The terrestrial amphipods (Amphipoda: Talitridae) of Tasmania: systematics and zoogeography

Abstract

Amphipods of the family Talitridae form an important part of the cryptozoa of Tasmanian forests .. The terrestrial amphipod fauna of the Tasmanian mainland consists of fifteen species. The previously widely used grouping of land amphipods into the genera Orchestia and Talitrus is considered unsatisfactory and consequently a number of genera are created to receive the Tasmanian species. Three new genera, Neorchestia, Orchestiella and Tasmanorchestia, are described, and Mysticotalitrus, Arcitalitrus and Keratroides are raised to generic status. Twelve new species, Austrotroides longicornis, A. leptomerus, A. maritimus, Neorchestia plicibrancha. Mysticotalitrus cryptus, Arcitalitrus bassianus, Keratroides albidus, K. rex, K. pyrensis, Orchestiella neambulans, O. quasimodo and Tasmanorchestia annulata, are described. Mysticotalitrus tasmaniae is redescribed, and a description of the male is given. Keratroides vulgaris and K. angulosus are also recorded from Tasmania, and Protaustrotroides victoriae from King Island. Talitrus assimilis is considered a doubtful species. Among the Tasmanian fauna (excluding P. victoriae), four of the seven genera, but only one of the fifteen species also occurs on the Australian mainland. Examination of geological and paleoclimatic data suggests that this is due to the conditions which prevailed on the Bassian isthmus during Tertiary and late Quaternary times. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 Key to the terrestrial amphipods of Tasmania 4 SYSTEMATICS The Simplidactylate Group Protaustrotroides Bousfield ; Protaustrotroides victoriae Bousfield Austrotroides Friend Austrotroides longicornis n.sp 7 Austrotroides leptomerus n.sp.. 11 Austrotroides maritimus n.sp Neorchestia n.gen.. Neorchestia plicibrancha n.sp.. 21

A lakeland from the dreamtime the second founders' lecture

“…Because they are topographically and geomorphologically distinct from upland lakes they have been designated as a third limnological province (Bowling et al, 1992). Friend (1987) recognized these same three provinces for terrestrial amphipods.…”

“…In Tasmania it is visible in the butterflies, in the birds, in the terrestrial and aquatic fauna (Bayly, 1992;Bayly & Williams, 1965;Frey, 1991;Hynes & Hynes, 1980;Koste & Shiel, 1986, 1987Koste, Shiel & Tan, 1988;Maly & Bayly, 1991;Shiel & Koste, 1985, 1986Shiel, Koste & Tan, 1989), and in the terrestrial flora sufficient to fill six volumes (Curtis, 1967-78). In all these obvious ways Tasmania is like a chunk of vintage Gondwanaland (Williams, 1974;Knott, 1978) and we now know that it also harbours a rich diversity of new, endemic or rare algae.…”

The distribution of the strandline fauna of sandy beaches on the east coast of Tasmania

“…Crustaceans were identified using the keys of Green (1961) and Lewis and Green (1994) for isopods (slaters), unpublished keys (A. M. M. Richardson) and Friend (1987) for talitrid amphipods (sandhoppers, beachfleas and landhoppers) and Westcott (1976) for crabs. Spiders were identified to family using Davies (1986).…”

Talitrus curioi (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Talitridae), a new species of landhopper from the rainforests of the Philippines

“…There are 3 genera which share this gnathopod 2 type in both sexes: Talitrus Latreille, 1802, Talitriator Methuen, 1913 and Talitroides Bonnier, 1898. There are several Australian genera (see Friend 1987) that share the reduced sexual dimorphism and mitten-form gnathopod 2: Austrotroides Friend, 1982, Mysticotalitrus Hurley, 1975, Arcitalitrus Hurley, 1975and Keratroides Hurley, 1975. However, these are all simplidactylate species.…”