FNZ 46 - Nesameletidae (Insecta : Ephemeroptera) - Distribution
Hitchings, TR; Staniczek, AH 2003. Nesameletidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera). Fauna of New Zealand 46, 72 pages.
(
ISSN 0111-5383 (print),
;
no.
46.
ISBN 0-478-09349-7 (print),
).
Published 14 May 2003
ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/References/BAB59AE7-4C0F-4901-A54C-76CA14D8B3A2
Distribution
The phylogeny of Nesameletus fits well with the distribution of the various species. N. ornatus (map 1) is widely spread throughout both the North Island and South Island. In the southern South Island, the northern distribution limits of N. murihiku (map 3) and the southern limits of N. flavitinctus (map 2) remain uncertain. However, our present knowledge points to an allopatric distribution pattern of both species.
Nesameletus austrinus (map 4) is confined to the South Island. The restriction of N. vulcanus (map 5) to Banks Peninsula points to an earlier dispersal event from the South Island by the stem species of N. vulcanus + N. austrinus. This probably took place at a time when Banks Peninsula was still separated from the South Island. A volcanic island formed in the late Miocene and Pliocene (Stipp & McDougall 1968), Banks Peninsula has been joined to the South Island and separated from it by broad straits during the higher sea levels of interglacial periods (Fleming 1980). Several species of cicadas, stoneflies, ground beetles, and other invertebrate groups are also restricted to the peninsula (Johns 1986). Except for Banks Peninsula and Stewart Island, no species of Nesameletus has been found on the other adjacent islands of New Zealand.