Caenis vanuatensis, a new species of mayflies (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae) from Vanuatu

Abstract

The first species of Caenidae from Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, is described based on the larva and the female imago. Caenis vanuatensis sp. n. is most likely a parthenogenetic species, as only females have been found so far out of numerous specimens collected. The phylogenetic relationships of the new species thus remain enigmatic, as the distribution of Caenis throughout the Australian region is largely unknown and the taxonomically important males are missing.