The Stonefly (Plecoptera)

of Ireland

A comprehensive review of their

distribution and ecology

Hugh B. Feeley*

Jan-Robert Baars, Liam Lysaght &

Mary Kelly-Quinn

@HBFeeley

hugh.feeley@ucd.ie

Annual Meeting of Irish Freshwater Biologists 6th March 2015

Class: Insecta

Found worldwide (excluding Antarctica)

>3,500 species

426 in Europe (2006)

One of the oldest groups of Neoptera

Ancestors present in Carboniferous (and

Lower Permian periods

350 to 300 million years ago

Modern day diversity of Plecoptera

present as early as the Mesozoic Era

250 – 66 million years ago

First records – 1880s , King and Halbert (1910)

~17 extant species, incl. Perlodes microcephala (PICTET, 1833)

Review by Costello (1988) 19 species recorded, incl. P. microcephala, but excl. Leuctra nigra (Olivier, 1811)

Distributions compiled by Baars & Kelly-Quinn (2006) 19 species recorded, incl. L. nigra, but excl. P. microcephala

This publication brings the records up to date (2012), with 10

km2 maps & reviews the current knowledge of Plecoptera

ecology

19 extant species (recorded in the last ~20 years)

7 families

Generally, found in fast flowing streams and rivers, or in small shallow lakes with stony

shores

Plecoptera elsewhere in Irish waters are rare but can occur

e.g. Nemouridae recorded in canals

Leuctra nigra distributions are not as limited as once thought

Protonemura praecox records no later than early 1990s

Copyright – Hugh Feeley (UCD)

Proposed ‘Irish Freshwater Life’ (2010/11)

>4 years work

Began to compile records

Costello 1988

Baars & Kelly-Quinn 2006

Additional UCD records 1970s - 2012

Other published material with taxon lists & site locations (previously excluded)

Total records – 10,000 covering 32 counties

UCD held records – >8,800

>20 studies incl. theses, reports, etc.

Published records – >1,000

18 Irish publications 1910 to 2013

99% nymph records

Includes the entire island of

Ireland

Colour coding

For where we’ve recorded each species

For number of records for each species

List the total number of records

included

Also highlights the number of 10

km2 squares each species has been

recorded in

Include extensive ‘Introduction’

section covering….

Importance of Plecoptera

Life cycle strategies

Nymph size, growth & morphological

development

Adult emergence & size

Adult development & feeding

Adult behaviour

Drumming & sexual reproduction

Plecoptera

Ecosystem function & feeding strategies

Behaviour & competition

Zoogeography & phylogeny

Bioindicators

Plus…..

Knowledge of Irish distributions & ecology

Copyright – Hugh Feeley (UCD)

All Recorders

Funding bodies

Staff at the National Biodiversity

Data Centre