EOS EcOlOgy | www.eosecology.co.nz Rungaperla longicauda | page 1 of 3

E C O L O G Y

Identification Key to Campbell Island Freshwater InvertebratesMcMurtrie, Sinton & Winterbourn (2014)

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Plecoptera

Family: Griptopterygidae

Genus: Rungaperla

Specific name: longicauda

Common name: stonefly

Original combination: Apteryoperla longicauda Illies, 1963

Distinguishing Features

• Larvaearemoderatelyflattenedwithprominentthoraciclegs(Fig.1).

• Antennaelong(Fig.1).

• Twofilamentouscerci(tails)whichareaboutaslongasthelast6

abdominalsegments(Fig.1).

• Arosetteofanalgillsispresentbetweenthebasesofthecerci(Fig.1).

• Larvaecanbeupto24mmlong.

Comments

A second species Rungaperla campbelli (Illies)issemi-terrestrial,

livingindamphabitatsbutnotunderwater(Illies,1963).

NeverthelessitwasfoundinstreamsamplesbyJoy&Death(2000).

Its cerci are much shorter than those of R. longicauda(i.e.,about

aslongasthelasttwoabdominalsegments)andthegillsare

rudimentary.MaximumlengthofR. campbellilarvaeisabout20mm.

Original Description

The following is a direct excerpt from Illies (1963) for Apteryoperla longicauda, including figure:

Lengthofbody:Maleca.20mm;femaleca.22-24mm

Onlyknowninlarvalstage.SimilartoA. campbellin.sp.inthecolour

pattern,butdistinctlydifferentinlengthofcerci,sizeofbody,and

otherdetailsaswellasinthebionomics.Bodybrownishordarkgrey.

ColourpatternoftheabdominalnotasimilartothoseofA. campbelli

n.sp.,buttheyellowstripesaresmaller,shorter,andlessdistinct.On

thetenthtergit,fourblackspotsinasemi-circlesurroundalightspot

onthefrontmarginofthesegment(seefig7a).

FIgure 1. rungaperla longicauda whole animal

Rungaperla longicauda(Illies,1963)INFORMATION SHEET

Thecerciremarkablywelldeveloped,aslongasthelastsix

abdominalsegments(5-6mm),consistingofabout35segments.

Gillfilamentsratherlongandnumerous(seefig7b).mouthpartsas

showninfig7c,d.Thetipofthelastsegmentofthemaxillarypalp

isdistinctlylight.

cerci

anal gills

EOS EcOlOgy | www.eosecology.co.nz Rungaperla longicauda | page 2 of 3

Biogeographic Information

Presence/absenceonstreams,tarns,andaseepagesampledonCampbellIsland. DistributionmapbasedonsurveysundertakenbyEOSEcologyduringthe2010–11CampbellIslandBicentennialExpedition (www.campbellisland.org.nz).Distributiondata©EOSEcology,2013.

EOS EcOlOgy | www.eosecology.co.nz Rungaperla longicauda | page 3 of 3

ACKNOWLeDgeMeNTS–ThecreationoftheLucidKeyandinformationsheetsweresupportedbytheTFBIS(TerristrialandFreshwaterBiodiversityInformationSystem)FundadministeredbytheDepartmentofConservation(TFBISContractNo.278),andbyEOSEcology.InvertebratespecimenswerecollectedbyEOSEcologyduringthe2010–11CampbellIslandBicentennialExpedition(CIBE),madepossiblebythe50ºSouthTrust.

references & Further reading

Illies,J.1963.ThePlecopteraoftheAucklandandCampbellIslands.

Records of the Dominion Museum4:255–265.

Illies,J.1964.InsectsofCampbellIsland.Plecoptera.Pacific Islands

Monograph7:208–215.

Illies,J.1974.ArthropodaofthesubantarcticislandsofNew

Zealand5.Plecoptera.New Zealand Journal of Zoology 1:

285–294.

Joy,M.K.&Death,R.G.2000.Streaminvertebratecommunitiesof

CampbellIsland.Hydrobiologia439:115–124.

McLellan,I.D.1977.NewalpineandsouthernPlecopterafrom

NewZealand,andaclassificationoftheGripopterygidae.New

Zealand Journal of Zoology4:119–147.

How to Cite this Information Sheet

McMurtrie,S.A.,Sinton,A.M.R.,&Winterbourn,M.J.2014.LucidIdentificationKeytoCampbellIslandFreshwaterInverterbrates:Rungaperla longicaudainformationsheet.EOSEcology,

Christchurch,NewZealand.NewZealand.