Abstract
Abstract During surveys of mayfly assemblages in streams on the northern and southern blocks, Great Barrier Island, 24 species were recorded, 20 of them Leptophlebiidae. Except for the absence of Baetidae and some Siphlonuridae, this fauna is similar in size and composition to that found in forested streams at equivalent latitudes on the mainland. No endemic species were found, which, in view of the poor dispersal abilities of mayflies, indicates relatively recent continuous land links between Great Barrier and the North Island. An analysis of the mayfly fauna in relation to microhabitats on Great Barrier using a coefficient of similarity enables identification of several assemblages of species. The composition of this and other mayfly faunas reported in New Zealand is reviewed. I propose that regional variation and divergence into specific microhabitats within the Leptophlebiidae is more extensive than has been recognised previously.
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