Allocapnia menawa, Grubbs & Sheldon, 2008

Grubbs, Scott A. & Sheldon, Andrew L., 2008, Allocapnia Muskogee And A. Menawa, New Species Of Snowflies (Plecoptera: Capniidae) From The Talladega National Forest Region Of Eastern Alabama, U. S. A., Plus Four New State Records, Illiesia 4 (11), pp. 99-109 : 104-107

Allocapnia menawa sp. n.

( Figs. 25-32 )

Material examined. Holotype ♂ and paratype ♀, U.S.A., Alabama, Clay Co., tributary to Cheaha Creek, Talladega National Forest , 19 km N Ashland, 33.4397°N, 085.8387°W, 28 December 2007, S.A. Grubbs ( INHS). Additional paratypes: same but 14 ♂, 6 ♀ ( WKU); same but 4 December 2006, 1 ♂, A.L. Sheldon ( WKU).

Male. Body length 5.0–6.0 mm. Wings reaching from 5 th to the 7 th abdominal terga. Seventh abdominal terga unmodified. Dorsal process of 8 th terga elevated steeply above the abdominal plane ( Fig. 25 ); process generally flat or weakly convex in lateral view with paired, poorly-developed, subapical setose processes ( Figs. 26–28 ); process rugose, outer aspect broadly ushaped, inner aspect v-shaped, process lobes separated by shallow emargination anteriormedially ( Fig. 27–28 ). Apical limb of epiproct upper limb subequal in length of basal limb ( Fig. 25 ), markedly enlarged in distal half with slight subterminal emargination ( Fig. 29 ), expanded slightly medially in dorsal view, tip broadly rounded ( Figs. 30–31 ).

Female. Body length 6.0–7.0 mm. Wings reaching 8 th terga to beyond tip of abdomen. Eighth abdominal sterna darkly sclerotized medially, only slightly sclerotized laterally, terminating in saginate projection posteriorly; separated from 7 th sterna by membrane ( Fig. 32 ).

Etymology. The species name, used as a noun in apposition, honors Menawa of the Upper Creek Native Americans. Menawa was a Creek leader who was instrumental in opposing encroachment on Creek lands. The common name, Menawa snowfly, is proposed for this species ( Stark et al. 1998).

Diagnosis. Allocapnia menawa is a member of the A. granulata group ( Ross & Ricker 1971), which is currently comprised of seven species. Five species in particular, A. frisoni Ross & Ricker , A. granulata (Claassen) , A. peltoides Ross & Ricker , A. unzickeri Ross & Yamamoto and A. warreni Ross & Yamamoto , possess the subapical paired setose processes exhibited by A. menawa . The remaining two species in this group, A. fumosa Ross and A. simmonsi Kondratieff & Voshell , lack setose processes. Allocapnia menawa most closely resembles A. granulata , A. unzickeri , and A. warreni . The epiproct apical limb to basal limb ratio of 1X exhibited by A. menawa ( Fig. 25 ) is readily distinguished from A. unzickeri and A. warreni . Both A. unzickeri ( Fig. 33 ) and A. warreni ( Ross & Ricker 1971, Fig. 23 ) possess an epiproct apical limb that is noticeably longer than the basal limb and have slim profiles in lateral aspect. Although the epiproct of A. granulata varies considerably across its broad range ( Ross & Yamamoto 1967), the combination of the heavily enlarged epiproct apical limb and the dorsal process of the 8 th abdominal terga can differentiate A. menawa . The moderately enlarged apical limb of A. granulata depictedherefromsouthernKentucky ( Fig. 34 ) and western Pennsylvania ( Fig. 35 ) are typical of the central and northern populations with eastern genitalia described by Ross & Yamamoto (1967) yet not to the extent of A. menawa ( Figs. 25, 29 ). The rugose dorsal process of A. granulata bears lobes that vary in length but are well separated apically ( Figs. 37–38 ). In contrast, the dorsal process lobes of A. menawa are nearly convergent anteriomedially and appear triangular posteriorly ( Fig. 28 ). The lobes of A. granulata are broadly rounded posteriorly.

The females of A. menawa ( Fig. 32 ) and A. granulata ( Fig. 40 ) are very similar, and species recognition requires associated males. The female of A. unzickeri is easily distinguished from A. menawa since the 8 th abdominal sterna of the former species is either broadly truncate ( Fig. 39 ) or slightly concave. The female of A. warreni is unknown.

The geographic range of A. menawa is allopatric with A. granulata , A. unzickeri , and A. warreni . Allocapnia granulata has a broad geographical range in the eastern Nearctic region, recorded from Oklahoma north to Minnesota and Quebec and south to Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia ( Ross & Ricker 1971; Poulton & Stewart 1991; Kondratieff & Baumann 2000; Nations et al. 2007). Allocapnia granulata has also been collected from large streams flanking the Appalachian Mountains, yet does not extend to smaller, upland streams of the Talladega National Forest area. James (1972; Fig. 118) recorded this species only from two northeastern Alabama counties. Allocapnia unzickeri is distributed mainly within the Cumberland Plateau region in southern Tennessee and A. warreni is known only from northwestern Arkansas ( Poulton & Stewart, 1991).

Remarks. Allocapnia menawa has been collected only from the type locality, but is likely to be found from additional upland stream habitats in the Talladega National Forest area. Allocapnia aurora , A. muskogee n. sp., and A. recta were the only other stonefly species obtained with A. menawa .

Figures

Figs. 25–32.Allocapnia menawa. 25. Male terminalia, lateral, SEM micrograph, 150X, 26. Male terminalia, lateral, SEM micrograph, 500X, 27. Male terminalia, dorsal, SEM micrograph, 200X, 28. Male terminalia, dorsal, SEM micrograph, 500X, 29. Male terminalia, lateral, SEM micrograph, 500X, 30. Male terminalia, dorsal, SEM micrograph, 200X, 31. Male terminalia, dorsal, SEM micrograph, 500X, 32. Female terminalia, ventral.

Figs. 33–40. Allocapnia unzickeri (33, 36, 39: U.S.A., Tennessee, Marion Co., tributary to Sweeten Creek, 17 February 2007) and A. granulata (34, 37: U.S.A., Kentucky, Warren Co., Trammel Fork, Drakes Creek, 23 January 2000; 35, 38, 40: U.S.A, Pennsylvania, Mercer Co., Wolf Creek, 15 February 1999). 33. Male terminalia, lateral, SEM micrograph, 200X, 34. Male terminalia, lateral, SEM micrograph, 200X, 35. Male terminalia, lateral, SEM micrograph, 200X, 36. Male terminalia, dorsal, SEM micrograph, 500X, 37. Male terminalia, dorsal, SEM micrograph, 500X, 38. Male terminalia, dorsal, SEM micrograph, 500X, 39. Female terminalia, ventral, SEM micrograph, 150X, X. Female terminalia, ventral, SEM micrograph, 150X.

Figs. 17–24. Allocapnia mystica (17, 19, 21, 23: U.S.A., Indiana, Perry Co., East Deer Creek, 3 January 2000; 18, 20, 22, 24: U.S.A., Alabama, Lawrence Co., West Flint Creek, 27 December 2007). 17. Male terminalia, lateral, SEM micrograph, 200X, 18. Male terminalia, lateral, SEM micrograph, 200X, 19. Male terminalia, dorsal, SEM micrograph, 150X, 20. Male terminalia, dorsoanterior, SEM micrograph, 200X, 21. Male terminalia, dorsal, SEM micrograph, 200X, 22. Male terminalia, dorsal, SEM micrograph, 200X, 23. Male terminalia, dorsal, SEM micrograph, 750X, 24. Female terminalia, ventral, SEM micrograph, 150X.