Phylogenetic relationships of the Australian Leptophlebiidae (Ephemeroptera)

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships among the Australian Leptophlebiidae genera and selected genera from South America and New Zealand were investigated using a cladistic analysis of 43 morphological characters. The outcomes of this analysis were largely consistent with the higher-level relationships previously proposed by Pescador and Peters (1980). The monophyly of the Meridialaris lineage (comprising Austrophlebioides, Tillyardophlebia, Kirrara, ‘WT sp. 1’ and ‘WT sp. 2’ from Australia, Meridialaris from South America and Deleatidium and Atalophlebioides from New Zealand) was strongly supported, as was the monophyly of the Nousia lineage (Nyungara, Nousia and Koorrnonga). However, Australian genera assigned to the Hapsiphlebia lineage (Atalophlebia, Kalbaybaria, Ulmerophlebia, Jappa and Atalomicria) did not form a monophlyletic group. There was support for a sister-group relationship between the Dactylophlebia and Meridialaris lineages, and for the placement of Garinjuga (Penaphlebia lineage) as the sister-group to a large clade comprising genera of the Nousia, Dactylophlebia and Meridialaris lineages. The phylogenetic analysis provided some clarification of the affinities of Neboissophlebia, Bibulmena, Loamaggalangta and Kaninga. These genera appear to belong to lineages not recognised previously among the Gondwanan Leptophlebiidae.