An Annotated Checklist of New Zealand Mayflies (Ephemeroptera), 2018
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Available online at www.science.canterbury.ac.nz/nzns An annotated checklist of New Zealand mayflies (Ephemeroptera), 2018 Stephen R. Pohe1, 2* 1 Pohe Environmental, Whangarei, New Zealand 2 School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand * Corresponding author: [email protected] (Received May 2018, revised and accepted July 2018) Abstract The New Zealand mayfly (Ephemeroptera) fauna currently comprises 55 described species belonging to 20 genera in eight families. All species and genera are endemic to New Zealand, as are three families. The purpose of this paper is to draw together the fragmented information of published literature in the form of a checklist of New Zealand Ephemeroptera. The checklist is annotated with species authority and publication details, type specimen information (sex, life stage, type locality, collector, specimen repository), distribution and conservation status data, and previously recognised names, including synonyms. References to all valid species descriptions and previously recognised names are included in the bibliography. Keywords: New Zealand, mayflies, Ephemeroptera, type localities, type speci- mens, species distributions, conservation status Introduction Globally, about 3,600 mayfly species have been described (Barber-James et al. 2013; The mayflies (Ephemeroptera) are an M. Sartori and H. Barber-James pers. ancient insect lineage dating back over comm., May 2018; P. Suter pers. comm., 300 million years and are believed to May 2018), making the Ephemeroptera be the most primitive group of extant one of the smaller orders of insects. winged insects (Grimaldi & Engel 2005; The New Zealand mayfly fauna Bauernfeind & Soldán 2012). They are comprises 55 described species in 20 represented on all continents except endemic genera and eight families, Antarctica, but have strong distributional three of which are also endemic to New affinities to specific biogeographical Zealand (Ichthybotidae, Rallidentidae, regions (Gressitt 1967; Barber-James Siphlaenigmatidae). They have close et al. 2008). Only three families have phylogenetic relationships with the global distributions, the remaining 39 cold-adapted mayflies of southern South being fairly evenly distributed between America and Australia, land masses the northern and southern hemispheres. which like New Zealand, were parts New Zealand Natural Sciences (2018) 43:1-20 © New Zealand Natural Sciences 2 New Zealand Natural Sciences 43 (2018) of the ancient continent of Gondwana these authors. A new genus and species (Edmunds 1975; Tsui & Peters 1975; of Leptophlebiidae, Aupouriella pohei, was Gibbs 2016). The first mayflies described also described by Winterbourn (2009). from New Zealand were Coloburiscus Other valuable New Zealand mayfly con- humeralis (Walker, 1853) (as Palingenia tributions include the distribution maps humeralis) and Neozephlebia scita (Walker, of specimens held in the Canterbury Mu- 1853) (as Baetis scita). In the following 50 seum (Hitchings 2001; Hitchings et al. years, nine valid species were described 2015) and a chapter in Volume 2 of ‘The by Eaton (1871, 1883–1888, 1899) and New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity’ McLachlan (1873, 1894). Eaton (1899) (Gordon 2010), which provides an excel- also provided the first annotated check- lent summary of the New Zealand mayfly list of New Zealand Ephemeroptera (as fauna and includes a list of 48 species. Ephemeridae), which included 11 species. The purpose of this paper is to draw Subsequently, Hudson (1904) published together fragmented information from a popular account of the biology of New the published literature in the form of Zealand aquatic insects that also included a checklist of New Zealand Ephemer- one new mayfly species, and Tillyard optera. The checklist is annotated with (1923) added two more. Phillips (1930) species authority and publication details, made a comprehensive revision of the type specimen information (sex, life New Zealand mayfly fauna, including stage, type locality, collector, specimen descriptions of eight new species, but in repository), distribution and conservation the following 50 years only four more status data, and previously recognised species were described (Lestage 1935; names, including synonyms. References Penniket 1962, 1966; Peters 1971). to all valid species descriptions, and to Checklists of the aquatic and water- previously recognised names, are included associated insects of New Zealand, which in the bibliography. included mayflies, were published by Wise (1965, 1973) who also produced Format of the checklist a synonymic checklist of the smaller hexapod orders that listed 27 mayfly The higher classification (suborder species (Wise 1977). Included amongst and family) of the New Zealand a large series of papers on the New Zea- Ephemeroptera used in this paper is land Leptophlebiidae, Towns and Peters based on “McCafferty’s system” presented (1979a, b) and Towns (1983b) described in Ogden and Whiting (2005, see Figure eight species in seven genera, and eight 2B). However, it is acknowledged that further species were included in their the status of the suborders Pisciforma subsequent monograph (Towns & Peters and Setisura are in question (Ogden 1996), which elevated the total number et al. 2009) and may be subject to of New Zealand mayflies to 42. More change. The higher classification is recently, a revision of the Nesameletidae presented first, followed by an annotated by Hitchings and Staniczek (2003) added checklist of genera and species in each three species of Nesameletus. Eight species family. Binomial names are listed in of Deleatidium (Hitchings 2008, 2009, alphabetical order by family, genus and, 2010; Hitchings & Hitchings 2016) and when recognised, subgenus. These are a species of Rallidens (Staniczek & Hitch- annotated with species authority and ings 2014) have also been described by publication page number, and with type POHE. NEW ZEALAND MAYFLY CHECKLIST 2018 3 specimen information if known (sex, life Zealand mayfly field survey of adults stage, type locality, collector, specimen and nymphs, undertaken by the author repository). Specimen data are followed during 2013–2016. The combined data- by recognised species distributions set from all sources currently comprises and conservation status classifications. 73,459 records and forms the basis of an Distributions are indicated by the two inaugural national mayfly database pres- letter locality codes of Crosby et al. ently under construction by the author. (1998) (Figure 1) and North, South, and However, it is by no means exhaustive, as Offshore Island localities are separated by material exists in several national collec- two solidus symbols (//). Conservation tions that are yet to be assessed, i.e., part status classifications are sourced directly of the New Zealand Arthropod Collec- from the most recent listings for New tion, the Auckland Museum Collection Zealand freshwater invertebrates and the NIWA Collection. (Grainger et al. 2014). Finally, other Status of type material in Canterbury names by which valid species have been Museum, Museum of New Zealand and known are given, and it is stated whether New Zealand Arthropod Collection were these names were by original designation confirmed by their respective collection (orig.), synonyms (syn.) or the result of curators. However, at the time of publica- recombination (comb.). Further, notes tion no response had been received from are also given to indicate that a name The Natural History Museum, London, was published without a description of regarding type material held there. In the taxon (undesc.), was misspelt (spell.), addition, the type repository of Colobur- or was the result of misidentification iscus tonnoiri Lestage, 1935 is currently (misid.). Reference details are provided unknown but “may be in a museum in for each entry. Brussels” (Terry Hitchings, Canterbury Documentation of species in the above Museum Research Fellow, pers. comm., format enables one to search for any 11 April 2018). The following abbrevia- published name, including synonyms, tions are used to indicate repositories of and it provides easy access to relevant type material listed in the checklist: publication information including page BMNH - The Natural History Museum, number, type data, known distributions London, England and conservation status. Distribution CMNZ - Canterbury Museum, data provided for each species are based Christchurch, New Zealand on records in the literature, records from NMNZ - Museum of New Zealand/ official New Zealand databases (National Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Rivers Water Quality Network) and Zealand collections (New Zealand Arthropod NZAC - New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Museum of New Zealand, Collection, Landcare Research, Auckland, Canterbury Museum, Otago Museum), New Zealand and data from a nation-wide New 4 New Zealand Natural Sciences 43 (2018) Figure 1. Map of New Zealand with area codes used to describe specimen distribution records. For more details, including offshore island area codes, see Crosby et al. (1998). POHE. NEW ZEALAND MAYFLY CHECKLIST 2018 5 Higher classification of New Zealand Ephemeroptera Class: Insecta Order: Ephemeroptera Hyatt & Arms, 1890: 69 Suborder: Furcatergalia Family: Ichthybotidae Demoulin, 1957: 336 Family: Leptophlebiidae Banks, 1900: 246 (as Leptophlebini) Suborder: Pisciforma Family: Ameletopsidae Edmunds, 1957: 246 (as Ameletopsinae) Family: Nesameletidae1 Kluge et al., 1995: 115 Family: Oniscigastridae Lameere,