Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica
The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
Stonefly Species Remenus kirchneri (Blue Ridge Springflies)
Species Range
Identification
Species ID from GBIFthe Global Biodiversity Information Facility
Source: Holomorphology And Systematics Of The Eastern Nearctic Stonefly Genus Remenus Ricker (Plecoptera: Perlodidae)
Diagnosis. Males of Remenus kirchneri are morphologically similar Remenus daniellae. Males possess a tongue-shaped epiproct in dorsal aspect, which is widest medially or near the basal ¼ and is dorsoventrally flattened. Whereas the epiproct of Remenus daniellae is clavate, is widest towards the apical ¼ and narrows posteriorly both in dorsal and lateral aspects. Additionally, the epiproct of Remenus daniellae typically possesses a short translucent tube at the apex, which Remenus kirchneri lacks. Furthermore, Remenus kirchneri generally has sensilla basiconica on tergum 9 and consistently has 12 – 20 sensilla basiconica on each hemitergal lobe. In contrast, Remenus daniellae generally lacks sensilla basiconica on tergum 9 and has <4 minute sensilla basiconica on each hemitergal lobe.
Females of Remenus kirchneri are most similar to Remenus daniellae. Separation of these species may require associated males. Generally, the subgenital plate of Remenus kirchneri is parallel sided basally, whereas in Remenus daniellae, the subgenital plate is typically convergent.
Mature larvae of Remenus kirchneri are separable from the other sympatric species, Remenus bilobatus, by the lack of long setae on the basal cercal segments. Remenus duffieldi also lacks long setae on the basal cercal segments, but it does not occur east of the French Broad River (Fig. 115).
Physical description
Most physical descriptions on Troutnut are direct or slightly edited quotes from the original scientific sources describing or updating the species, although there may be errors in copying them to this website. Such descriptions aren't always definitive, because species often turn out to be more variable than the original describers observed. In some cases, only a single specimen was described! However, they are useful starting points.
Description from GBIFthe Global Biodiversity Information Facility
Source: Holomorphology And Systematics Of The Eastern Nearctic Stonefly Genus Remenus Ricker (Plecoptera: Perlodidae)
(Figs. 1, 92 – 113) http: // lsid. speciesfile. org / urn: lsid: Plecoptera. speciesfile. org: TaxonName: 606Source: Holomorphology And Systematics Of The Eastern Nearctic Stonefly Genus Remenus Ricker (Plecoptera: Perlodidae)
Male. (Fig. 92). Macropterous; forewing length, 9.1 – 10.5 mm (n = 10) (Fig. 93). Body length, 8.2 – 10.2 mm (n = 10). General body color yellow-gold with light brown markings. Dorsum of head typical of genus (Fig. 94). Pronotum light brown, covered in regularly spaced setae, with pale, glabrous rugosities mediolaterally (Fig. 94); medial pale area slightly wider posteriorly (Fig. 94). Abdominal terga yellow-gold with darkened anterior margins; rarely with darkened lateral margins. Tergum 9 with or without mediolateral patches of 3 – 5 sensilla basiconica (Fig. 95). Hemitergal lobes short, not separated from 10 th tergum, with long trichoid sensilla and 12 – 20 sensilla basiconica on each lobe (Figs. 95 – 97). Epiproct length ~ 270 – 500 µm; width ~ 20 – 59 µm (n = 3); epiproct dorsoventrally flattened, tongue-shaped and lightly sclerotized (Figs. 95 - 96, 98 – 100); covered in dense, thick hair-like spinulae (Fig. 100); when produced forward, exceeding the anterior margin of the basal sclerite. Paragenital plates triangular (Figs. 95, 98). Basal cowl covered in dense lightly pigmented spinulae (Figs. 95 – 96).
Female. Macropterous; forewing length 10.0 – 11.9 mm (n = 10). Body length, 9.2 – 12.6 mm (n = 10). General color and morphology similar to the male. Abdominal terga pale, without darkened anterior or lateral margins. Subgenital plate broadly rounded (Fig. 101 – 102), occasionally with a shallow posteromedial emargination (Fig. 102), or broadly triangular (Fig. 103); lightly sclerotized, with regularly spaced setae, extending 1/2 – 4/5 over sternum 9; posterolateral margins convex; basolateral margins typically parallel; basolateral crease typically curved, concave posteriorly, extending ~ 1/4 length anteriorly into sternum 8 (Figs. 101 – 103).
Ovum. Shape typical of genus (Figs. 104 – 107). Length 438 – 460 µm; width 348 – 353 µm.
Larva. (Fig. 108). Body length 8.5 – 11.4 mm, (n = 10). Head (Fig. 109), lacinia (Fig. 110), mandibles (Fig. 111), and pronotum (Fig. 109) typical of genus. Mature male larva with a short terminal process (developing epiproct) with a constriction at the basal 1/3; apical 2/3 tapering to a narrowly rounded apex (Fig. 112). Basal cercal segments with whorls of short setae (Fig. 113).
Start a Discussion of Remenus kirchneri
References
- Jacobus, L. M., Wiersema, N.A., and Webb, J.M. 2014. Identification of Far Northern and Western North American Mayfly Larvae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera), North of Mexico; Version 2. Joint Aquatic Science meeting, Portland, OR. Unpublished workshop manual. 1-176.
Stonefly Species Remenus kirchneri (Blue Ridge Springflies)
Species Range
Common Name
Resources
- NatureServe
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility
- Described by Kondratieff, B.C. & Nelson, C.H. (1995) A review of the genus Remenus Ricker (Plecoptera: Perlodidae), with the description of two new species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 97, 596–602.