PLECOPTERA OR STONEFLIES (INSECTA) OF INDIANA: DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF SPECIES

Stoneflies (Plecoptera) are indicators of water quality and have been lost in dramatic numbers from Midwest states, including Indiana. This study synthesizes over 5,000 specimen level records from museums and recent fieldwork to build a current species list, assess watershed level species richness, and calculate state level conservation assessments using NatureServe’s Conservation Rank Calculator. Results include 1,050 positive occurrence records that yielded 92 species. Among these is one recently described species, a new species not yet described, and three previously described species new to Indiana. We have also found additional locations for rare species and confirmed the presence of a few species thought to be extirpated. United States Geological Survey Hierarchical Unit Code scale 6 (HUC6) drainages with the highest species richness values were the Patoka-White (73 species), Lower Ohio-Salt (60 species), and the Wabash River (57 species). The other seven drainages produced from five to 28 species, being limited by low gradient streams due to lake plain landscapes and by stream nutrient enrichment from agriculture. Eleven species were rated as extirpated or presumed extirpated, leaving 81 extant species. Of these, 17 were rated as critically imperiled (S1), 26 imperiled (S2), 25 vulnerable (S3), while only 13 species were rated as secure (S4 & S5). Watersheds and specific streams were discussed for their ability to support individual species or rich assemblages.