Zealeuctra hitei Ricker & Ross

Grubbs, Scott A., Kondratieff, Boris C., Stark, Bill P. & DeWalt, R. Edward, 2013, A review of the Nearctic genus Zealeuctra Ricker (Plecoptera, Leuctridae), with the description of a new species from the Cumberland Plateau region of eastern North America, ZooKeys 344, pp. 17-47 : 30-32

Zealeuctra hitei Ricker & Ross Figs 5, 11

Zealeuctra hitei Ricker & Ross, 1969: 1118. Holotype ♂ (INHS), 3 mi S Johnson City, Blanco Co., Texas

Description.

Male - abdominal tergal cleft. Anterior portion nearly identical to Zealeuctra claasseni , with slight inward medial swelling but no apparent crenulations along inner margins (Fig. 5A). Posterior portion slightly more U-shaped with paired medially-projected processes, the terminal projection larger, convex, and thumb-like, the subterminal projection smaller and subtriangular.

Male - epiproct. Base slender and triangular, narrowing to anteriorly-recurved and tapering terminal spine, no accessory spine present (Fig. 5B). A small “step” (sensu Ricker and Ross 1969) demarks the base from the tapering spine. No accessory spine or cusp present.

Female - 7th sternum. Seventh sternum with a small, subtriangular lobe nested in a scarcely-concave central notch (Fig. 5C). Posterior margin essentially straight.

Material examined.

USA, Texas: Coryell Co., Cowhouse Creek, Hwy 116 N of Copperas Cove, 31.2861, -97.8840, 21.XII.1969, K.W. Stewart, 2♂, ♀ (BPSC); Gillespie Co., stream at base of Summit Trail, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, 30.4964, -98.8214, 19.I.1998, C.R. Nelson, 62♂, 23♀ (BYUC); Hays Co., Barton Creek, Hwy 12, N of Dripping Springs, 30.2380, -98.0665, 14.III.1993, R.W. Baumann and B.C. Kondratieff, ♂, ♀ (BYUC); small creek, 123 Rabbit Road, 11.IV.1992, S. Stringer, 2♂, ♀ (BYUC); Kimble Co., Sycamore Creek, Segovia, 30.4225, -99.6671, 14.XII.1989, B.C. Kondratieff and J.L. Welch, 3♂, 7♀ (CSUC); Travis Co., Barton Creek, Austin, near jct Lost Creek Blvd, 30.2739, -97.8449, 6.III.1997, C.R. Nelson, 2, 3 (BYUC).

Distribution.

USA: TX ( DeWalt et al. 2012)

Remarks.

The form of the cleft of this species is nearly identical to Zealeuctra claasseni , and the epiproct is essentially a narrower form of that exhibited by Zealeuctra claasseni . Ricker and Ross (1969, their fig. 28) speculated that these two species share a common ancestor.