Zelandoperla Explained

Zelandoperla is a genus of ‘long-tailed’ stoneflies endemic to New Zealand, placed within Southern Hemisphere family Gripopterygidae.^[1]

Zelandoperla species occur in high-gradient, stoney streams throughout New Zealand, where they feed predominantly on biofilms.^[1]

The currently recognised species are:

• Zelandoperla agnetis (McLellan 1967)
• Zelandoperla decorata (Tillyard 1923)
• Zelandoperla denticulata (McLellan 1967)
• Zelandoperla fenestrata (Tillyard 1923)
• Zelandoperla maungatuaensis (Foster, McCulloch & Waters 2019)

Two additional described species (Zelandoperla pennulata; Zelandoperla tillyardi) are now considered to be ecotypes of the polymorphic Z. fenestrata.^{[2] [3]}

Notes and References

1. McLellan . Ian . A revision of Zelandoperla Tillyard (Plecoptera: Gripopterygidae: Zelandoperlinae) . New Zealand Journal of Zoology . 1999 . 26 . 3 . 199–219 . 10.1080/03014223.1999.9518190.
2. McCulloch . Graham . Foster . Brodie . Dutoit . Ludovic . Harrop . Thomas . Guhlin . Joseph . Dearden . Peter . Waters . Jonathan . Genomics Reveals Widespread Ecological Speciation in Flightless Insects . Systematic Biology . 2021 . 70 . 5 . 863–876 . 10.1093/sysbio/syaa094. 33346837 .
3. Foster . Brodie . McCulloch . Graham . Foster . Yasmin . Kroos . Gracie . King . Tania . Waters . Jonathan . ebony underpins Batesian mimicry in melanic stoneflies . Molecular Ecology . 2023 . 32 . 18 . 4986–4998 . 10.1111/mec.17085. free . 37503654 . 2023MolEc..32.4986F .