Inventory of teloganodid mayflies (Ephemeroptera: Teloganodidae) from southern India with records of endemic taxa

Abstract

The present study deals with diagnostic characters, diversity, distribution and status of seven species belonging to four genera of Teloganodidae from southern India. Six of them are endemic to the Western Ghats as is the genus Indoganodes Selvakumar, Sivaramakrishnan & Jacobus, 2014 and one is endemic to the Eastern Ghats. Due to this high percentage of endemism, conservation of habitats and microhabitats harbouring this ancient gondwanan lineage gains priority. A larval key to the known genera and species of Teloganodidae of southern India is also provided. The present pattern of distribution of the family Teloganodidae is confined to southern Africa, Madagascar, southern India and Southeast Asia.

Keywords

• eastern ghats
• endemic taxa
• identification
• larval key
• western ghats.