Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Articles
Published: 2010-11-05
Page range: 63–65
Abstract views: 34
PDF downloaded: 31

New combinations for the Australian species of Baetis (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae), with a new synonym

Taxonomy Research Information Network, Department of Environmental Management and Ecology, La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria, Australia, 3690
Taxonomy Research Information Network, Department of Environmental Management and Ecology, La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria, Australia, 3690
Ephemeroptera Baetidae

Abstract

The Australian small minnow mayfly fauna remains poorly known with only 21 described species (Webb & Suter 2010). Four species were described in the genus Baetis Leach: B. baddamsae Harker, 1950; B. confluens Harker, 1950; B. frater Tillyard, 1936; and B. soror Ulmer, 1908. Baetis soror and B. frater were both placed in Offadens Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty (Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty 1998, Suter 2000), but the two remaining species are still included in Baetis. Revisionary work of the last few decades has clarified the concept of Baetis and related genera and showed that older concepts of the genus were highly polyphyletic (i.e. Waltz & McCafferty 1987). Examination of larvae and adults of all known baetids occurring in Australia showed that true Baetis does not occur and that the generic placement of B. baddamsae and B. confluens should be changed. Both species have hindwings and double marginal intercalaries in the forewings, indicating they belong to either Offadens or Edmundsiops Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty, which are equivalent to Genus 1 and Genus 2 sensu Suter (1997), respectively.

References

  1. Harker, J.E. (1950) Australian Ephemeroptera. Part I. Taxonomy of New South Wales species and evaluation of taxonomic characters. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 75, 1–34.

    Harker, J.E. (1954) The Ephemeroptera of eastern Australia. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London, 105, 241–268.

    Lugo-Ortiz, C.R. & McCafferty, W.P. (1998) Offadens, a new genus of small minnow mayflies (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) from Australia. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 100, 306–309.

    Lugo-Ortiz, C.R. & McCafferty, W.P. (1999) Edmundsiops instigatus: a new genus and species of small minnow mayflies (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) from Australia. Entomological News, 110, 65–69.

    Suter, P. (1997) Preliminary guide to the identification of nymphs of Australian baetid mayflies (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) found in flowing waters. Co-Operative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology Identification Guide, 14, 1–36.

    Suter, P. (2000) Edmundsiops hickmani sp. nov., Offadens frater (Tillyard) nov. comb. and description of the nymph of Cloeon tasmaniae Tillyard (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) from Tasmania. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 134, 63–74.

    Tillyard, R.J. (1936) The trout-food insects of Tasmania. Part II. A monograph of the mayflies of Tasmania. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 1935, 23–59.

    Ulmer, G. (1908) Trichopterae und Ephemeridae. In Michaelson, W. & Hartmeyer, R. (Eds.) Die Fauna Südwest-Australiens Ergebnisse der Hamburger südwest-australischen Forschungsreise 1905. Pt 3, Jena, Fischer Vol. 2 pp. 25–46.

    Waltz, R.J. & McCafferty, W.P. (1987) New genera of Baetidae for some Nearctic species previously included in Baetis Leach (Ephemeroptera). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 80, 667–670.

    Webb, J.M. & Suter, P. (2010) Revalidation and redescription of Bungona illiesi (Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty) (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) from Australia, based on mitochondrial and morphological evidence. Zootaxa, 51, 37–51.

    Webb, J.M. & Suter, P. (In press) Identification of Australian Baetidae. Museum Victoria Science Reports.