Zelandoperla fenestrata
Species of stonefly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zelandoperla fenestrata is a widespread endemic New Zealand 'long-tailed' stonefly that is often abundant in high-gradient stony streams, from near sea-level up to alpine elevations.[1] The species name 'fenestrata' refers to the window-like rectangular patterning visible on the wings of non-melanic adult specimens.
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| Zelandoperla fenestrata | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Plecoptera |
| Family: | Gripopterygidae |
| Genus: | Zelandoperla |
| Species: | Z. fenestrata |
| Binomial name | |
| Zelandoperla fenestrata Tillyard, 1923 | |
This species is highly polymorphic in terms of wing length, with numerous wing-reduced, flightless populations found at high elevations above the alpine treeline.[2] While wing-reduced forms of Z. fenestrata were previously considered to be a distinct species (Z. pennulata), recent genomic research indicates that flightless ecotypes have evolved independently and repeatedly across distinct upland regions of southern New Zealand.[1][3] Full-winged and vestigial-winged ecotypes within this complex can sometimes be found together in sympatry, and can be either fully interbreeding or reproductively isolated.[4][5]
Zelandoperla fenestrata also exhibits a striking colour polymorphism, with highly melanic specimens closely mimicking the warning colouration of the co-distributed but unrelated toxic black stonefly Austroperla.[6][7][8] Melanic Zelandoperla specimens were previously considered to represent a distinct species (Z. tillyardi) but recent genomic analyses indicate that melanic and non-melanic ecotypes are fully interbreeding and thus conspecific.[1][6] Recent deforestation in New Zealand has reduced populations of the toxic Austroperla, leading to selection against melanic Zelandoperla specimens in these cleared regions, in a highly replicated example of human-induced evolution.[8]
The Banks Peninsula population of the Z. fenestrata species group has highly reduced wings and is thus flightless.[1] This Banks Peninsula lineage is genetically highly divergent from other lineages within the species group, and is now considered to be a distinct but as yet undescribed species.[9] This geographically restricted lineage (Zelandoperla sp. 1 (BJF00160)) was listed as 'Nationally Vulnerable' under the 2018 New Zealand Threat Classification ranking.
