Zelandoperla maungatuaensis, commonly known as the Maungatua stonefly, is a species of flightless stonefly so far known only from a single mountainside in Otago, New Zealand.
| Zelandoperla maungatuaensis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Plecoptera |
| Family: | Gripopterygidae |
| Genus: | Zelandoperla |
| Species: | Z. maungatuaensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Zelandoperla maungatuaensis Foster in Foster, McCulloch & Waters, 2019
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History
editThe species was first discovered in 2017 by Professor Jon Waters, below the summit of Mt Maungatua, a mountain which overlooks Dunedin Airport.[1] Researchers from the University of Otago returned to collect more, but only found nymphs, from which they were able to rear a single male to adulthood in the laboratory.[2][3] The species was formally described by PhD student Brodie Foster in 2019 following DNA analysis.[4][2]
Description
editAdult males of the species are 2 cm in length with a dark brown to black body.[4] Legs are striped with a yellow to light brown colour. Its wings are reduced and dark brown in colour with a small yellow spot.[2] Nymphs at the final instar stage are between 13.2 and 17.6 mm in length. They are thick-set with a finely serrated notum. No adult females of the species have yet been observed.[2]
Distribution
editThe Maungatua stonefly has only been found in subalpine streams along the eastern side of the Maungatua Range near Dunedin in Otago.[5][4][2] Its ancestors are thought to have been blown into the area around 2 million years ago, and the species since lost its wings in response to the cold and windy environment.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b McPhee, Elena (8 June 2019). "New stonefly species excites researchers". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
- ^ a b c d e Foster, Brodie J.; McCulloch, Graham A.; Waters, Jonathan M. (2019-06-05). "Zelandoperla maungatuaensis sp. n. (Plecoptera: Gripopterygidae), a new flightless stonefly species from Otago, New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 47 (2): 141–147. doi:10.1080/03014223.2019.1624266. ISSN 0301-4223. S2CID 201205114.
- ^ White, Rebekah (Jul–Aug 2019). "Living under a rock". New Zealand Geographic. 158.
- ^ a b c Deguara, Brittney (7 June 2019). "Zoologists discover 2 million-year-old insect species near Dunedin". Stuff. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
- ^ McCulloch, Graham A.; Dutoit, Ludovic; Kroos, Gracie C.; Waters, Jonathan M. (2022-04-25). "Genomics reveals exceptional phylogenetic diversity within a narrow-range flightless insect". Insect Systematics and Diversity. 6 (2): 5. doi:10.1093/isd/ixac009. ISSN 2399-3421.
External links
edit
Media related to Zelandoperla maungatuaensis at Wikimedia Commons
- The Maungatua stonefly discussed in RNZ Critter of the Week, 14 June 2019