''Ironoquia plattensis'', the Platte River caddisfly, is a species of
caddisfly in the family
Limnephilidae __NOTOC__
Limnephilidae is a family of caddisflies with about 100 genera. They belong to the main lineage of case-constructing caddisflies, the Integripalpia or tube-case caddisflies. The Limnephilidae is one of the most species-rich Trichoptera f ...
. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
.
[NatureServe 2017]
''Ironoquia plattensis''.
NatureServe Explorer Version 7.1. Accessed 1 September 2017. This species was first described to science in 2000.
[Alexander, K. D. and Whiles, M. R. 2000. A new species of ''Ironoquia'' (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) from an intermittent slough of the Central Nebraska Platte River, Nebraska. ''Entomol News'' 111(1) 1–7.]
This caddisfly was described from its habitat on the
Platte River in central Nebraska.
[Harner, M. J. and Geluso, K. 2012]
Effects of cattle grazing on Platte River caddisflies (''Ironoquia plattensis'') in central Nebraska.
''Freshwater Science'' 31:2 389-94. Its
type locality is near
Grand Island.
[Vivian, L. A., et al. 2013]
Current known range of the Platte River caddisfly, ''Ironoquia plattensis'', and genetic variability among populations from three Nebraska Rivers.
''Journal of insect conservation'' 17(5), 885-95. It lives in
sloughs
A slough ( or ) is a wetland, usually a swamp or shallow lake, often a backwater to a larger body of water. Water tends to be stagnant or may flow slowly on a seasonal basis.
In North America, "slough" may refer to a side-channel from or feedi ...
, where it proceeds through its life cycle in a relatively small patch of habitat. The larva moves from aquatic to terrestrial locations in the spring,
aestivates through the summer, and
pupates in autumn. This process occurs when the wetlands become dry during the warmer months, experiencing reduced and intermittent water flows.
[ In September and October the adults take flight and produce eggs.][
Initial studies found the species to be abundant at its type locality, but its distribution was thought to be very limited. Further surveys located the species at more sites, and following a 12-month assessment, the ]United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...
in 2012 determined the Platte River caddisfly was not suited to be listed as an endangered species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
. The agency conducted more than 100 surveys and found the insect at 35 sites across a large part of Nebraska, many of which appear to be free from threats.indicator species
A bioindicator is any species (an indicator species) or group of species whose function, population, or status can reveal the qualitative status of the environment. The most common indicator species are animals. For example, copepods and other sma ...
, one that occurs in pristine local wetland habitat and disappears once that habitat becomes degraded and loses its defining qualities.[ The insect is not found in parts of its range where the Platte River has been channelized and diverted to canals to provide irrigation, for example. This diversion eliminates warm-water sloughs from the sides of the river, changing the local ecology in such a way that the insect cannot persist.][ Other changes to the Platte River in this area include regulation of water flow, conversion of riparian meadows to agricultural fields, and depletion of the aquifer associated with the river.][ Initial studies of agricultural land along the river suggest that high-intensity livestock grazing may degrade wetland vegetation and grazing sites should be rotated to allow more natural cycles.][
In ecological surveys of the area, other animal species observed include fish such as the ]plains topminnow
The plains topminnow (''Fundulus sciadicus'') is a species of freshwater topminnow found in North America. The fish has a small range within the United States of America which consists of two major populations.
Description
The plains topminnow ...
(''Fundulus sciadicus''), brassy minnow
The brassy minnow (''Hybognathus hankinsoni'') is a species of fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. The family Cyprinidae consists of mainly freshwater minnows and carps.
The fish gets its scientific name (''Hybognathus hankinsoni'') from th ...
(''Hybognathus hankinsoni''), fathead minnow
Fathead minnow (''Pimephales promelas''), also known as fathead or tuffy, is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the genus ''Pimephales'' of the cyprinid family. The natural geographic range extends throughout much of North Ameri ...
(''Pimephales promelas''), and Iowa darter
''Etheostoma exile'', the Iowa darter, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is, along with about 17 ot ...
(''Etheostoma exile''), and amphibians such as the plains leopard frog
The Plains leopard frog (''Lithobates blairi'') is a spotted frog found in North America. It is sometimes referred to as Blair's leopard frog, named after the noted zoology, zoologist and University of Texas professor, Dr. W. Frank Blair.
Descri ...
(''Lithobates blairi''), western chorus frog (''Pseudacris triseriata''), and Woodhouse's toad
Woodhouse's toad (''Anaxyrus woodhousii'') is a medium-sized () true toad native to the United States and Mexico. There are three recognized subspecies. ''A. woodhousii'' tends to hybridize with '' Anaxyrus americanus'' where their ranges overlap ...
(''Anaxyrus woodhousii''). The caddisfly and many other aquatic, semiaquatic, and terrestrial insects are food for such fauna; the Platte River caddisfly is a common food source for the brook stickleback
}
The brook stickleback (''Culaea inconstans'') is a small freshwater fish that is distributed across the US and Canada. It grows to a length of about 2 inches. It occupies the northern part of the eastern United States, as well as the sout ...
(''Culaea inconstans'').[Cavallaro, M., et al. 2015]
Aquatic vertebrate predation threats to the Platte River caddisfly (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae).
''Florida entomologist'' 98(1), 152-56.
See also
* Salt Creek tiger beetle
The Salt Creek tiger beetle (''Cicindela nevadica lincolniana'') is a critically endangered subspecies of tiger beetle endemic to the saline wetlands of northern Lancaster County, Nebraska, adjacent to and immediately to the north of the city o ...
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2253843
Integripalpia
Fauna of Nebraska
Insects described in 2000