Summary

Did you know?

The Gaspe Sallfly belongs to the Green Stonefly family (Chloroperlidae). One would assume that all species within this family are green, however many are yellow and some are other colors (McCafferty 1998).

Conservation and Management

Threats

Little research has been done to assess the threats that may face Gaspe Sallfly. However, it is well understood that benthic macroinvertebrates, such as stoneflies, are often impacted by changes in their habitat quality (e.g., degradation of water quality, alterations to streamflow, and temperature). Infrastructure such as dams can increase stream temperature and alter stream flow (Zaidel et al. 2021). Likewise, deforestation or the removal of trees along stream banks can increase water temperatures and siltation (Souza et al. 2020). These changes in water quality, flow, and temperature could have an impact on Gaspe Sallfly populations.

Conservation Strategies and Management Practices

Any measures to reduce water contamination or hydrological alteration such as agricultural run-off, shoreline development, and damming that would affect river flow should be considered when managing for this species (NYS DEC 2005). Consider reducing road salt usage in transportation corridors near streams (NYSDEC 2005). Maintaining a forested buffer around the river would be beneficial to many aquatic macroinvertebrates as it helps reduce siltation and pollution from activities such as farming, logging, and construction. Additionally, where construction is taking place near water systems, measures to reduce siltation as much as possible are recommended. This could include disturbing only the work area to maintain as much vegetation as possible to reduce runoff, working in phases to allow for more centralized control of sedimentation, using sediment traps or ditches to direct runoff away from the river or, stabilizing soil by seeding, mulching, use of blankets, or wool binders. Protect slopes by using silt fences or fiber rolls.

Research Needs

Further research should be conducted to better understand Gaspe Sallfly behavior and habitat needs in order to protect it from potential threats, such as the degradation of habitat.

Habitat

Habitat

This species is known to inhabit medium-sized streams to large rivers and has been collected in streams lined with bedrock, boulders, and large cobble (Myers et al. 2010).

Associated Ecological Communities

• Confined river (guide)
  The aquatic community of relatively large, fast flowing sections of streams with a moderate to gentle gradient.
• Rocky headwater stream* (guide)
  The aquatic community of a small- to moderate-sized perennial rocky stream typically with a moderate to steep gradient, and cold water that flows over eroded bedrock, boulders, or cobbles in the area where a stream system originates. * probable association but not confirmed.
• Unconfined river (guide)
  The aquatic community of large, quiet, base level sections of streams with a very low gradient.

Range

New York State Distribution

This species has been collected from11 waterbodies in the following counties of New York: Delaware, Essex, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, and Ulster (Myers et al. 2021, Myers et al. 2010).

Global Distribution

Gaspe Sallfly is considered an eastern Neartic relict (NatureServe 2022). There are confirmed records from Quebec in Canada and the following states in the United States: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia (NatureServe 2022, Myers et al. 2010). Reports from South Carolina and Tennesee are considered potential misidentifications (NatureServe 2022).

Identification Comments

Identifying Characteristics

This species lacks a good physical description for identification. This species is part of the family Chloroperlidae, known as the green stoneflies. Larvae within this family tend to be patternless and measure anywhere from 5-12 mm long (excluding tail), gills are typically lacking, and hindwing pads are usually parallel (McCafferty 1998). Tails are almost always shorter than the abdomen. In the adult stage, species within the family Chloroperlidae are similar to those within the Perlodidae family with the exception that the anal lobe of the hind wing is sometimes reduced or absent and "vein A2 in the forewings either forks at a point beyond the placement of the A1-A2 crossvein or does not fork at all" (McCafferty 1998).

Best Time to See

Adults have been collected between May and mid-September suggesting that this could be the best time to see this species (Myers et al. 2010).

Gaspe Sallfly Images

Utaperla gaspesiana (Gaspe Sallfly)
Tom Murray (2010)

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Taxonomy

Gaspe Sallfly
Utaperla gaspesiana Harper and Roy, 1975

• Kingdom Animalia
  • Phylum Arthropoda (Mandibulates)
    • Class Insecta (Insects)
      • Order Plecoptera (Stoneflies)
        • Family Chloroperlidae

Additional Resources

References

McCafferty, Patrick W. 1998. Aquatic entomology: the fisherman's and ecologists' illustrated guide to insects and their relatives. Boston, Mass.: Science Books International.

Myers, L. W., B. C. Kondratieff, D. E. Ruiter T. B. Mihuc. 2021 New York and New England Aquatic insect database, Lake Champlain Research Institute, SUNY Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY.

Myers, Luke, Timothy Mihuc, and Boris Kondratieff. 2010. Draft report: Mayflies (Ephemeroptera), Stoneflies (Plecoptera), and Caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the Upper Hudson, Lake Champlain, and Northeastern Lake Ontario watersheds (New York State): A baseline inventory with management considerations for SGCN and other rare and possibly imperiled species.

NatureServe. 2022. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org/. (Accessed: March 1, 2022).

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2023. New York Natural Heritage Program Databases. Albany, NY.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 2005. A strategy for conserving New York's fish and wildlife resources. Final submission draft.

Souza, Francine N., Rodolfo Mariano, Tassio Moreia, Sofia Campiolo. 2020. Influence of the landscape in different scales on the EPT community (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) in the Atlantic Forest region. Environmental monitoring and assessment 129: 391-391.

Zaidel, Peter A., A. H. Roy, K. M. Houle, B. Lambert, B. H. Letcher, K. H. Nislow, C. Smith. 2021. Impacts of small dams on stream temperature. Ecological indicators 120:6-11.

About This Guide

This guide was authored by: Every, Zane W.

Information for this guide was last updated on: August 9, 2022

Please cite this page as:
New York Natural Heritage Program. 2023. Online Conservation Guide for Utaperla gaspesiana. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/gaspe-sallfly/. Accessed March 31, 2023.