Sierraperla cora (Needham & Smith)

Stark, Bill P., Kondratieff, Boris C., Sandberg, John B., Gill, Brian A., Verdone, Chris J. & Harrison, Audrey B., 2015, Sierraperla Jewett, 1954 (Plecoptera: Peltoperlidae), Distribution, Egg Morphology And Description Of A New Species, Illiesia 11 (2), pp. 8-22 : 11-15

Sierraperla cora (Needham & Smith)

( Figs. 1-16 , 33 )

Peltoperla cora Needham & Smith 1916:86 .

Holotype ♀ (Museum of Comparative Zoology), Reno , [Washoe Co.], Nevada

Peltoperla cora: Needham & Claassen, 1925:172 , in part Peltoperla (Yoraperla) cora: Ricker, 1952:156

Sierraperla cora: Jewett, 1954:170 . Partial larval description

Published Records: Adult Sierraperla examined in this study indicate S. cora is restricted primarily to the Sierra Nevada and Warner Mountains of eastern and northeastern California and potentially western Nevada in the Lake Tahoe area. Other populations in northwestern California and southern Oregon, except one population from Black Butte Spring near Weed, California, are referred to the new species, S. tolowa . The following list provides a summary of the previously published sites that we assign, at least tentatively, to S. cora . California: Jewett (1954) referred to “A nearly mature nymph…” collected by H.P. Chandler in Plumas Co. at Howells [Road?], 29 August 1946. Jewett (1960) gives apparently valid records from Colusa Co., (Paradise Creek), El Dorado Co., (Pyramid Ranger Station), Plumas Co., (2 sites, Howells, and tributaries of Smith Creek near Blairsden), Shasta Co., (2 sites, Hat Creek and Shingletown). Nelson & Stark (1987) list one site from Shasta County, and Stark et al. 2008 report collections from six Modoc Co. sites. Nevada: ( Needham & Smith 1916; Needham & Claassen 1925) both list the holotype female from Reno, collected in 1878 by Morrison.

Material Examined. California: Butte Co., Butte Creek, Cherry Hill Camp Ground , 9 miles NE Lomo, Hwy 32, 40.10221°N, 121.49911°W, 28 May 2007, J.B. Sandberg, D. Pickard, 1♀ ( JBSC) . Butte Creek, Humboldt Rd at Colby Creek and Willow Creek , 0.25 miles W Jonesville, 40.11111°N, 121.48543°W, 2 November 2007, J.B. Sandberg, D. Pickard, 1 larva ( JBSC) . Butte Creek, above jct Colby Creek, Humboldt Rd , 40.11138°N, 121.48526°W, 25 May 2014, B.C. Kondratieff, C. Verdone, 13♂ (4 reared), 2♀, 42 larvae ( CSUC) . Cascade Creek, Scout Road , 2.9 miles N Butte Meadows, 40.10772°N, 121.56308°W, 3 February 2007, J.B. Sandberg, A.B. Richards, 1 larva ( JBSC) . El Dorado Co., below Bendorf Spring, near Grizzly Flat , 14-24 May 1987, R.L. Bottorff, 2♂, 1♀, reared ( RLBC) . Bendorf Spring, near Grizzly Flat , 8 June 1987, R.L. Bottorff, 2♀, reared ( RLBC) . Mad Canyon Creek, 5 mi E Foresthills, Mosquito Ridge Rd , 16 May 1983, R.W. Baumann, R.C. Mower, 1♂, 1♀ ( BYUC) . Modoc Co., Middle Fork Fitzhugh Creek, CR 40N24, 41° 20’N, 120° 17’W, Warner Mountains , 22 May 2007, B.C. Kondratieff, R.W. Baumann, 5♂, 6♀, 6 exuviae, 5 larvae ( CSUC) . Rush Creek, Upper Rush Creek Campground , 24 May 2007, B.C. Kondratieff, R.W. Baumann, 3♂, 3♀, 5 exuviae, 1 larva ( CSUC) . South Fork Davis Creek , CR 30, 3.1 miles E Hwy 395, 21 May 1998, B. Stark, C.R. Nelson, S.W. Szczytko, I. Sivec, 2 larvae ( BPSC) . South Fork Davis Creek, Plum Valley Campground , CR 11, 23 May 2014, B.C. Kondratieff, J.B. Sandberg, C. Verdone, B. Stark, 4 larvae (95% EtOH) ( BPSC) , 3♂, 2♀ reared ( CSUC), 8 additional larvae ( CSUC), 1♂, 6♀ reared ( JBSC) , 1 larva (95% EtOH) ( JBSC) . Thoms Creek, Hwy 299, ~ 1 mi W Cedar Pass, 21 May 1998, B. Stark, C.R. Nelson, S.W. Szczytko, I. Sivec, 1 larva ( BPSC) . Same site, 41.56034°N, 120.29470°W, 23 May 2014, B.C. Kondratieff, J.B. Sandberg, C. Verdone, B. Stark, 11 larvae (95% EtOH) ( BPSC) . Same site Tributary to Joseph Creek , CR 118, 23 May 2007, B.C. Kondratieff, R.W. Baumann, 1 larva ( CSUC) . Plumas Co., Domingo Springs, Domingo Springs Campground , 8 mi NW Chester, 25 June 1980, R.W. Baumann, J. Stanger, 1♀ ( BYUC) . Domingo Springs, Old Red Bluff Road , 30 May 1991, B. Stark, R.W. Baumann, C. Henderson, 1♀ ( BPSC) . Domingo Springs, Feather River Road , 7 June 2004, B. Stark, R.W. Baumann, 1♂ ( BPSC) . Domingo Springs, 8 miles NW Chester, Old Red Bluff Road , 40.36093°N, 121.34669°W, 10 December 2006, J.B. Sandberg, D. Pickard, 1♀ ( JBSC) . Same site, 9 June 2007, J.B. Sandberg, A.B. Richards, 1♂, 1♀ ( JBSC) . Same site, 40° 21.672’N, 121° 20.842’W, 26 May 2014, B. Stark, A.B. Harrison, 1♂, 8 larvae (7 in 95% EtOH) ( BPSC) . Hopkins Creek , FR 8.1 miles NE Gibsonville, 39.76345°N, 120.83160°W, 21 August 2007, J.B. Sandberg, 1 larva ( JBSC) . Dolly Creek , 22 April 1992, A.W. Knight, 1 larva ( RLBC) . Shasta Co., Hat Creek near Honn Campground , Hwy 89, 6 July 1979, B. Stark, K.W. Stewart, 2 larvae ( BPSC) . Lost Creek, Hwy 89, 26 April 1987, B. Stark, R.W. Baumann, C.R. Nelson, 3 larvae ( BPSC) . Sierra Co., Big Spring, Hwy 49 near Bassetts , 21 June 2009, B. Stark, A.B. Harrison, K. Nye, 2♀ ( BPSC) . Same site, 20 June 2004, P.A. Opler, 1♂ ( CSUC) . Same site, 27 June 2003, P.A. Opler, 2♂ ( CSUC) . Big Spring, Hwy 49, 2.1 miles S Bassetts, 39.59659°N, 120.61075°W, 25 June 2009, J.B. Sandberg, S.W. Szczytko, 1♂, 1♀ ( JBSC) . Same site, 39˚ 35.795’ N, 120˚ 36.646’ W, 26 May 2014, B. Stark, A.B. Harrison, 1♀, 1 exuvium, 3 larvae (larvae in 95% EtOH) ( BPSC) . Siskiyou Co., Black Butte Spring nr. Weed , 41° 23.667’N, 122° 21.626’W, 23 May 2014, B. Stark, B.C. Kondratieff, J.B. Sandberg, C. Verdone, 3 larvae (95% EtOH) ( BPSC) .

Adult habitus. General color yellow-brown patterned with dark brown ( Figs. 13 , 33 ). Head mostly yellow brown, usually with an irregular narrow bar extending across median frons forward of ocelli and often with a narrow brown band extending between ocelli; occiput yellow-brown, sometimes with obscure dusky pigment; some specimens have more extensive dark pigment forward of ocelli. Pronotum with numerous irregular pale spots, some bearing small dark inclusions, particularly in median half of pronotum. Femora yellow-brown to brown, but sometimes slightly darker along dorsal margin; tibiae usually yellow-brown. Wing membrane brown with darker veins except along C and Sc ( Fig. 33 ).

Male. Forewing length 16-17 mm. Abdominal tergum 10 with extensive pale pigment surrounding epiproct sclerite; transverse anterior band brown but slightly paler at midlength ( Fig. 14 ). Epiproct sclerite variable but often with a welldefined triangular notch on anterior margin. Abdominal sternum 9 with a wide oval hammer. Ventral aspect of aedeagus a wide membranous bag without sclerites and bearing sparse thin setalspines on and adjacent to lateral and mesal lobes; lateral lobes near midlength not bifurcate; smaller mesal lobes triangular in outline and often project toward lateral lobes ( Fig. 15 ); apex bearing two pairs of closely appressed lobes, separated by a shallow notch.

Female. Forewing length 18-19 mm. Subgenital plate extends over ca. half of sternum 9; lateral margins broadly curved forming a parabolic plate with median apical notch ( Fig. 16 ).

Egg. Hemispherical in lateral aspect, polar aspects circular ( Fig. 9 ). Diameter (n = 12) ca. 364-403 μm. Collar a flattened disc covered with shallow pits and reticulations and surrounded by a narrow groove ( Fig. 9 ). Anchor flattened, membranous, ca. 212-235 μm in diameter (n = 5), and bearing clusters of globular bodies around outer margin. Lateral surface of egg covered with pits; micropyles located in an irregular ring nearer collar than anterior pole; orifices smaller in diameter than adjacent pits and surrounded by slightly raised, oval rims ( Fig. 10 ). Anterior surface completely covered with pits, surrounded by raised, follicle cell impression walls; walls smooth and of similar height and thickness on all sides; inner dimensions of pits relatively large giving FCIs an open appearance ( Figs. 1-8, 11-12 ).

Larva. Undescribed. The larval descriptions attributed to this species ( Stark & Stewart 1981, Stewart & Stark 1988; 2002) are assigned below to S. tolowa sp. n. Identification of the larva of S. cora is discussed in the diagnosis section of S. tolowa sp. n.

Figures

Figs. 1-6. Sierraperla cora eggs. 1. Anterior pole entire egg, Bendorf Spring, El Dorado Co., CA. 2. Detail of anterior pole, same location. 3. Anterior pole entire egg, Domingo Spring, Plumas Co., CA. 4. Detail of anterior pole, same location. 5. Anterior pole entire egg, Butte Creek, Butte Co., CA. 6. Detail of anterior pole, same location.

Figs. 7-12. Sierraperla cora eggs. 7. Anterior pole entire egg, Big Spring, near Bassetts, Sierra Co., CA. 8. Detail of anterior pole, same location. 9. Oblique lateral aspect entire egg with anchor intact, same location. 10. Detail lateral chorionic features, same location (M = micropyles). 11. Anterior pole entire egg, Upper Rush Creek, Modoc Co., CA. 12. Detail of anterior pole, same location.

Figs. 13-16. Sierraperla cora adult male and female structures. 13. Head and pronotum. 14. Male Terminalia, dorsal. 15. Male aedeagus, ventral. 16. Female terminalia, ventral.

Figs. 33-34. Sierraperla adult pigment patterns. 33. S. cora female. Big Springs, near Bassetts, Hwy 49, Sierra Co., CA. 34. S. tolowa male. Small waterfall into Patrick Creek, Patrick Creek Rd, Del Norte Co., CA.