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Systematics, phylogeny and biogeography
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Systematics of the Apteropanorpidae (Insecta : Mecoptera) based on morphological and molecular evidence

Christopher M. Palmer A B C D , John W. H. Trueman A and David K. Yeates B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Botany and Zoology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia.

B CSIRO Entomology, GPO Box 1700, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia.

C Present address: Biodiversity Conservation South, Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Natural Resources, Environment, and the Arts, PO Box 1120, Alice Springs NT 0871, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: christopher.palmer@nt.gov.au

Invertebrate Systematics 21(6) 589-612 https://doi.org/10.1071/IS07014
Submitted: 20 April 2007  Accepted: 9 November 2007   Published: 2007

Abstract

Apteropanorpa Carpenter, 1941 is a genus of scorpionflies endemic to Tasmania. The genus comprised two described species before the current study. However, many anecdotal reports suggested that Apteropanorpa was more widespread in Tasmania than had previously been thought, and that more species awaited discovery and description. Intensive field surveys for the Apteropanorpidae were conducted from 2001 to 2003 in a range of altitudes and habitats all over Tasmania. These surveys yielded a large number of adult specimens, collected at many new localities and at a range of elevations. Cladistic analyses of COI molecular and morphological data were congruent in their inferred species composition of the family. Phylogenetic analyses with evaluation of species concepts provided evidence for two new species: Apteropanorpa warra, sp. nov. and A. hartzi, sp. nov. The distribution of the Apteropanorpidae is much more extensive than was previously thought; many populations discovered as part of this research represent extensions of the known ranges of A. evansi Byers & Yeates and A. tasmanica Carpenter. A key to species is presented. The altitudinal range of each species is closely associated with the local climatic treeline. Hypotheses concerning the biogeography of the family are consistent with the glacial history of Tasmania.

Additional keywords: scorpionflies, Apteropanorpa, taxonomy, new species, population, distribution, phylogeny, biogeography, glaciation, altitude, speciation, Tasmania, Australia, morphology, mtDNA.


Acknowledgements

We thank Forestry Tasmania, the Australian National University, and the Australian Biological Resources Study for funding to assist with fieldwork, and the Biodiversity Conservation Branch of the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water (DPIW) for permits to enter and conduct research in National Parks. Curators at the following institutions provided loans of insects in their care: the Australian Museum (Sydney), DPIW (Hobart), Forestry Tasmania (Hobart), and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (Launceston). Christine Lambkin and Sue Baker kindly loaned specimens from their own field collections. Dick Bashford (Forestry Tasmania) and Niall Doran (DPIW) allowed unlimited access to the pitfall trapped specimens collected on Mt Weld and at the Warra Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) site. Dick Bashford also provided field equipment and laboratory space in Hobart, and facilitated access to the Warra LTER site. One of us (CMP) would especially like to thank Owen Seeman and Helen Nahrung for assistance with accommodation whilst in Hobart, and for assistance with fieldwork. The following people also assisted with accommodation: Sue Baker, Lisa Boutin, and Bryan and Vicki Evans. Thanks are also due to David Morris for kind assistance in the genetics laboratory, and Christine Lambkin assisted with the computational aspects of phylogenetic analyses. Peter McQuillan (University of Tasmania) provided very helpful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. This investigation was conducted in partial fulfilment of a PhD for CMP, whilst in receipt of an Australian Postgraduate Award.


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Appendix 1.  Data matrix of 36 morphological characters coded for 21 populations of Apteropanorpidae
A1



Appendix 2.  Morphological characters used in the phylogenetic analysis
Characters 5, 6 and 36 are parsimony uninformative
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Appendix 3.  Uncorrected pairwise genetic distance matrix of 13 populations of Apteropanorpidae and two outgroup taxa (Harpobittacus australis and Chorista australis)
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