment Quality The PLECOPTERA of North Carolina A Biologist’s Handbook for the Identification of Stonefly Nymphs with Standard Taxonomic Effort Levels Steven R. Beaty Version 4.0 22 December 2015 North Carolina Department of Environment Quality Division of Water Resources Biological Assessment Branch 4401 Reedy Creek Rd Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 Suggested Citation Beaty, S. R. 2015. The Plecoptera of North Carolina: A Biologist’s Handbook for the Identification of Stonefly Nymphs with Standard Taxonomic Effort Levels. Version 4.0. North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Resources, Biological Assessment Branch. Raleigh, North Carolina. iv + 91 pp. Cover: Mitchell River, Alleghany County, North Carolina Copies of this document are available at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/ess/bau Disclaimer: This manual contains taxonomic information which is often of a dynamic nature. The descriptions and the data on the following pages may change without warning as data becomes available and as the systematics of the Plecoptera is revised or corrected. Every attempt is made to keep information up to date with current trends in stonefly research with periodic revisions. However, due to resource allocations, changes to this manual may not proceed in a timely manner. Acknowledgements This manual would not exist if not for the early efforts of former BAU supervisor Trish McPherson to get her biologists on the same page. The taxonomic, field, and mental prowess of current BAB benthic biologists Eric Fleek, Victor Holland, Michael Walters, and Larry Eaton, was instrumental in obtaining and validating data and providing rigor to the descriptions provided herein. Former BAB biologists Tracy Morman, Deirdre Black, Bill Crouch, Blair Prusha, Larry Ausley, Richard Thorp, Cathy Tyndall, and Dave Penrose collected and identified much of the material utilized in this manual. For field sampling and sample processing, including the digging out of old specimens, the efforts of Mike Turner, Matt Stillwell, Michelle Simonson, and Michael Shepard are appreciated. Mark Hale deserves special mention for providing database and GIS assistance for difficult and unwieldy datasets. Also I thank the many systematic and stonefly experts that have weighed in on this manual, or earlier versions, either by providing verifications, additional taxonomic characters for identification, taxonomic and locational data, comments, specimens, or rearing advice: Boris Kondratieff, Bill P. Stark, Stan Szczytko, and John Sandberg. Much of the information contained in this document would remain a mystery if not for the myriad number of stonefly workers across the world who provided the foundation and the keystones to the body of Plecoptera work that currently exists and on which this manual was based. Lastly, many records and specimens for taxa contained in this manual (and for some the only records and specimens known) as well as valuable comments were provided by Dave Lenat, former BAB aquatic biologist, creator of North Carolina’s Biotic Index. CONTENTS Families and genera of Plecoptera known to occur in North Carolina. A name in ( ) indicates that the NC DWR Biological Assessment Branch has no nymphal records for that genus. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................................ 1 E U H O L O G N A T H A Family CAPNIIDAE ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Genus Allocapnia ............................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Genus Nemocapnia......................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Genus Paracapnia ............................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Family LEUCTRIDAE ................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Genus Leuctra ............................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Genus Megaleuctra........................................................................................................................................................................ 11 (Genus Paraleuctra) ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Family NEMOURIDAE ................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Genus Amphinemura ................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Genus Ostrocerca .......................................................................................................................................................................... 14 (Genus Paranemoura) ................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Genus Prostoia .............................................................................................................................................................................. 16 Genus Shipsa ................................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Genus Soyedina ............................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Genus Zapada ............................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Family TAENIOPTERYGIDAE .................................................................................................................................................. 20 Genus Bolotoperla ........................................................................................................................................................................ 21 (Genus Oemopteryx) .................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Genus Strophopteryx .................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Genus Taenionema ....................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Genus Taeniopteryx ...................................................................................................................................................................... 24 S Y S T E L L O G N A T H A Family CHLOROPERLIDAE ....................................................................................................................................................... 26 Genus Alloperla ............................................................................................................................................................................ 27 Genus Haploperla ......................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Genus Rasvena .............................................................................................................................................................................. 29 Genus Suwallia .............................................................................................................................................................................. 30 Genus Sweltsa ................................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Family PELTOPERLIDAE ............................................................................................................................................................ 32 (Genus Peltoperla) ........................................................................................................................................................................ 33 Genus Tallaperla ........................................................................................................................................................................... 33 Genus