Four new species and new distributional records for Australian caddisflies in the genus Ecnomus McLachlan (Trichoptera: Ecnomidae)
Memoirs of Museum Victoria Vol 85 p. 135–148 (2026)
Abstract
A recent surge in collection of fresh caddisfly material for molecular studies resulted in the discovery of four new species of Ecnomus, the first since a major review of Australian members of the genus by Cartwright in 1990. Three of the new species are from north-eastern Queensland: E. giblini sp. nov., E. lesteri sp. nov. and E. mundyi sp. nov., the latter resulting from recognition that E. apiculatus Cartwright, 1990 comprises two distinct species. The fourth new species, E. barwonensis sp. nov., also derives from a split from another species, the very similar E. continentalis Ulmer, 1916. The new rearrangements are based on small differences in male genitalia supported by divergence in cytochrome oxidase sub-unit 1 gene barcodes. Ecnomus continentalis is now recorded only from north-eastern Queensland. All other specimens identified formerly as E. continentalis, and mainly from south-eastern Australia, are henceforth assigned to E. barwonensis sp. nov. In addition, the Papua New Guinean species E. iomari Cartwright, 1998 is recorded from Australia for the first time, and new distributional records are included for 31 further Australian species, some considerably increasing the known ranges of the species. In light of these amendments above, revised descriptions of E. apiculatus, E. continentalis and E. iomari are provided.
Citation
Cartwright, D.I. 2026. Four new species and new distributional records for Australian caddisflies in the genus Ecnomus McLachlan (Trichoptera: Ecnomidae). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 85: 135–148.
