Nesiothrix spp.

(Order Chordeumatida, family Metopidiotrichidae)

There are currently four known species in this genus of small (length to ca. 8 mm), very inconspicuous chordeumatidans found mainly in wet forest at lower elevations. Positive identifications can only be made by dissecting and closely examining the gonopods of mature males (click here for more on gonopods).

Nesiothrix medialis Shear & Mesibov, 1997 (photo above left) occurs in the Southern Forests and is abundant in eucalypt regrowth arising from clearfall-and-burn silviculture (Mesibov 1997b). N. tasmanica (Golovatch, 1986) is the most widespread Nesiothrix species; southeastern specimens are often prominently banded (photo above right). N. mangana Shear & Mesibov, 1997 is so far known only from Mt Mangana on Bruny Island but is likely to have been overlooked elsewhere. A fourth, undescribed Nesiothrix is restricted to the Northwest and is abundant in Pinus radiata plantations (Bonham et al. 2002). First known collections are mangana in 1989, medialis in 1988, tasmanica in 1984 and the NW species in 1996.

Localities for N. mangana (green), N. medialis (red), N. tasmanica (blue) and undescribed or unidentified Nesiothrix (gray). Scale bar = 100 km.
For an interactive map with more up-to-date localities, go to the mapper page.

More information:
 
Taxonomy - Golovatch (1986), Shear & Mesibov (1997)
Distribution, conservation and general - Mesibov (1997b), Bonham et al. (2002)