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PATTERNS OF PLECOPTERA DISTRIBUTION IN INDIANA: USING MUSEUM DATA TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF GLACIATION

We used over 4500 records of Plecoptera from more than 2000 unique collection sites to build a list of known species from the state of Indiana. Many of these species have not been collected for many years, likely due to human caused changes in water quality and habitat degradation. Our goal is to answer three questions: First, how does the glacial history of different regions within the state affect species richness? Second, how has the species richness of Plecoptera changed in the state over time? Third, what are the drivers of these changes? We also intend to determine conservation status for each species based on these data. Preliminary analyses show greater Plecoptera species richness in unglaciated regions of the state when compared to glaciated regions. We also found that 7 species once known from the state have not been collected since 1950, and 11 others seem to have been extirpated from specific regions of the state.

Evan Newman (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Illinois, evanan2@illinois.edu;