''Thaumatoperla alpina'' is a
species of
stonefly
Plecoptera is an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. Stoneflies are believed to be one of the mo ...
in the
genus ''
Thaumatoperla
''Thaumatoperla'' is a genus of insect in the family Eustheniidae
Eustheniidae is a family of insects in the order Plecoptera, the stoneflies. They are native to Australia, New Zealand, and Chile.Zwick, P. (1979)Revision of the stonefly famil ...
'',
[Burns, A.N., & Neboiss, A. 1957, ‘Two new species of Plecoptera from Victoria’, Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, vol. 212, pp. 91-242.] and are the largest Australian stonefly.
[McKay, S., Bryce, C. & Papas, P. 2005, Impacts of fire on the distribution of a predatory stonefly (Eustheniidae: Thaumatoperla alpina) in the Bogong alpine region. Freshwater Ecology, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Technical Report Series (155), Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne; La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria.] They are endemic to the
Bogong High Plains area of the Victorian alps, Australia.
[Mynott, J.H. 2016, Surveying the threatened species Thaumatoperla alpina across the Bogong High Plains. Final Report prepared for the Department of Land, Water and Planning by The Murray–Darling Freshwater Research Centre (117/2016), retrieved from .]
Description
Large insect, females 36–44 mm (excluding antennae and cerci), males generally smaller.
As adult: Two pairs of wide, black membranous wings, the posterior wings having a dark-blue iridescence.
Head and legs black. The
prothorax is large, oval-shaped and orange and with a distinct black marking in the centre of the pronotum. The cylindrical abdomen is slightly flattened dorsally and pale yellowish-grey with black markings.
Two large black cerci and two long black antennae.
They are incapable of flight.
Distribution
''Thaumatoperla alpina'' are endemic to the
Bogong High Plains of the Victorian alpine area in south-eastern Australia.
Genetic analyses indicate that there are three sub-populations separated by the three main catchments: West Kiewa, East Kiewa and Mitta Mitta.
Habitat
''T. alpina'' inhabit alpine riparian heathland. Nymphs live in the hyporheic zone of mountain streams.
Where introduced
rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are absent, ''T. alpina'' nymphs are the top-level stream predators.
[Bryce, C.L. 2001, Predatory stoneflies (Plecoptera: Eustheniidae) of the Bogong High Plains, Victoria: systematics, distribution, ecology and conservation. Honours Thesis. November 2001. La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria.]
Life history
''T. alpina'' spend approximately three years as nymphs.
They emerge as adults in January - April.
Etymology
From Latin ''Alpinus'', referring to their alpine habitat.
Conservation Status
Listed as Threatened under the
EPBC Act 1999
The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Environment of Australia, Australian environment, including ...
and
Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988
The ''Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988'', also known as the ''FFG Act'', is an act of the Victorian Government designed to protect species, genetic material and habitats, to prevent extinction and allow maximum genetic diversity within the Au ...
. Classified as
Endangered by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
References
Aquatic insects
Plecoptera
{{Plecoptera-stub