Distributional and species richness patterns of the stoneflies (Insecta, Plecoptera) in New York State

There is a 187-year history of stonefly (Insecta, Plecoptera) research in New York State. In total, 29 current valid species have a type locality in this state. Despite several new species' descriptions and numerous other papers discussing stoneflies in general from New York, a comprehensive treatment of the state's fauna is lacking. In this treatment we provide a comprehensive approach to assessing distribution and diversity patterns across multiple dimensions, focusing on adult flight periods, habitat associations, elevation gradients, United States Geological Survey Hierarchical Unit Code (HUC8) drainages, and United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Level IV Ecoregions.

This work is based on recent fieldwork, exhaustive searches of museums and research collections for specimens and accumulation of specimen data from peer-reviewed literature. Our analyses of 6,538 records from 1375 unique locations confirm the presence of 127 species in 42 genera across nine families, representing 58 of the 62 counties of the state. Nine new state records are presented with three known only from historical collections prior to 1970. Further analyses produced for all species include adult flight periods, elevational ranges, and distributional affinities across HUC8s and USEPA Level IV Ecoregions. This research will provide the basis for future conservation decisions in the state, identify gaps in our current knowledge, and elucidate needs for future research. A specimen data set has been associated with this document to aid in future assessments.