Ps. Cranston et Dhd. Edward, Botryocladius gen.n.: a new transantarctic genus of orthocladiine midge (Diptera : Chironomidae), SYST ENTOM, 24(4), 1999, pp. 305-333
A new genus of orthocladiine Chironomidae. Botryocladius (type species B. g
rapeth sp.n. from eastern Australia) is described and illustrated in all li
fe history stages. All thirteen included species are described as new, six
from eastern Australia (B. grapeth, B. brindabella, B, mdfrc, B. collessi,
B. tasmania, B. australoalpinus), two from Western Australia (B. bibulmun a
nd B. freemani), one from ephemeral streams in Australia (B. petrophilus) a
nd four from Patagonian Argentina and Chile (B. edwardsi, B. glacialis, B.
mapuche and B. tronador). All Australian species are known from at least pu
pal exuviae, most from adult males and several from larvae. In contrast, on
ly B. edwardsi amongst Neotropical species is known from the adult male; al
l others are described from pupal exuviae. The immature stages are lotic in
Australian permanent and temporary streams and Patagonian glacial streams
and rivers, and lentic in Neotropical glacial-fed and Australian subalpine
lakes. Botryocladius appears to belong with a grouping centred on two forma
lly undescribed taxa from Australia. The genus evidently demonstrates a vic
ariant distribution with at least two sister-group relationships between So
uth American and Australian taxa, providing a minimum dating for the clade
of 38 Ma., with apparent absence from New Zealand indicating a maximum date
of 80 Ma.