Reassignment of Western Australia Paracnephia gladiator Moulton Adler to a new genus, Bunyipellum (Diptera: Simuliidae)

Zootaxa. 2018 Jan 25;4375(3):341-357. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4375.3.3.

Abstract

With new material available of most stages of many known Australian Paracnephia, including new species, it is now clear that certain segregates warrant assignment to new genera. This applies to Paracnephia gladiator Moulton Adler, a Western Australia simuliid with numerous unique character states. The species is fully redescribed and assigned to Bunyipellum nov. gen. A diagnosis is provided and relationships discussed, as is historical biogeography. Bunyipellum appears to be more closely related to elements of the South American simuliid fauna than to any other Gondwanan Australian species.

Keywords: Western Australia, Gondwana, Simuliidae, Bunyipellum nov. gen., bionomics, biogeography, Diptera.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Australia
  • Diptera
  • Simuliidae*
  • Western Australia