Sweltsa townesi (Ricker)

Lee, Jonathan J. & Baumann, Richard W., 2010, Studies On Sweltsa Townesi And A New Species, Sweltsa Salix, From Northern California (Plecoptera: Chloroperlidae), Illiesia 6 (4), pp. 34-40 : 35-37

Sweltsa townesi (Ricker)

( Figs. 1-8 )

Alloperla (Sweltsa) townesi Ricker 1952:184 . Holotype ♂, Dardanelle (Tuolumne Co.) California.

Material examined. CALIFORNIA: Alpine Co., West Fork Carson River, Hwy 88, Blue Lakes Road, 5 mi. NE Carson Pass, 12-VII-1995, R.L. Bottorff, 5♂, 2♀ (RLBC); West Fork Carson River, Hope Valley Campground, 21-VI-2006, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 5♂, 3♀ ( BYUC); West Fork Carson River, Kit Carson Campground, 21-VI-2006, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 19♂, 14♀ ( BYUC); West Fork Carson River, Hwy 88, Sorensens, 12-VII-1995, R.L. Bottorff, 1♂, 2♀ (RLBC); West Fork Carson River, Blue Lakes Road, Hope Valley, 5 mi. SW Sorensens, 27-VII-1995, R.L. Bottorff, 4♂, 5♀ (RLBC); Pleasant Valley Creek, SW Markleeville, 21-VI-2006, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 1♂, 6♀ ( BYUC); Willow Creek, 4 mi. N Sorensens, 27-VII-1995, R.L. Bottorff, 1♂, 4♀ (RLBC); Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Campground, 21-VI-2006, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 4♂, 3♀ ( BYUC). El Dorado Co., Silver Fork American River, 2 mi. N Kyburz, 1-VI-1990, Eichlin & Kinnee, 1♂ ( BYUC); Silver Fork American River, Silver Fork Campground, 19-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 6♂, 8♀ ( BYUC); North Fork Cosumnes River, Capps Crossing, 6 mi. E Grizzly Flat, 31-V- 1981, R.L. Bottorff, 2♂, 2♀ (RLBC); 18-VI-2009, Baumann, Kondratieff & Bottorff, 3♂, 16♀ ( BYUC); North Fork Cosumnes River, Meiss Ranch, 10 mi. E Grizzly Flat, 14-VII-1982, R.L. Bottorff, 5♂, 6♀ (RLBC); North Fork Cosumnes River, Sciaroni Crossing, 2 mi. N Grizzly Flat, 4-VI-1982, R.L. Bottorff, 5♂, 1♀ (RLBC); North Fork Cosumnes River, Sweeneys Crossing, 3 mi. E Somerset, 9-V- 1986, R.L. Bottorff, 1♂, 3♀ (RLBC); Steely Fork, Cosumnes River, near Grizzly Flat, 31-V-2000, Terry & Winkler, 8♂, 8♀ ( BYUC); Station Creek, NE Packsaddle Pass, 19-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 8♂, 4♀ ( BYUC); tributary, Silver Creek, Wrights Lake, 19-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 1♂, 2♀ ( BYUC); South Fork Silver Creek, Silver Creek Campground, 19-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 9♂, 13♀ ( BYUC). Nevada Co., Kiln Creek, Sagehen Creek Campground, 23-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 9♂, 5♀ ( BYUC); Prosser Creek, Hwy 89, N Truckee, 24-VI-2009, Baumann, Kondratieff & Szczytko, 1♂ ( BYUC); Rattlesnake Creek, Woodchuck Flat Campground, 22-VI-2009, Baumann, Kondratieff & Szczytko, 22♂, 15♀ ( BYUC); Sagehen Creek, Sagehen Creek Biological Station, 30-VI-1965, A.L. Sheldon, 10♂, 26♀ ( BYUC); 24-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 41♂, 25♀ ( BYUC); 19-VI-1985, R.W. Baumann & C. R. Nelson, 2♂, 2♀ ( BYUC); 23-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 43♂, 37♀ ( BYUC); (23-24)-VI-09, J.J. Lee, 12♂, 5♀ ( JJLC); Truckee River, above Truckee, 17-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 1♂, 1♀ ( BYUC). Mono Co., Browning Creek, Hwy 108, Leavitt Meadow Campground, 26- VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger and Clark, 10♂, 9♀ ( BYUC); West Fork Walker River, Hwy 108, Sonora Bridge Campground, 26-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 4♂, 2♀ ( BYUC). Placer Co., Bear Creek, Alpine Meadows, 24-VI-2009, Baumann, Kondratieff & Szczytko, 14♂, 15♀, ( BYUC); South Fork Bear Creek, near Lake Tahoe, 16-VII-2001, I. Chan, 1♀ ( BYUC); Blackwood Creek, W Kaspian, near Lake Tahoe, 19-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 9♂, 6♀ ( BYUC); Middle Martis Creek, Hwy 267, near Lake Tahoe, 24-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger and Clark, 2♂, 2♀ ( BYUC); Martis Creek, Hwy 267, south of Truckee, 24-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger and Clark, 1♀ ( BYUC); Onion Creek, Onion Creek Experimental Forest, 22-VI-2009, Baumann, Kondratieff & Szczytko, 4♂, 5♀ ( BYUC); Shirttail Creek, 18-V-1983, Baumann, Mower & Whiting, 3♂, 8♀ ( BYUC). Plumas Co., Benner Creek, Benner Creek Campground, 6 mi. N Chester, 25-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 3♂, 1♀ ( BYUC); Domingo Spring, Domingo Spring Campground, 8-VI-2004, R.W. Baumann & B.P. Stark, 1♂ ( BYUC); North Fork Feather River, Feather River Meadows, 25-V-2007, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 1♀ ( BYUC); Little Grizzly Creek, Hwy 112, SE Taylorsville, 30-V-1991, R.W. Baumann & B.P. Stark, 5♂, 1♀ ( BYUC); Mosquito Creek, jct. North Fork Feather River, 5 mi. S Caribou, 25-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 2♀ ( BYUC); Schneider Creek, University of California Forestry Camp, Meadow Valley, 2-VI-1984, C.A. Miles, 2♂, 2♀ ( BYUC); Warner Creek, Warner Creek Campground, 5 mi. NW Chester, 25-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 1♀ ( BYUC). Shasta Co., North Fork Battle Creek, Hwy 44, E Shingletown, 25-V-2007, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 1♂, 1♀ ( BYUC); Hat Creek, Hwy 89, Honn Campground, 25-V-2007, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 2♂ ( BYUC, CSUC); Hatchet Creek, Hwy 299, Moose Camp Road, 24-V-2007, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 9♂, 16♀ ( BYUC); Roaring Creek, Big Bend Road, N Wengler, 24-V-2007, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 9♂, 9♀ ( BYUC). Sierra Co., Cottonwood Creek, Cottonwood Creek Campground, 24-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 1♂ ( BYUC); South Branch Dog Creek, Dog Valley, 20-VI-2006, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 5♀ ( BYUC); 21-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 3♂, 5♀ ( BYUC); Indian Creek, Hwy 49, S Indian Hills, 17-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 7♀ ( BYUC); Little Truckee River, Hwy 89, S Sierraville, 24-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 1♂, 1♀ ( BYUC); North Yuba River, Hwy 49, near Yuba Pass, 24-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 8♂, 2♀ ( BYUC). Tehama Co., Battle Creek, Hwy 36, Battle Creek Campground, 30-V-1991, R.W. Baumann & B.P. Stark, 5♂ ( BYUC); North Fork Battle Creek, Hwy A-6, SW Shingletown, 26-IV-1987, Baumann, Stark, Nelson & Wells, 1♀ ( BYUC); South Fork Battle Creek, Hwy A- 6, SW Shingletown, 26-IV-1987, Baumann, Stark, Nelson & Wells, 1♀ ( BYUC); North Fork Deer Creek, Hwy 36, 2-VII-1975, D.G. Denning, 1♂, 1♀ ( BYUC). Tuolumne Co., Eagle Creek, Hwy 108, Dardanelle, 26-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 2♂, 4♀ ( BYUC); Niagara Creek, Hwy 108, Niagara Creek Campground, 26-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 1♂, 2♀ ( BYUC); Rush Creek, Rush Creek Campground, near Harden Flats, 27-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 1♀ ( BYUC); South Fork Stanislaus River, Hwy 108, Strawberry, 26-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 4♂, 4♀ ( BYUC); 4-VII- 1989, N.D. Penny, 1♂, 3♀ ( BYUC); stream, jct. Middle Fork Stanislaus River, Deadman Campground, 26-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 2♂ ( BYUC); stream, Hwy 108, Eureka Valley Campground, 26-VI-1980, Baumann, Stanger & Clark, 3♂ ( BYUC). NEVADA: Douglas Co., Genoa Creek, W Genoa, 16-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 11♂, 15♀. Washoe Co., creek, near Lake Tahoe, 5-VII-1947, C.P. Alexander, 2♀ (USNM); Galena Creek, Hwy 431, near Galena Summit, 20-VI-2006, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 13♂, 7♀ ( BYUC); Thomas Creek, Thomas Creek Trailhead, south of Reno, 16-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 23♂, 16♀ ( BYUC); Whites Creek, Whites Creek Trailhead, S Reno, 16-VI-2009, R.W. Baumann & B.C. Kondratieff, 42♂, 36♀ ( BYUC).

Male. General body color yellow with brown markings. Head yellow, ocellar rings dark brown; brown mark forward of anterior ocellus to frontal margin masking center of M line; brown behind eyes. Pronotum wider than long, yellow with dark brown margins and rugosities. Abdomen with dark brown median stripe from tergum 1 to the anterior half of tergum 8. Lateral brown marks anteriorly on at least segments 1-4; anteromedial transverse, anteriorly sclerotized, scalloped ridge on tergum 9, often with unevenly crenulate margin. Epiproct tip chocolate brown; in dorsal aspect ( Fig. 1 ) spatulate, ca. twice as long as greatest width; narrowing slightly from base then gradually widening to its greatest width at 2/3 length before narrowing to a bluntly pointed apex ( Fig. 2 ); narrow median groove running from base to near apex ( Figs. 1, 2, 5 ). In lateral aspect ( Figs. 3, 4 ) narrow at base with club shaped apex; dorsal margin nearly straight with slight dip where median groove terminates, before rising to a club-shaped apex; ventral margin nearly straight in basal 1/3, becoming declivent at ca. 45°, then recurved to apex. Aedeagus membranous ( Figs. 7, 8 ), tubular basally, expanded abruptly into thick, semicircular, plate-like process, with horn-like lateral extensions; dorsal margin bearing paired finger-like lobes medially, with an elongate covered orifice below the lobes ( Figs. 7, 8 ) much like Sweltsa exquisita (Frison) in Kondratieff and Baumann (2009) Figs. 8 , 9 .

Female. General body color and markings similar to male but median brown mark on tergum 8 mostly restricted to anterior margin. Subgenital plate roughly hexagonal ( Fig. 6 ), usually darker than surrounding sterna, hirsute, elevated anteriorly and centrally, posterior margin straight to slightly emarginate, extending at least ½ over sternum 9.

Distribution. Sweltsa townesi is well distributed in the heart of the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe. It extends northward to Tehama County and southward to the Yosemite region but does not cross to the east slope of the Sierra except near Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Sweltsa resima Surdick replaces S. townesi on the east slope of the Sierra Nevada near Mount Whitney and ranges east to the White Mountains and southwest to Sequoia National Park.

Figures

Figs. 1-8. Sweltsa townesi, male and female genitalia and aedeagus. 1. epiproct, dorsal, S F Stanislaus River, CA; 2. epiproct, apex, dorsal, S F Stanislaus River, CA; 3. epiproct, lateral, Galena Creek, NV; 4. epiproct, dorsolateral, S F Stanislaus River, CA; 5. epiproct, base, dorsal, S F Stanislaus River, CA; 6. female, subgenital plate, ventral, S F Stanislaus River, CA; 7. aedeagus, dorsal, Galena Creek, NV; 8. aedeagus, terminal, Galena Creek, NV.

Figs. 9-16. Sweltsa salix, male and female genitalia and aedeagus. Willow Creek, East Fork Willow Creek Campground, CA. 9. male terminalia, dorsal; 10. epiproct, apex, dorsal; 11. epiproct, dorsal; 12. epiproct, lateral; 13. epiproct, base, dorsal; 14. female, subgenital plate, ventral; 15. aedeagus, dorsal; 16. aedeagus, terminal.