Alloperla stipitata Surdick, 2004

Blue Ridge Sallfly

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Plecoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:3654

(Figs. 23–30 & 40)

Alloperla stipitata Surdick, 2004:21 . Holotype male (USNM), small stream, north of Sherando Lake, Augusta Co., Virginia (examined)

Distribution. USA: VA (DeWalt et al. 2018)

Material examined. USA, Virginia, Bland Co., Kumberling Creek, Sulphur Springs Creek, 18 May 2017, B.C Kondratieff & C. Verdone, 3 males (CSUC) ; Botetourt Co., spring fed stream, Blue Ridge Parkway, 31 May 2016, B.C Kondratieff & C. Verdone, 1 male (CSUC) ; Greene Co., Fork Hollow, Ranger Station, nr. Simmons Gap, Shenandoah National Park, 3 June 2016, B.C Kondratieff & C. Verdone, 3 males (CSUC) ; Montgomery Co., Poverty Creek, Poverty Hollow, Rt 708, 0.5 miles from Rt 460, 17 June 1978, 1 male, B.C. Kondratieff (CHNC – A. biserrata paratype) .

Amended description – Male. Tergum 10 divided mesally by epiproct and reduced cowl into two hemitergal lobes; lobes bearing dense matting of long setae (Figs. 23–24). Epiproct length (L) 150 µm, maximum width (MW) 62 µm, L:MW ratio = 2.4. In dorsal view the epiproct is widest in medial ½, tapering both anteriorly and distally (Figs. 23–24). The dorsal surface is covered by a dense matting of long hairs except for the anterior 1/5, which is entirely bare (Figs. 23–26). The apical notch is subtriangular and extends anteriorly and ventrally as a groove between paired, serrated apical margins (Figs. 25–28); 5 distinct teeth are present (Figs. 29–30); the serrated apex is linear ventrally (Figs. 29–30). In lateral view the epiproct is broadest medially (Fig. 29). The stem is slightly longer than the serrated apex and covered by a dense matting of long hairs except for a narrow bare band laterally near the hinge (Fig. 29). The lateral portion of the serrated apex is bare except for a single line of 5–6 hairs plus a few additional accessory hairs (Fig. 30).

Adult males (and females) are pale yellow in alcohol. The head lacks any darkened markings. The pronotum has a continuous pale yellow margin and the medial 75% of the segment is only slightly darker.

Comments. Alloperla stipitata is known only from Virginia (Fig. 40), with many recent locality records provided by Dr. Boris Kondratieff (CSUIC) as by-catch specimens to three species studied in detail in Verdone & Kondratieff (2017). This species may be distributed further northward along the Blue Ridge Mountains through Maryland to southern Pennsylvania.