5/21/2015  |   15:30 - 15:45   |  102DE

FIRST RECORD OF A SKATING CRANE FLY: THE ECOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, AND TAXONOMY OF THE ENIGMATIC PHANTOLABIS LACUSTRIS (ALEXANDER, 1938) (DIPTERA: TIPULIDAE) In 2003, large numbers of pupal exuviae and adults of an unusual crane fly were collected from a trout stream in southern Minnesota (USA). The identity of this species was Phantolabis lacustris (Alexander, 1938), a tipulid for which the immature stages and biology was unknown. Study of the morphology, ecology, and behavior of this unusual tipulid revealed that P. lacustris is the first record of a skating crane fly and several morphological characteristics can be attributed to this behavior. The skating behavior of this tipulid is likely related to its emergence in late winter and early spring. A review of material from biomonitoring and ecological studies and in museum collections indicated that P. lacustris has a broad distribution in the Upper Midwest and Eastern North American. The ability to now identify the larva of P. lacustris is important due to its presence in biomonitoring samples. Previously larvae of P. lacustris have been identified as Hesperoconopa, but the descriptions and geographic distribution provided in this study permit the separation of the larvae of these genera.

R. William Bouchard, Jr. (Primary Presenter/Author), Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Will.Bouchard@state.mn.us;


Jon K. Gelhaus (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, jkg78@drexel.edu;

5/21/2015  |   15:45 - 16:00   |  102DE

LARGE AQUATIC INSECTS (DICOSMOECUS, CALINEURIA, HESPEROPERLA, AND PTERONARCYS) SHOW DISCORDANT POPULATION STRUCTURE IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES Genetic diversity among widely distributed populations can indicate structuring and, indirectly, the dispersal ability of organisms. The caddisfly Dicosmoecus gilvipes, and stoneflies Calineuria californica, Hesperoperla pacifica, and Pteronarcys californica are common lotic species in western North American rivers, ranging from California to British Columbia. These species have large bodies and wings, suggesting strong flying ability, yet have biological behaviors (e.g. mating habits) that make dispersal to other watersheds less likely. We collected each species across its range (>12 sites), sequenced mitochondrial (COI, COII) and nuclear (Wingless) genes, and used concatenated sequences (1700 base pairs) to create phylogenies with maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference. We found genetic structuring between populations north and south of San Francisco bay for D. gilvipes, P. californica, and C. californica (ML bootstraps > 75%, Bayesian posterior probability > 0.9), and between Sierra Nevada and lowland populations for D. gilvipes and C. californica (ML bootstraps > 80%, Bayesian posterior probability > 0.8). H. pacifica, however, showed weak population structure across its range, suggesting different phylogenetic history or different geographic constraints on species dispersal.

Michael Peterson (Primary Presenter/Author), California Department of Insurance, petersmg@berkeley.edu;


Patrick O'Grady (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of California, Berkeley, ogrady@berkeley.edu;


Vincent Resh (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of California, Berkeley, resh@berkeley.edu;

5/21/2015  |   16:00 - 16:15   |  102DE

ORIGIN OF AQUATIC INSECTS OF ICELAND WITH EMPHASIS ON CADDISFLIES Biological diversity of the Arctic has been shaped by the Pleistocene glacial periods. Species have diverged in allopatric areas during prolonged periods and expanded their distribution following the retreat of the glaciers. Genetic patterns of reflect these climatic impacts. Origin of two Trichoptera species, the Palaearctic Potamophylax cingulatus and the Holarctic Apatania zonella and the variation of the COI gene of the mtDNA in Iceland and from their distribution ranges of the species were studied. In P. cingulatus, which colonized Iceland during the 20th century, no variation was detected in the Icelandic population, and the flies were closely related to flies from the Faroes. The Icelandic population of A. zonella, a species with highly skewed sex ratio was analysed both for the COI gene and three nuclear. The genetic patterns revealed two lineages, one Nearctic and other Palearctic which diverged during last Ice Age. Both lineages co-occur in Iceland and in few specimens from Alaska and Yukon, where high diversity is observed. Icelandic aquatic insects is mainly of Palaearctic origin, but these two examples show two different ways of colonization.

Gisli Mar Gislason (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Iceland, gmg@hi.is;


Snaebjorn Palsson (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Iceland, snaebj@hi.is;