New taxa: 2012-2013

When we get into June, I feel like the annual EPT season is over.  Most things are hatching: well, most have already hatched.  Summer, to me, is a season all of its own.  So, it's time to sum up what we found this year for the first time, or, what we've identified to the level of species for the first time.  It's those insects that to me are "new" taxa: I'm not finding insects which no one has named.

What have we found?

I. Mayflies (Ephemeroptera)

1. A pronggilled mayfly -- new genus -- Leptophlebia.  I was hoping to find a mature nymph later on in the season so I could ID this to the level of species -- but it just didn't happen.  Upper Doyles River.

2. A new flatheaded mayfly, Leucrocuta juno (that species ID is a tentative one).  Headwater stream in Sugar Hollow.

3. And another flatheaded mayfly, Epeorus fragilis.  South River.

II. Stoneflies (Plecoptera)

1. Common stonefly, Agnetina annulipes.  Rivanna River.

2. Common stonefly, Paragnetina fumosa.  Buck Mt. Creek.

3. Perlodid stonefly, Isoperla davisi.  Buck Mt. Creek.

4. Perlodid stonefly, Isoperla orata.  Rapidan River.

5. Perlodid stonefly, Isoperla sp. (species not yet identified).  Upper Doyles, Buck Mt. Creek, and the Rapidan River.

III. Caddisflies (Trichoptera)

1. Free-living caddisfly larva, Rhyacophila fenestra/ledra.  Doyles River.

2. Long-horned caddisfly larva, Ceraclea maculata.  Buck Mt. Creek.

3. Humpless case-maker, Micrasema charonis.  Rapidan River.

4. Little mountain case-maker (Apataniidae), Apatania incerta.  Doyles River and Rapidan River.

5. Little northern case-maker (Uenoidae), Neophylax oligius.  Buck Mt. Creek, Doyles River.

6. Little northern case-maker, Neophylax consimilis.  Small mountain streams in Sugar Hollow and South River.

7. Little northern case-maker, Neophylax mitchelli.  Small mountain streams, Sugar Hollow.

8. Little northern case-maker, Neophylax aniqua.  Small mountain streams, Sugar Hollow.

IV.  Additional taxa, found by a friend in the high elevation stream on her land in Sugar Hollow.  (Her photos.)

1. A Nemourid stonefly, new genus, Soyedina.

2. And a new caeddisfly family, Goeridae, genus Goera.

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I no longer think that I'll reach the end of the line in finding new species.  When you look at the same insects over and over, your eye starts to pick up on new features, to notice when something is different.  Those are the insects to keep and examine.

Back to the water sometime soon.  We're waiting for streams to drop and clear after 6.5 inches of rain.