Giant Stonefly (Order Plecoptera), "Pteronarcyidae (Salmonflies)"

[albatross]

Help me pin down the specific ID on this magnificent bug. Photographed 27Apr2013 about 1:30 PM near the Frankstown branch of the Juniata River.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

That's clearly a Chrysler product ignition key - with remote.

I'm guessing something in the Jeep family.

 

[albatross]

Good guess, its a 2012 Jeep Compass ignition key. Now how about some guesses on the bug. It is not a perla. I think its a Pteronarcys pictetii.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fileteronarcys_pictetii.jpg

 

[JackM]

Greg, I don't blame you for not wanting to handle it. I had a giant like that in its nymph stage scare the living daylights out of me when I reached to pull my hook from a branch-snag I reeled in. But, If you have a photo of the underside, that may help with a positive ID.

 

[albatross]

Jack,

I have two other photos showing similar detail, but as you suspected none of the underside.

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=6047695df3878ad7#cid=6047695DF3878AD7&id=6047695DF3878AD7!2332

 

[albatross]

More relevant links...

http://plecoptera.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1158056

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/insects/sfly/pa/549.htm


This is a tough bug to positively ID.

 

[pcray1231]

Believe you have the family/genus correct, not sure about species.

Good site to see distribution. I'm sure records are incomplete but at least you get a picture.

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/insects/sfly/usa/pteronar.htm

FWIW, the ones which I think are reasonably in the location you found this guy:

Knobbed Salmonfly - biloba
Spiny Salmonfly - comstocki
American Salmonfly - dorsata
Midwestern Salmonfly - pictetii
Appalachian Salmonfly - proteus

From there, troutnut isn't much help, no pictures of winged adults. And overall, it looks like there's an awful lot of misidentification of this order of stoneflies on the net.

FWIW, based on emergence dates, and apparant commonality, it's perhaps more likely dorsata than pictetii? Also, the pictetti pic you have seems to have a much longer orange collar. That said, many of the dorsati pics are brown, but some are blacker.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_JOB2452&res=640

 

[JackM]

I'll put a fin on "Appalachian Salmonfly - proteus"

 

[albatross]

Thanks Pat. I concur with your assessment. The internet data is pretty sparse for adult salmonflies. Can't rule out the dorsata based on the available information.

Jack,

Can you edit the thread title to give the family name as "Pteronarcyidae (Salmonflies)". I think we have established that much at least, though the specific species is still foggy.

 

[crepuscular]

We would have to be able to see the genitalia to get to species on this Pteronarcyid. So you could go by distribution lists for an ID but that is dubious at best. P. pictetii is listed in Huntington County but take that for what it's worth.